Structure and Dynamics of Bimodal Colloidal Dispersions in a Low-Molecular-Weight Polymer Solution.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Allen, Andrew J; Levine, Lyle E; Tsai, De-Hao; Ilavsky, Jan

2017-03-21

We present an experimental study of the structural and dynamical properties of bimodal, micrometer-sized colloidal dispersions (size ratio ≈ 2) in an aqueous solution of low-molecular-weight polymer (polyethylene glycol 2000) using synchrotron ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and USAXS-based X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. We fixed the volume fraction of the large particles at 5% and systematically increased the volume fraction of the small particles from 0 to 5% to evaluate their effects on the structure and dynamics. The bimodal dispersions were homogenous through the investigated parameter space. We found that the partial structure factors can be satisfactorily retrieved for the bimodal colloidal dispersions using a Percus-Yevick hard-sphere potential when the size distributions of the particles were taken into account. We also found that the partial structure factor between the large particles did not exhibit a significant variation with increasing volume fraction of the small particles, whereas the isothermal compressibility of the binary mixture was found to decrease with increasing volume fraction of the small particles. The dynamics of single-component large-particle dispersion obey the principles of de Gennes narrowing, where the wave vector dependence of the interparticle diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the interparticle structure factor. The dynamics of the bimodal dispersions demonstrate a strong dependence on the fraction of small particles. We also made a comparison between the experimental effective dynamic viscosity of the bimodal dispersion with the theoretical predictions, which suggest that the complex mutual interactions between the large and small particles have a strong effect on the dynamic behaviors of bimodal dispersions.

The Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem of Colloidal Particle's energy on 2D Periodic Substrates: A Monte Carlo Study of thermal noise-like fluctuation and diffusion like Brownian motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najafi, Amin

2014-05-01

Using the Monte Carlo simulations, we have calculated mean-square fluctuations in statistical mechanics, such as those for colloids energy configuration are set on square 2D periodic substrates interacting via a long range screened Coulomb potential on any specific and fixed substrate. Random fluctuations with small deviations from the state of thermodynamic equilibrium arise from the granular structure of them and appear as thermal diffusion with Gaussian distribution structure as well. The variations are showing linear form of the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem on the energy of particles constitutive a canonical ensemble with continuous diffusion process of colloidal particle systems. The noise-like variation of the energy per particle and the order parameter versus the Brownian displacement of sum of large number of random steps of particles at low temperatures phase are presenting a markovian process on colloidal particles configuration, too.

Interface colloidal robotic manipulator

DOEpatents

Aronson, Igor; Snezhko, Oleksiy

2015-08-04

A magnetic colloidal system confined at the interface between two immiscible liquids and energized by an alternating magnetic field dynamically self-assembles into localized asters and arrays of asters. The colloidal system exhibits locomotion and shape change. By controlling a small external magnetic field applied parallel to the interface, structures can capture, transport, and position target particles.

Depletion force between two large spheres suspended in a bath of small spheres: onset of the Derjaguin limit.

PubMed

Oettel, M

2004-04-01

We analyze the depletion interaction between two hard colloids in a hard-sphere solvent and pay special attention to the limit of large size ratio between colloids and solvent particles which is governed by the well-known Derjaguin approximation. For separations between the colloids of less than the diameter of the solvent particles (defining the depletion region), the solvent structure between the colloids can be analyzed in terms of an effective two-dimensional gas. Thereby we find that the Derjaguin limit is approached more slowly than previously thought. This analysis is in good agreement with simulation data which are available for a moderate size ratio of 10. Small discrepancies in results from density functional theory (DFT) at this size ratio become amplified for larger size ratios. Therefore we have improved upon previous DFT techniques by imposing test-particle consistency which connects DFT to integral equations. However, the improved results show no convergence towards the Derjaguin limit and thus we conclude that this implementation of DFT together with previous ones which rely on test-particle insertion become unreliable in predicting the force in the depletion region for size ratios larger than 10.

Correlated diffusion of colloidal particles near a liquid-liquid interface.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Chen, Song; Li, Na; Zhang, Jia Zheng; Chen, Wei

2014-01-01

Optical microscopy and multi-particle tracking are used to investigate the cross-correlated diffusion of quasi two-dimensional colloidal particles near an oil-water interface. The behaviors of the correlated diffusion along longitudinal and transverse direction are asymmetric. It is shown that the characteristic length for longitudinal and transverse correlated diffusion are particle diameter d and the distance z from particle center to the interface, respectively, for large particle separation z. The longitudinal and transverse correlated diffusion coefficient D||(r) and D[perpendicular](r) are independent of the colloidal area fraction n when n < 0.3, which indicates that the hydrodynamic interactions(HIs) among the particles are dominated by HIs through the surrounding fluid for small n. For high area fraction n > 0.4 the power law exponent for the spatial decay of [Formula: see text] begins to decrease, which suggests the HIs are more contributed from the 2D particle monolayer self for large n.

Universal Features of the Fluid to Solid Transition for Attractive Colloidal Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cipelletti, L.; Prasad, V.; Dinsmore, A.; Segre, P. N.; Weitz, D. A.; Trappe, V.

2002-01-01

Attractive colloidal particles can exhibit a fluid to solid phase transition if the magnitude of the attractive interaction is sufficiently large, if the volume fraction is sufficiently high, and if the applied stress is sufficiently small. The nature of this fluid to solid transition is similar for many different colloid systems, and for many different forms of interaction. The jamming phase transition captures the common features of these fluid to solid translations, by unifying the behavior as a function of the particle volume fraction, the energy of interparticle attractions, and the applied stress. This paper describes the applicability of the jamming state diagram, and highlights those regions where the fluid to solid transition is still poorly understood. It also presents new data for gelation of colloidal particles with an attractive depletion interaction, providing more insight into the origin of the fluid to solid transition.

Composition inversion in mixtures of binary colloids and polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Isla; Pinchaipat, Rattachai; Wilding, Nigel B.; Faers, Malcolm A.; Bartlett, Paul; Evans, Robert; Royall, C. Patrick

2018-05-01

Understanding the phase behaviour of mixtures continues to pose challenges, even for systems that might be considered "simple." Here, we consider a very simple mixture of two colloidal and one non-adsorbing polymer species, which can be simplified even further to a size-asymmetrical binary mixture, in which the effective colloid-colloid interactions depend on the polymer concentration. We show that this basic system exhibits surprisingly rich phase behaviour. In particular, we enquire whether such a system features only a liquid-vapor phase separation (as in one-component colloid-polymer mixtures) or whether, additionally, liquid-liquid demixing of two colloidal phases can occur. Particle-resolved experiments show demixing-like behaviour, but when combined with bespoke Monte Carlo simulations, this proves illusory, and we reveal that only a single liquid-vapor transition occurs. Progressive migration of the small particles to the liquid phase as the polymer concentration increases gives rise to composition inversion—a maximum in the large particle concentration in the liquid phase. Close to criticality, the density fluctuations are found to be dominated by the larger colloids.

