Equilibrium and non-equilibrium cluster phases in colloids with competing interactions

Equilibrium and non-equilibrium cluster phases in colloids with competing interactions.

The phase behavior of colloids that interact via competing interactions - short-range attraction and long-range repulsion - is studied by computer simulation. In particular, for a fixed strength and range of repulsion, the effect of the strength of an attractive interaction (ε) on the phase behavior is investigated at various colloid densities (ρ). A thermodynamically stable equilibrium colloid...

Thermal non-equilibrium transport in colloids

Equilibrium Phases of One-patch Colloids at Short Interaction Range

Polydispersity and gelation in concentrated colloids with competing interactions.

In colloids with competing short-range attractions and long-range repulsions, microcrystalline gels are experimentally formed under conditions where computer simulations point to a lamellar phase as the ground state. Here, upon applying a low-frequency alternating electric field, we bring the system from an initial gel state to a columnar-like state. While molecular dynamics simulations on mono...

Competing nucleation pathways in a mixture of oppositely charged colloids: out-of-equilibrium nucleation revisited.

Recent simulations of crystal nucleation from a compressed liquid of oppositely charged colloids show that the natural Brownian dynamics results in nuclei of a charge-disordered FCC (DFCC) solid whereas artificially accelerated dynamics with charge swap moves result in charge-ordered nuclei of a CsCl phase. These results were interpreted as a breakdown of the quasiequilibrium assumption for pre...