title: Phase diagram of binary colloidal rod-sphere mixtures from a 3D real-space analysis of sedimentation-diffusion equilibria.
abstract: Self-assembly of binary particle systems offers many new opportunities for materials science. Here, we studied sedimentation equilibria of silica rods and spheres, using quantitative 3D confocal microscopy. We determined not only pressure, density and order parameter profiles, but also the experimental phase diagram exhibiting a stable binary smectic liquid-crystalline phase (Sm2). Using computer simulations we confirmed that the Sm2-phase can be stabilized by entropy alone, which opens up the possibility of combining new materials properties at a wide array of length scales.
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Henriëtte E
authors: HE
authors: Bakker
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Dussi
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Barbera L
authors: BL
authors: Droste
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Thijs H
authors: TH
authors: Besseling
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Chris L
authors: CL
authors: Kennedy
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Evert I
authors: EI
authors: Wiegant
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Liu
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Arnout
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7445-1360
authors: A
authors: Imhof
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Marjolein
authors: M
authors: Dijkstra
authors: Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. henriette.bakker@gmail.com a.vanblaaderen@uu.nl.
authors: Alfons
authors: A
authors: van Blaaderen