Short-time dynamics of monomers and dimers in quasi-two-dimensional colloidal mixtures.

PubMed

Sarmiento-Gómez, Erick; Villanueva-Valencia, José Ramón; Herrera-Velarde, Salvador; Ruiz-Santoyo, José Arturo; Santana-Solano, Jesús; Arauz-Lara, José Luis; Castañeda-Priego, Ramón

2016-07-01

We report on the short-time dynamics in colloidal mixtures made up of monomers and dimers highly confined between two glass plates. At low concentrations, the experimental measurements of colloidal motion agree well with the solution of the Navier-Stokes equation at low Reynolds numbers; the latter takes into account the increase in the drag force on a colloidal particle due to wall-particle hydrodynamic forces. More importantly, we find that the ratio of the short-time diffusion coefficient of the monomer and that of the center of mass of the dimmer is almost independent of both the dimer molar fraction, x_{d}, and the total packing fraction, ϕ, up to ϕ≈0.5. At higher concentrations, this ratio displays a small but systematic increase. A similar physical scenario is observed for the ratio between the parallel and the perpendicular components of the short-time diffusion coefficients of the dimer. This dynamical behavior is corroborated by means of molecular dynamics computer simulations that include explicitly the particle-particle hydrodynamic forces induced by the solvent. Our results suggest that the effects of colloid-colloid hydrodynamic interactions on the short-time diffusion coefficients are almost identical and factorable in both species.

Controlling dispersion forces between small particles with artificially created random light fields

PubMed Central

Brügger, Georges; Froufe-Pérez, Luis S.; Scheffold, Frank; José Sáenz, Juan

2015-01-01

Appropriate combinations of laser beams can be used to trap and manipulate small particles with optical tweezers as well as to induce significant optical binding forces between particles. These interaction forces are usually strongly anisotropic depending on the interference landscape of the external fields. This is in contrast with the familiar isotropic, translationally invariant, van der Waals and, in general, Casimir–Lifshitz interactions between neutral bodies arising from random electromagnetic waves generated by equilibrium quantum and thermal fluctuations. Here we show, both theoretically and experimentally, that dispersion forces between small colloidal particles can also be induced and controlled using artificially created fluctuating light fields. Using optical tweezers as a gauge, we present experimental evidence for the predicted isotropic attractive interactions between dielectric microspheres induced by laser-generated, random light fields. These light-induced interactions open a path towards the control of translationally invariant interactions with tuneable strength and range in colloidal systems. PMID:26096622

Self-assembly of bimodal particles inside emulsion droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Young-Sang; Yi, Gi-Ra; Yang, Seung-Man; Kim, Young-Kuk; Choi, Chul-Jin

2010-08-01

Colloidal dispersion of bimodal particles were self-organized inside water-in-oil emulsion droplets by evaporationdriven self-assembly method. After droplet shrinkage by heating the complex fluid system, small numbers of microspheres were packed into minimal second moment clusters, which are partially coated with silica nanospheres, resulting in the generation of patchy particles. The patchy particles in this study possess potential applications for selfassembly of non-isotropic particles such as dimmers or tetramers for colloidal photonic crystals with diamond lattice structures. The composite micro-clusters of amidine polystyrene microspheres and titania nanoparticles were also generated by evaporation-driven self-assembly to fabricate nonspherical hollow micro-particles made of titania shell.

Site-Specific Colloidal Crystal Nucleation by Template-enhanced Particle Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Chandan K.; Sood, A. K.; Ganapathy, Rajesh

The deliberate positioning of nano- and microstructures on surfaces is often a prerequisite for fabricating functional devices. While template-assisted nucleation is a promising route to self-assemble these structures, its success hinges on particles reaching target sites prior to nucleation and for nano/microscale particles, this is hampered by their small surface mobilities. We tailored surface features, which in the presence of attractive depletion interactions not only directed micrometer-sized colloids to specific sites but also subsequently guided their growth into ordered crystalline arrays of well-defined size and symmetry. By following the nucleation kinetics with single-particle resolution, we demonstrate control over nucleation density in a growth regime that has hitherto remained inaccessible. Our findings pave the way towards realizing non-trivial surface architectures composed of complex colloids/nanoparticles as well.

Colloidal heat engines: a review.

PubMed

Martínez, Ignacio A; Roldán, Édgar; Dinis, Luis; Rica, Raúl A

2016-12-21

Stochastic heat engines can be built using colloidal particles trapped using optical tweezers. Here we review recent experimental realizations of microscopic heat engines. We first revisit the theoretical framework of stochastic thermodynamics that allows to describe the fluctuating behavior of the energy fluxes that occur at mesoscopic scales, and then discuss recent implementations of the colloidal equivalents to the macroscopic Stirling, Carnot and steam engines. These small-scale motors exhibit unique features in terms of power and efficiency fluctuations that have no equivalent in the macroscopic world. We also consider a second pathway for work extraction from colloidal engines operating between active bacterial reservoirs at different temperatures, which could significantly boost the performance of passive heat engines at the mesoscale. Finally, we provide some guidance on how the work extracted from colloidal heat engines can be used to generate net particle or energy currents, proposing a new generation of experiments with colloidal systems.

Macroporous ceramics by colloidal templating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramaniam, G.; Pine, David J.

2000-04-01

We describe a novel method of fabricating macroporous ceramics employing colloidal dispersion of ultrafine ceramic particles with latex particles as the templates. The colloidal particles form a particulate gel on drying and fill the voids of the ordered latex templates. Subsequent removal of the template by calcination results in the formation of an ordered macroporous ceramic. The process has significant advantages over the traditional sol-gel process employing alkoxide precursors. Most importantly, the much lower shrinkage compared to the sol-gel process enabled us to produce larger pieces of the sample. The larger shrinkage involved in the sol-gel process often results in small and fragile pieces of the macroporous material which has to be subsequently heat treated to induce crystallization. The ability to choose crystalline colloidal particles in our method obviates the need for heat treatment to achieve crystallinity. We have synthesized a variety of materials such as macroporous silica, titania, alumina and recently have also extended the approach to macroporous silicon which is not amenable to the sol-gel process.

