CuAu structure in the restricted primitive model and oppositely charged colloids.
We study the phase behavior of oppositely charged equal-size hard spheres both theoretically and experimentally, using Monte Carlo simulations and confocal microscopy. In the simulations, two systems are considered: the restricted primitive model (RPM) and a system of screened Coulomb particles. We construct the phase diagrams of both systems by computer simulations and predict a novel solid phase that has the CuAu structure. In addition, the CuAu structure is observed experimentally in a system of oppositely charged colloids. The qualitative agreement between the RPM, the screened Coulomb system, and the experiments shows that colloids form a suitable model system to study phase behavior in ionic systems.
Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
A-P
AP
Hynninen
M E
ME
Leunissen
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A
van Blaaderen
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M
Dijkstra