7.1 Introduction

The adhesion of particles to surfaces is of immense technological importance. Moreover, as applications of microminiaturization advance, the importance of understanding the factors that control particle adhesion, deposition, and removal becomes more significant. This becomes quite clear when one thinks about such topics as fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), uses and properties of buckyballs and nanotubes, formation of nanoclusters, etc. In some sense, even the definition of "particle" has perhaps changed to include agglomerates of a few atoms or molecules.

The roles of particle adhesion in everyday life range from the quite esoteric to the mundane. For example, we merely have to think of the plethora of products in our own homes that are designed solely for the purpose of removing and collecting dust. Familiar items such as vacuum cleaners and mops, to sophisticated dust collection systems, including electrostatic air cleaning and HEPA filtration, depend on particle adhesion to function properly. New products on the market range from microfiber cloths that take advantage of van der Waals interactions to disposable tribocharging cloths that take advantage of electrostatic processes to capture dust without solvents. The expanding knowledge base of particle adhesion is improving our day-to-day quality of life. On the other hand, anyone who suffers from seasonal allergic reactions knows the consequences of the adhesion of...