Vector assembly of colloids on monolayer substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lingxiang; Yang, Shenyu; Tsang, Boyce; Tu, Mei; Granick, Steve

2017-06-01

The key to spontaneous and directed assembly is to encode the desired assembly information to building blocks in a programmable and efficient way. In computer graphics, raster graphics encodes images on a single-pixel level, conferring fine details at the expense of large file sizes, whereas vector graphics encrypts shape information into vectors that allow small file sizes and operational transformations. Here, we adapt this raster/vector concept to a 2D colloidal system and realize `vector assembly' by manipulating particles on a colloidal monolayer substrate with optical tweezers. In contrast to raster assembly that assigns optical tweezers to each particle, vector assembly requires a minimal number of optical tweezers that allow operations like chain elongation and shortening. This vector approach enables simple uniform particles to form a vast collection of colloidal arenes and colloidenes, the spontaneous dissociation of which is achieved with precision and stage-by-stage complexity by simply removing the optical tweezers.

Colloidal interactions and fouling of NF and RO membranes: a review.

PubMed

Tang, Chuyang Y; Chong, T H; Fane, Anthony G

2011-05-11

Colloids are fine particles whose characteristic size falls within the rough size range of 1-1000 nm. In pressure-driven membrane systems, these fine particles have a strong tendency to foul the membranes, causing a significant loss in water permeability and often a deteriorated product water quality. There have been a large number of systematic studies on colloidal fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes in the last three decades, and the understanding of colloidal fouling has been significantly advanced. The current paper reviews the mechanisms and factors controlling colloidal fouling of both RO and NF membranes. Major colloidal foulants (including both rigid inorganic colloids and organic macromolecules) and their properties are summarized. The deposition of such colloidal particles on an RO or NF membrane forms a cake layer, which can adversely affect the membrane flux due to 1) the cake layer hydraulic resistance and/or 2) the cake-enhanced osmotic pressure. The effects of feedwater compositions, membrane properties, and hydrodynamic conditions are discussed in detail for inorganic colloids, natural organic matter, polysaccharides, and proteins. In general, these effects can be readily explained by considering the mass transfer near the membrane surface and the colloid-membrane (or colloid-colloid) interaction. The critical flux and limiting flux concepts, originally developed for colloidal fouling of porous membranes, are also applicable to RO and NF membranes. For small colloids (diameter≪100 nm), the limiting flux can result from two different mechanisms: 1) the diffusion-solubility (gel formation) controlled mechanism and 2) the surface interaction controlled mechanism. The former mechanism probably dominates for concentrated solutions, while the latter mechanism may be more important for dilute solutions. Future research needs on RO and NF colloidal fouling are also identified in the current paper. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Colloidal transport through trap arrays controlled by active microswimmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wen; Misko, Vyacheslav R.; Marchesoni, Fabio; Nori, Franco

2018-07-01

We investigate the dynamics of a binary mixture consisting of active and passive colloidal particles diffusing in a 2D array of truncated harmonic wells, or traps. We explore the possibility of using a small fraction of active particles to manipulate a much larger fraction of passive particles, for instance, to confine them in or extract them from the traps. The results of our study have potential application in biology and medical sciences, for example, to remove dead cells or undesired contaminants from biological systems by means of self-propelled nano-robots.

Electrokinetic and hydrodynamic properties of charged-particles systems. From small electrolyte ions to large colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nägele, G.; Heinen, M.; Banchio, A. J.; Contreras-Aburto, C.

2013-11-01

Dynamic processes in dispersions of charged spherical particles are of importance both in fundamental science, and in technical and bio-medical applications. There exists a large variety of charged-particles systems, ranging from nanometer-sized electrolyte ions to micron-sized charge-stabilized colloids. We review recent advances in theoretical methods for the calculation of linear transport coefficients in concentrated particulate systems, with the focus on hydrodynamic interactions and electrokinetic effects. Considered transport properties are the dispersion viscosity, self- and collective diffusion coefficients, sedimentation coefficients, and electrophoretic mobilities and conductivities of ionic particle species in an external electric field. Advances by our group are also discussed, including a novel mode-coupling-theory method for conduction-diffusion and viscoelastic properties of strong electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, results are presented for dispersions of solvent-permeable particles, and particles with non-zero hydrodynamic surface slip. The concentration-dependent swelling of ionic microgels is discussed, as well as a far-reaching dynamic scaling behavior relating colloidal long- to short-time dynamics.

Aging of a Binary Colloidal Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, Jennifer M.; Cianci, Gianguido C.; Weeks, Eric R.

2008-03-01

After having undergone a glass transition, a glass is in a non-equilibrium state, and its properties depend on the time elapsed since vitrification. We study this phenomenon, known as aging. In particular, we study a colloidal suspension consisting of micron-sized particles in a liquid --- a good model system for studying the glass transition. In this system, the glass transition is approached by increasing the particle concentration, instead of decreasing the temperature. We observe samples composed of particles of two sizes (d1= 1.0μm and d2= 2.0μm) using fast laser scanning confocal microscopy, which yields real-time, three-dimensional movies deep inside the colloidal glass. We then analyze the trajectories of several thousand particles as the glassy suspension ages. Specifically, we look at how the size, motion and structural organization of the particles relate to the overall aging of the glass. We find that areas richer in small particles are more mobile and therefore contribute more to the structural changes found in aging glasses.

Depinning and heterogeneous dynamics of colloidal crystal layers under shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerloff, Sascha; Klapp, Sabine H. L.

2016-12-01

Using Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations and an analytical approach we investigate the shear-induced, nonequilibrium dynamics of dense colloidal suspensions confined to a narrow slit-pore. Focusing on situations where the colloids arrange in well-defined layers with solidlike in-plane structure, the confined films display complex, nonlinear behavior such as collective depinning and local transport via density excitations. These phenomena are reminiscent of colloidal monolayers driven over a periodic substrate potential. In order to deepen this connection, we present an effective model that maps the dynamics of the shear-driven colloidal layers to the motion of a single particle driven over an effective substrate potential. This model allows us to estimate the critical shear rate of the depinning transition based on the equilibrium configuration, revealing the impact of important parameters, such as the slit-pore width and the interaction strength. We then turn to heterogeneous systems where a layer of small colloids is sheared with respect to bottom layers of large particles. For these incommensurate systems we find that the particle transport is dominated by density excitations resembling the so-called "kink" solutions of the Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model. In contrast to the FK model, however, the corresponding "antikinks" do not move.

