Polymer-induced phase separation in suspensions of bacteria

Phase separation induced by ladder-like polymer-polymer complexation.

Polymer-polymer complexation in solvent is studied using an extension of the self-consistent field theory. The model polymers are capable of forming ladder-like duplex structures. The duplex formation occurs with an abrupt change of entropy, resulting in a first-order transition. Moreover, the complexation can be stabilized by solvent-polymer interactions, instead of the usual specific binding ...

Theory of solvation-induced reentrant phase separation in polymer solutions.

Depletion-induced phase separation in colloid-polymer mixtures.

Phase separation can be induced in a colloidal dispersion by adding non-adsorbing polymers. Depletion of polymer around the colloidal particles induces an effective attraction, leading to demixing at sufficient polymer concentration. This communication reviews theoretical and experimental work carried out on the polymer-mediated attraction between spherical colloids and the resulting phase sepa...

Phase Separation in Polymer Solutions Induced by Shear

We numerically investigate nonlinear regimes of shear-induced phase separation in entangled polymer solutions. Use is made of a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model describing two fluid dynamics of polymer and solvent. As a new dynamic variable a conformation tensor is introduced to represent chain deformations. Above the coexistence curve a dynamical steady states is attained, where fluctuatio...

Phase-Separation-Induced Surface Patterns in Thin Polymer Blend Films

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), neutron reflection (NR) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) are used to examine phase separation in symmetrically segregating thin polymer blend films (e1000 Å). Phase separation in the film leads to undulations of the liquid-air interface, provided the film is sufficiently thin to suppress surface-directed spinodal decomposition waves. Flattened droplets a...