Surface induced ordering effects in soft condensed matter systems

The symmetry break of the particle interaction field at surfaces causes a variety of interfacial effects including the variation of the relative stability of different phases of a given compound. In many materials surface melting is observed, i.e. a surface near a portion of the system is in a less ordered state than the bulk. Over the last two decades, surface ordering, i.e. the stabilization of the higher ordered phase by the surface, has been observed for an increasing number of soft condensed matter systems. For melts of low molar mass compounds, surface freezing has been reported so far only for chain molecules, while in systems of colloidal length scale, surface ordering has been observed for spherical particles as well. In this contribution we will review experimental studies, some theoretical approaches as well as computer simulations of surface ordering, both in the field of molecular melts and of colloidal suspensions. (topical review)