Non-iridescent structural colors from uniform-sized SiO2 colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topçu, Gökhan; Güner, Tuğrul; Demir, Mustafa M.

2018-05-01

Structural colors have recently attracted interest from diverse fields of research due to their ease of fabrication and eco-friendliness. These types of colors are, in principle, achieved by periodically arranged submicron-diameter colloidal particles. The interaction of light with a structure containing long-range ordered colloidal particles leads to coloration; this usually varies depending on the angle of observation (iridescence). However, the majority of the applications demand constant color that is independent of the viewing angle (non-iridescence). In this work, silica colloids were obtained using the Stöber method at different sizes from 150 to 300 nm in an alcoholic dispersion. The casting of the dispersion on a substrate leaves behind a photonic crystal showing a colorful iridescent film. However, centrifugation and redispersion of the SiO2 particles into fresh solvent may cause the formation of small, aggregated silica domains in the new dispersion. The casting of this dispersion allows for the development of photonic glass, presumably due to the accumulation of aggregates showing stable colloidal film independent of viewing angle. Moreover, depending on the size of the silica colloids, non-iridescent photonic glasses with various colors (violet, blue, green, and orange) are obtained.

Structure, thermodynamic properties, and phase diagrams of few colloids confined in a spherical pore.

PubMed

Paganini, Iván E; Pastorino, Claudio; Urrutia, Ignacio

2015-06-28

We study a system of few colloids confined in a small spherical cavity with event driven molecular dynamics simulations in the canonical ensemble. The colloidal particles interact through a short range square-well potential that takes into account the basic elements of attraction and excluded-volume repulsion of the interaction among colloids. We analyze the structural and thermodynamic properties of this few-body confined system in the framework of inhomogeneous fluids theory. Pair correlation function and density profile are used to determine the structure and the spatial characteristics of the system. Pressure on the walls, internal energy, and surface quantities such as surface tension and adsorption are also analyzed for a wide range of densities and temperatures. We have characterized systems from 2 to 6 confined particles, identifying distinctive qualitative behavior over the thermodynamic plane T - ρ, in a few-particle equivalent to phase diagrams of macroscopic systems. Applying the extended law of corresponding states, the square well interaction is mapped to the Asakura-Oosawa model for colloid-polymer mixtures. We link explicitly the temperature of the confined square-well fluid to the equivalent packing fraction of polymers in the Asakura-Oosawa model. Using this approach, we study the confined system of few colloids in a colloid-polymer mixture.

Comparison of photon correlation spectroscopy with photosedimentation analysis for the determination of aqueous colloid size distributions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rees, Terry F.

1990-01-01

Colloidal materials, dispersed phases with dimensions between 0.001 and 1 μm, are potential transport media for a variety of contaminants in surface and ground water. Characterization of these colloids, and identification of the parameters that control their movement, are necessary before transport simulations can be attempted. Two techniques that can be used to determine the particle-size distribution of colloidal materials suspended in natural waters are compared. Photon correlation Spectroscopy (PCS) utilizes the Doppler frequency shift of photons scattered off particles undergoing Brownian motion to determine the size of colloids suspended in water. Photosedimentation analysis (PSA) measures the time-dependent change in optical density of a suspension of colloidal particles undergoing centrifugation. A description of both techniques, important underlying assumptions, and limitations are given. Results for a series of river water samples show that the colloid-size distribution means are statistically identical as determined by both techniques. This also is true of the mass median diameter (MMD), even though MMD values determined by PSA are consistently smaller than those determined by PCS. Because of this small negative bias, the skew parameters for the distributions are generally smaller for the PCS-determined distributions than for the PSA-determined distributions. Smaller polydispersity indices for the distributions are also determined by PCS.

Structure, thermodynamic properties, and phase diagrams of few colloids confined in a spherical pore

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paganini, Iván E.; Pastorino, Claudio, E-mail: pastor@cnea.gov.ar; Urrutia, Ignacio, E-mail: iurrutia@cnea.gov.ar

2015-06-28

We study a system of few colloids confined in a small spherical cavity with event driven molecular dynamics simulations in the canonical ensemble. The colloidal particles interact through a short range square-well potential that takes into account the basic elements of attraction and excluded-volume repulsion of the interaction among colloids. We analyze the structural and thermodynamic properties of this few-body confined system in the framework of inhomogeneous fluids theory. Pair correlation function and density profile are used to determine the structure and the spatial characteristics of the system. Pressure on the walls, internal energy, and surface quantities such as surfacemore » tension and adsorption are also analyzed for a wide range of densities and temperatures. We have characterized systems from 2 to 6 confined particles, identifying distinctive qualitative behavior over the thermodynamic plane T − ρ, in a few-particle equivalent to phase diagrams of macroscopic systems. Applying the extended law of corresponding states, the square well interaction is mapped to the Asakura-Oosawa model for colloid-polymer mixtures. We link explicitly the temperature of the confined square-well fluid to the equivalent packing fraction of polymers in the Asakura-Oosawa model. Using this approach, we study the confined system of few colloids in a colloid-polymer mixture.« less

Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Based Colloidal Particles.

PubMed

Moreno; Vidoni; Ovalles; Chaudret; Urbina; Krentzein

1998-11-15

The synthesis and characterization of molybdenum colloidal particles were evaluated using thermal and sonochemical methods and starting from different metal precursors, Mo(CO)6 and (NH4)2MoS4. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic (UV, FTIR), and surface analysis (XPS) techniques, as well as by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for determining the particle sizes. Using Mo(CO)6 as metal source, particle sizes with an average diameter of 1.5 nm can be obtained using tert-amyl alcohol as solvent and tetrahydrothiophene as sulfurating ligand. The characterization of these particles showed that they are composed of molybdenum oxide MoO3. Using (NH4)2MoS4 as metal precursor, particles with average diameters of 4.7 and 2.5 nm were synthesized using thermal and sonochemical methods, respectively. The characterization of these particles showed them to be composed of molybdenum sulfide, MoS2. The sonochemical method proved to be the fastest and most convenient synthetic pathway of obtaining small colloidal particles at low temperatures and with control of the average size. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Factors causing PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF (powdered activated carbon-microfiltration) water treatment systems.

