Fluids of clusters in attractive colloids.
We show that colloidal particles with attractive interactions induced by a nonadsorbing polymer exhibit a stable phase consisting of a fluid of clusters of particles. This phase persists even in the absence of any long-range repulsion due to charge, contrary to expectations based on simulation and theory. Cluster morphology depends strongly on the range of the interparticle attraction: With a shorter range, clusters are tenuous and branched; with a longer range, they are more compact.
Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Peter J
PJ
Lu
Jacinta C
JC
Conrad
Hans M
HM
Wyss
Andrew B
AB
Schofield
David A
DA
Weitz