The development of the theory of colloids and film stability in academic science

The results of the theoretical and experimental studies of the stability of colloidal systems and wetting films performed with the participation of leading Russian scientists (B.V. Derjaguin, L.D. Landau, E.M. Lifshitz, P.A. Rehbinder, and A.N. Frumkin) are reviewed briefly. The contribution of the scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences to the DLVO theory and its further elaboration as applied to hydrophilic and sterically stabilized systems as well as to the development of original methods of direct measurement of surface forces acting between model bodies is discussed.