PubMed

Zhao, P; Takizawa, S; Katayama, H; Ohgaki, S

2005-01-01

Two pilot-scale powdered activated carbon-microfiltration (PAC-MF) reactors were operated using river water pretreated by a biofilter. A high permeate flux (4 m/d) was maintained in two reactors with different particle sizes of PAC. High concentration (20 g/L) in the PAC adsorption zone demonstrated 60-80% of organic removal rates. Analysis on the PAC cake fouling demonstrated that attached metal ions play more important role than organic matter attached on PAC to the increase of PAC cake resistance. Effects of factors which may cause PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF process were investigated and evaluated by batch experiments, further revealing that small particulates and metal ions in raw water impose prominent influence on the PAC cake layer formation. Fe (II) precipitates after being oxidized to Fe (III) during PAC adsorption and thus Fe(ll) colloids display more significant effect than other metal ions. At a high flux, PAC cake layer demonstrated a higher resistance with larger PAC due to association among colloids, metals and PAC particles, and easy migration of small particles in raw water into the void space in the PAC cake layer. Larger PAC possesses much more non-uniform particle size distribution and larger void space, making it easier for small colloids to migrate into the voids and for metal ions to associate with PAC particles by bridge effect, hence speeding up and intensifying the of PAC cake fouling on membrane surface.

Suitability of different silver enhancement methods applied to 1 nm colloidal gold particles: an immunoelectron microscopic study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stierhof, Y.D.; Humbel, B.M.; Schwarz, H.

1991-03-01

In order to exploit the recently introduced 1 nm gold colloids in routine electron microscopic labeling experiments, an efficient enhancement step for a better visualization of this small marker is a prerequisite. Efficiency and reproducibility of enhancement as well as growth homogeneity of gold particles were evaluated for three different silver intensifying solutions: silver lactate/hydroquinone/gum arabic, and the commercially available IntenSE M silver enhancement kit. The best results were obtained by using the silver lactate/hydroquinone/gum arabic mixture. The quality of enhancement of the IntenSE M kit was considerably increased by the addition of the protective colloid gum arabic.

Capillary Assembly of Colloids: Interactions on Planar and Curved Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Iris B.; Sharifi-Mood, Nima; Stebe, Kathleen J.

2018-03-01

In directed assembly, small building blocks are assembled into an organized structure under the influence of guiding fields. Capillary interactions provide a versatile route for structure formation. Colloids adsorbed on fluid interfaces distort the interface, which creates an associated energy field. When neighboring distortions overlap, colloids interact to minimize interfacial area. Contact line pinning, particle shape, and surface chemistry play important roles in structure formation. Interface curvature acts like an external field; particles migrate and assemble in patterns dictated by curvature gradients. We review basic analysis and recent findings in this rapidly evolving literature. Understanding the roles of assembly is essential for tuning the mechanical, physical, and optical properties of the structure.

Viscosity scaling in concentrated dispersions and its impact on colloidal aggregation.

PubMed

Nicoud, Lucrèce; Lattuada, Marco; Lazzari, Stefano; Morbidelli, Massimo

2015-10-07

Gaining fundamental knowledge about diffusion in crowded environments is of great relevance in a variety of research fields, including reaction engineering, biology, pharmacy and colloid science. In this work, we determine the effective viscosity experienced by a spherical tracer particle immersed in a concentrated colloidal dispersion by means of Brownian dynamics simulations. We characterize how the effective viscosity increases from the solvent viscosity for small tracer particles to the macroscopic viscosity of the dispersion when large tracer particles are employed. Our results show that the crossover between these two regimes occurs at a tracer particle size comparable to the host particle size. In addition, it is found that data points obtained in various host dispersions collapse on one master curve when the normalized effective viscosity is plotted as a function of the ratio between the tracer particle size and the mean host particle size. In particular, this master curve was obtained by varying the volume fraction, the average size and the polydispersity of the host particle distribution. Finally, we extend these results to determine the size dependent effective viscosity experienced by a fractal cluster in a concentrated colloidal system undergoing aggregation. We include this scaling of the effective viscosity in classical aggregation kernels, and we quantify its impact on the kinetics of aggregate growth as well as on the shape of the aggregate distribution by means of population balance equation calculations.

Distance within colloidal dimers probed by rotation-induced oscillations of scattered light.

PubMed

van Vliembergen, Roland W L; van IJzendoorn, Leo J; Prins, Menno W J

2016-01-25

Aggregation processes of colloidal particles are of broad scientific and technological relevance. The earliest stage of aggregation, when dimers appear in an ensemble of single particles, is very important to characterize because it opens routes for further aggregation processes. Furthermore, it represents the most sensitive phase of diagnostic aggregation assays. Here, we characterize dimers by rotating them in a magnetic field and by recording the angle dependence of light scattering. At small scattering angles, the scattering cross section can be approximated by the total cross-sectional area of the dimer. In contrast, at scattering angles around 90 degrees, we reveal that the dependence of the scattering cross section on the dimer angle shows a series of peaks per single 2π rotation of the dimers. These characteristics originate from optical interactions between the two particles, as we have verified with two-particle Mie scattering simulations. We have studied in detail the angular positions of the peaks. It appears from simulations that the influence of particle size polydispersity, Brownian rotation and refractive index on the angular positions of the peaks is relatively small. However, the angular positions of the peaks strongly depend on the distance between the particles. We find a good correspondence between measured data and calculations for a gap of 180 nm between particles having a diameter of 1 micrometer. The experiment and simulations pave the way for extracting distance-specific data from ensembles of dimerizing colloidal particles, with application for sensitive diagnostic aggregation assays.

Structurally coloured secondary particles composed of black and white colloidal particles.

PubMed

Takeoka, Yukikazu; Yoshioka, Shinya; Teshima, Midori; Takano, Atsushi; Harun-Ur-Rashid, Mohammad; Seki, Takahiro

2013-01-01

This study investigated the colourful secondary particles formed by controlling the aggregation states of colloidal silica particles and the enhancement of the structural colouration of the secondary particles caused by adding black particles. We obtained glossy, partially structurally coloured secondary particles in the absence of NaCl, but matte, whitish secondary particles were obtained in the presence of NaCl. When a small amount of carbon black was incorporated into both types of secondary particles, the incoherent multiple scattering of light from the amorphous region was considerably reduced. However, the peak intensities in the reflection spectra, caused by Bragg reflection and by coherent single wavelength scattering, were only slightly decreased. Consequently, a brighter structural colour of these secondary particles was observed with the naked eye. Furthermore, when magnetite was added as a black particle, the coloured secondary particles could be moved and collected by applying an external magnetic field.

