From polymers or colloids to polymers and colloids

Coarse - graining polymers as soft colloids

We show how to coarse grain polymers in a good solvent as single particles, interacting with density-independent or density-dependent interactions. These interactions can be between the centres of mass, the mid-points or end-points of the polymers. We also show how to extend these methods to polymers in poor solvents and mixtures of polymers. Treating polymers as soft colloids can greatly speed...

Stimuli-Responsive Polymers and Colloids under Electric and Magnetic Fields

Electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) suspensions undergo a reverse phase transition from a liquid-like to solid-like state in response to an external electric or magnetic field, respectively. This paper briefly reviews various types of electroor magneto-responsive materials from either polymeric or inorganic and hybrid composite materials. The fabrication strategies for ER/MR can...

Negative thermodiffusion of polymers and colloids in solvent mixtures

Results on thermodiffusion of poly~ethylene oxide! and colloidal boehmite (g-AlOOH! rods in ethanol/water mixtures are presented. Data were obtained using thermal diffusion forced Rayleigh scattering. The sign of the Soret coefficient of the boehmite rods changes from positive to negative with increasing water content, i.e., at sufficiently high water content the colloidal particles move to hig...

Entropic interactions in mixtures of colloids and non-ionic polymers

In binary colloidal mixtures, depletion forces or purely entropic origin play an important role besides interaction like Coulomb or van der Waals interactions. We have measured the potential energy bctwcci~ a single, negatively charged polystyrene sphere (X = 1.5 prn) cIose to an equally Rudhardt . G. Bechlnger (a) chargcd wall in the presence of P. Leideier uncharged polymer coils Fakultat fur...

Self-stabilized magnetic colloids: Ultrafine Co particles in polymers