Structurally Coloured Secondary Particles Composed of Black and White Colloidal Particles

PubMed Central

Takeoka, Yukikazu; Yoshioka, Shinya; Teshima, Midori; Takano, Atsushi; Harun-Ur-Rashid, Mohammad; Seki, Takahiro

2013-01-01

This study investigated the colourful secondary particles formed by controlling the aggregation states of colloidal silica particles and the enhancement of the structural colouration of the secondary particles caused by adding black particles. We obtained glossy, partially structurally coloured secondary particles in the absence of NaCl, but matte, whitish secondary particles were obtained in the presence of NaCl. When a small amount of carbon black was incorporated into both types of secondary particles, the incoherent multiple scattering of light from the amorphous region was considerably reduced. However, the peak intensities in the reflection spectra, caused by Bragg reflection and by coherent single wavelength scattering, were only slightly decreased. Consequently, a brighter structural colour of these secondary particles was observed with the naked eye. Furthermore, when magnetite was added as a black particle, the coloured secondary particles could be moved and collected by applying an external magnetic field. PMID:23917891

A comment on the position dependent diffusion coefficient representation of structural heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfson, Molly; Liepold, Christopher; Lin, Binhua; Rice, Stuart A.

2018-05-01

Experimental studies of the variation of the mean square displacement (MSD) of a particle in a confined colloid suspension that exhibits density variations on the scale length of the particle diameter are not in agreement with the prediction that the spatial variation in MSD should mimic the spatial variation in density. The predicted behavior is derived from the expectation that the MSD of a particle depends on the system density and the assumption that the force acting on a particle is a point function of position. The experimental data are obtained from studies of the MSDs of particles in narrow ribbon channels and between narrowly spaced parallel plates and from new data, reported herein, of the radial and azimuthal MSDs of a colloid particle in a dense colloid suspension confined to a small circular cavity. In each of these geometries, a dense colloid suspension exhibits pronounced density oscillations with spacing of a particle diameter. We remove the discrepancy between prediction and experiment using the Fisher-Methfessel interpretation of how local equilibrium in an inhomogeneous system is maintained to argue that the force acting on a particle is delocalized over a volume with radius equal to a particle diameter. Our interpretation has relevance to the relationship between the scale of inhomogeneity and the utility of translation of the particle MSD into a position dependent diffusion coefficient and to the use of a spatially dependent diffusion coefficient to describe mass transport in a heterogeneous system.

Nanostructured raspberry-like gelatin microspheres for local delivery of multiple biomolecules.

PubMed

Diba, Mani; Pape, Bram; Klymov, Alexey; Zhang, Yang; Song, Jiankang; Löwik, Dennis W P M; Seyednejad, Hajar; Leeuwenburgh, Sander C G

2017-08-01

Multicompartment particles, which are particles composed of smaller building units, have gained considerable interest during the past decade to facilitate simultaneous and differential delivery of several biomolecules in various applications. Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) processing is an industrial technology widely used for large-scale synthesis and processing of materials. However, the application of this technology for production of multicompartment particles from colloidal particles has not yet been explored. Here, we report the formation of raspberry-like gelatin (RLG) microparticles composed of gelatin nanoparticles as colloidal building blocks through supercritical CO 2 processing. We show that these RLG microparticles exhibit a high stability upon dispersion in aqueous media without requiring chemical cross-linking. We further demonstrate that these microparticles are cytocompatible and facilitate differential release of two different model compounds. The strategy presented here can be utilized as a cost-effective route for production of various types of multicompartment particles using colloidal particles with suitable interparticle interactions. Multicompartment particles have gained considerable interest during the past decade to facilitate simultaneous and differential delivery of multiple biomolecules in various biomedical applications. Nevertheless, common methods employed for the production of such particles are often complex and only offer small-scale production. Here, we report the formation of raspberry-like gelatin (RLG) microparticles composed of gelatin nanoparticles as colloidal building blocks through supercritical CO 2 processing. We show that these microparticles are cytocompatible and facilitate differential release of two model compounds with different molecular sizes, promising successful applications in various biomedical areas. Summarizing, this paper presents a novel strategy that can be utilized as a cost-effective route for production of various types of multicompartment particles using a wide range of colloidal building blocks. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic heterogeneities and non-Gaussian behavior in two-dimensional randomly confined colloidal fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnyder, Simon K.; Skinner, Thomas O. E.; Thorneywork, Alice L.; Aarts, Dirk G. A. L.; Horbach, Jürgen; Dullens, Roel P. A.

2017-03-01

A binary mixture of superparamagnetic colloidal particles is confined between glass plates such that the large particles become fixed and provide a two-dimensional disordered matrix for the still mobile small particles, which form a fluid. By varying fluid and matrix area fractions and tuning the interactions between the superparamagnetic particles via an external magnetic field, different regions of the state diagram are explored. The mobile particles exhibit delocalized dynamics at small matrix area fractions and localized motion at high matrix area fractions, and the localization transition is rounded by the soft interactions [T. O. E. Skinner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 128301 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.128301]. Expanding on previous work, we find the dynamics of the tracers to be strongly heterogeneous and show that molecular dynamics simulations of an ideal gas confined in a fixed matrix exhibit similar behavior. The simulations show how these soft interactions make the dynamics more heterogeneous compared to the disordered Lorentz gas and lead to strong non-Gaussian fluctuations.

Brownian aggregation rate of colloid particles with several active sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nekrasov, Vyacheslav M.; Yurkin, Maxim A.; Chernyshev, Andrei V., E-mail: chern@ns.kinetics.nsc.ru

2014-08-14

We theoretically analyze the aggregation kinetics of colloid particles with several active sites. Such particles (so-called “patchy particles”) are well known as chemically anisotropic reactants, but the corresponding rate constant of their aggregation has not yet been established in a convenient analytical form. Using kinematic approximation for the diffusion problem, we derived an analytical formula for the diffusion-controlled reaction rate constant between two colloid particles (or clusters) with several small active sites under the following assumptions: the relative translational motion is Brownian diffusion, and the isotropic stochastic reorientation of each particle is Markovian and arbitrarily correlated. This formula was shownmore » to produce accurate results in comparison with more sophisticated approaches. Also, to account for the case of a low number of active sites per particle we used Monte Carlo stochastic algorithm based on Gillespie method. Simulations showed that such discrete model is required when this number is less than 10. Finally, we applied the developed approach to the simulation of immunoagglutination, assuming that the formed clusters have fractal structure.« less

Assembly of Colloidal Materials Using Bioadhesive Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammer, Daniel A.; Hiddessen, Amy L.; Tohver, Valeria; Crocker, John C.; Weitz, David A.

2002-01-01

We have pursued the use of biological crosslinking molecules of several types to make colloidal materials at relatively low volume fraction of colloidal particles. The objective is to make binary alloys of colloidal particles, made of two different colloidal particles coated with complementary biological lock-and-key binding molecules, which assemble due to the biological specificity. The long-term goal is to use low affinity lock-and-key biological interactions, so that the can anneal to form crystalline states. We have used a variety of different surface chemistries in order to make colloidal materials. Our first system involved using selectin-carbohydrate (sialyl-Lewis) interactions; this chemistry is derived from immune system. This chemical interaction is of relatively low affinity, with timescales for dissociation of several seconds. Furthermore, the adhesion mediated by these molecules can be reversed by the chelation of calcium atoms; thus assembled structures can be disassembled reversibly. Our second system employed avidin-biotin chemistry. This well-studied system is of high affinity, and is generally irreversible on a laboratory time-scale. Thus, we would expect selectin-carbohydrate interactions at high molecular density and avidin-biotin interactions to give kinetically-trapped structures; however, at low densities, we would expect significant differences in the structure and dynamics of the two materials, owing to their very different release rates. We have also begun to use a third chemistry - DNA hybridization. By attaching single stranded DNA oligonucleotide chains to beads, we can drive the assembly of colloidal materials by hybridization of complementary DNA chains. It is well known that DNA adenosine-thymine (A-T) and guanine-cytosine (G-C) bases hybridize pairwise with a Gibbs free energy change of 1.7 kcal/mol per base; thus, the energy of the assembly can be modulated by altering the number of complementary bases in the DNA chains. Using these different crosslinking molecules, we have assembled colloidal materials from different-sized colloidal particles, A and B. In the first sets of experiment, we used high densities of adhesion molecules, and 0.96 micron (A) and 5.5 micron (B) diameter particles. The high density of adhesion molecules means that the structures are kinetically trapped in nonequilibrium configurations. The structure of the suspension can be varied by changing the number ratio of the two types of colloidal particles, NA and NB, where A is the smaller particle. With carbohydrate-selectin or avidin-biotin interactions, large NA/NB leads to the formation of colloidal micelles, with the large center B particle surrounded by many smaller A particles. As the ratio NA/NB decreases, the structures become more extended, approaching the formation of macro-Rouse polymers - extended linear chains where A beads are connected with intervening small B linkers.

Glass/Jamming Transition in Colloidal Aggregation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segre, Philip N.; Prasad, Vikram; Weitz, David A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We have studied colloidal aggregation in a model colloid plus polymer system with short-range attractive interactions. By varying the colloid concentration and the strength of the attraction, we explored regions where the equilibrium phase is expected to consist of colloidal crystallites in coexistance with colloidal gas (i.e. monomers). This occurs for moderate values of the potential depth, U approximately equal to 2-5 kT. Crystallization was not always observed. Rather, over an extended sub-region two new metastable phases appear, one fluid-like and one solid-like. These were examined in detail with light scattering and microscopy techniques. Both phases consist of a near uniform distribution of small irregular shaped clusters of colloidal particles. The dynamical and structural characteristics of the ergodic-nonergodic transition between the two phases share much in common with the colloidal hard sphere glass transition.

Design Rule for Colloidal Crystals of DNA-Functionalized Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Veracoechea, Francisco J.; Mladek, Bianca M.; Tkachenko, Alexei V.; Frenkel, Daan

2011-07-01

We report a Monte Carlo simulation study of the phase behavior of colloids coated with long, flexible DNA chains. We find that an important change occurs in the phase diagram when the number of DNAs per colloid is decreased below a critical value. In this case, the triple point disappears and the condensed phase that coexists with the vapor is always liquid. Our simulations thus explain why, in the dilute solutions typically used in experiments, colloids coated with a small number of DNA strands cannot crystallize. We understand this behavior in terms of the discrete nature of DNA binding.

Mobilization and transport of metal-rich colloidal particles from mine tailings into soil under transient chemical and physical conditions.

PubMed

Lu, Cong; Wu, Yaoguo; Hu, Sihai; Raza, Muhammad Ali; Fu, Yilin

2016-04-01

Exposed mine tailing wastes with considerable heavy metals can release hazardous colloidal particles into soil under transient chemical and physical conditions. Two-layered packed columns with tailings above and soils below were established to investigate mobilization and transport of colloidal particles from metal-rich mine tailings into soil under transient infiltration ionic strength (IS: 100, 20, 2 mM) and flow rate (FR: 20.7, 41, and 62.3 mm h(-1)), with Cu and Pb as representatives of the heavy metals. Results show that the tailing particles within the colloidal size (below 2 μm) were released from the columns. A step-decrease in infiltration IS and FR enhanced, whereas a step-increase in the IS and FR restrained the release of tailing particles from the column. The effects of step-changing FR were unexpected due to the small size of the released tailing particles (220-342 nm, being not sensitive to hydrodynamic shear force), the diffusion-controlled particle release process and the relatively compact pore structure. The tailing particles present in the solution with tested IS were found negatively charged and more stable than soil particles, which provides favorable conditions for tailing particles to be transported over a long distance in the soil. The mobilization and transport of Cu and Pb from the tailings into soil were mediated by the tailing particles. Therefore, the inherent toxic tailing particles could be considerably introduced into soil under certain conditions (IS reduction or FR decrease), which may result in serious environmental pollution.

Three-particle correlation functions of quasi-two-dimensional one-component and binary colloid suspensions.

PubMed

Ho, Hau My; Lin, Binhua; Rice, Stuart A

2006-11-14

We report the results of experimental determinations of the triplet correlation functions of quasi-two-dimensional one-component and binary colloid suspensions in which the colloid-colloid interaction is short ranged. The suspensions studied range in density from modestly dilute to solid. The triplet correlation function of the one-component colloid system reveals extensive ordering deep in the liquid phase. At the same density the ordering of the larger diameter component in a binary colloid system is greatly diminished by a very small amount of the smaller diameter component. The possible utilization of information contained in the triplet correlation function in the theory of melting of a quasi-two-dimensional system is briefly discussed.

Evidences of Changes in Surface Electrostatic Charge Distribution during Stabilization of HPV16 Virus-Like Particles

PubMed Central

Vega, Juan F.; Vicente-Alique, Ernesto; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Wang, Yang; Martínez-Salazar, Javier

2016-01-01

The stabilization of human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles has been examined by means of different techniques including dynamic and static light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and electrophoretic mobility. All these techniques provide different and often complementary perspectives about the aggregation process and generation of stabilized virus-like particles after a period of time of 48 hours at a temperature of 298 K. Interestingly, static light scattering results point towards a clear colloidal instability in the initial systems, as suggested by a negative value of the second virial coefficient. This is likely related to small repulsive electrostatic interactions among the particles, and in agreement with relatively small absolute values of the electrophoretic mobility and, hence, of the net surface charges. At this initial stage the small repulsive interactions are not able to compensate binding interactions, which tend to aggregate the particles. As time proceeds, an increase of the size of the particles is accompanied by strong increases, in absolute values, of the electrophoretic mobility and net surface charge, suggesting enhanced repulsive electrostatic interactions and, consequently, a stabilized colloidal system. These results show that electrophoretic mobility is a useful methodology that can be applied to screen the stabilization factors for virus-like particles during vaccine development. PMID:26885635

Binary Colloidal Alloy Test Conducted on Mir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffmann, Monica I.; Ansari, Rafat R.

1999-01-01

Colloids are tiny (submicron) particles suspended in fluid. Paint, ink, and milk are examples of colloids found in everyday life. The Binary Colloidal Alloy Test (BCAT) is part of an extensive series of experiments planned to investigate the fundamental properties of colloids so that scientists can make colloids more useful for technological applications. Some of the colloids studied in BCAT are made of two different sized particles (binary colloidal alloys) that are very tiny, uniform plastic spheres. Under the proper conditions, these colloids can arrange themselves in a pattern to form crystals. These crystals may form the basis of new classes of light switches, displays, and optical devices. Windows made of liquid crystals are already in the marketplace. These windows change their appearance from transparent to opaque when a weak electric current is applied. In the future, if the colloidal crystals can be made to control the passage of light through them, such products could be made much more cheaply. These experiments require the microgravity environment of space because good quality crystals are difficult to produce on Earth because of sedimentation and convection in the fluid. The BCAT experiment hardware included two separate modules for two different experiments. The "Slow Growth" hardware consisted of a 35-mm camera with a 250- exposure photo film cartridge. The camera was aimed toward the sample module, which contained 10 separate colloid samples. A rack of small lights provided backlighting for the photographs. The BCAT hardware was launched on the shuttle and was operated aboard the Russian space station Mir by American astronauts John Blaha and David Wolf (launched September 1996 and returned January 1997; reflown September 1997 and returned January 1998). To begin the experiment, one of these astronauts would mix the samples to disperse the colloidal particles and break up any crystals that might have already formed. Once the samples were mixed and the experiment was powered on, the hardware operated autonomously, taking photos of the colloidal samples over a 90-day period.

Simulations to Predict the Phase Behavior and Structure of Multipolar Colloidal Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutkowski, David Matthew

Colloidal particles with anisotropic charge distributions can assemble into a number of interesting structures including chains, lattices and micelles that could be useful in biotechnology, optics and electronics. The goal of this work is to understand how the properties of the colloidal particles, such as their charge distribution or shape, affect the selfassembly and phase behavior of collections of such particles. The specific aim of this work is to understand how the separation between a pair of oppositely signed charges affects the phase behavior and structure of assemblies of colloidal particles. To examine these particles, we have used both discontinuous molecular dynamics (DMD) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation techniques. In our first study of colloidal particles with finite charge separation, we simulate systems of 2-D colloidal rods with four possible charge separations. Our simulations show that the charge separation does indeed have a large effect on the phase behavior as can be seen in the phase diagrams we construct for these four systems in the area fraction-reduced temperature plane. The phase diagrams delineate the boundaries between isotropic fluid, string-fluid and percolated fluid for all systems considered. In particular, we find that coarse gel-like structures tend to form at large charge separations while denser aggregates form at small charge separations, suggesting a route to forming low volume gels by focusing on systems with large charge separations. Next we examine systems of circular particles with four embedded charges of alternating sign fixed to a triangular lattice. This system is found to form a limit periodic structure, a theoretical structure with an infinite number of phase transitions, under specific conditions. The limit-periodic structure only forms when the rotation of the particles in the system is restricted to increments of pi/3. When the rotation is restricted to increments of th/6 or the rotation is continuous, related structures form including a striped phase and a phase with nematic order. Neither the distance from the point charges to the center of the particle nor the angle between the charges influences whether the system forms a limit-periodic structure, suggesting that point quadrupoles may also be able to form limit-periodic structures. Results from these simulations will likely aid in the quest to find an experimental realization of a limit-periodic structure. Next we examine the effect of charge separation on the self-assembly of systems of 2-D colloidal particles with off-center extended dipoles. We simulate systems with both small and large charge separations for a set of displacements of the dipole from the particle center. Upon cooling, these particles self-assemble into closed, cyclic structures at large displacements including dimers, triangular shapes and square shapes, and chain-like structures at small displacements. At extremely low temperatures, the cyclic structures form interesting lattices with particles of similar chirality grouped together. Results from this work could aid in the experimental construction of open lattice-like structures that could find use in photonic applications. Finally, we present work in collaboration with Drs. Bhuvnesh Bharti and Orlin Velev in which we investigate how the surface coverage affects the self-assembly of systems of Janus particles coated with both an iron oxide and fatty acid chain layer. We model these particles by decorating a sphere with evenly dispersed points that interact with points on other spheres through square-well interactions. The interactions are designed to mimic specific coverage values for the iron oxide/fatty acid chain layer. Structures similar to those found in experiment form readily in the simulations. The number of clusters formed as a function of surface coverage agrees well with experiment. The aggregation behavior of these novel particles can therefore, be described by a relatively simple model.

Appropriate salt concentration of nanodiamond colloids for electrostatic self-assembly seeding of monosized individual diamond nanoparticles on silicon dioxide surfaces.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Taro; Zuerbig, Verena; Gao, Fang; Hoffmann, René; Nebel, Christoph E; Ambacher, Oliver; Lebedev, Vadim

2015-05-19

Monosized (∼4 nm) diamond nanoparticles arranged on substrate surfaces are exciting candidates for single-photon sources and nucleation sites for ultrathin nanocrystalline diamond film growth. The most commonly used technique to obtain substrate-supported diamond nanoparticles is electrostatic self-assembly seeding using nanodiamond colloidal suspensions. Currently, monodisperse nanodiamond colloids, which have a narrow distribution of particle sizes centering on the core particle size (∼4 nm), are available for the seeding technique on different substrate materials such as Si, SiO2, Cu, and AlN. However, the self-assembled nanoparticles tend to form small (typically a few tens of nanometers or even larger) aggregates on all of those substrate materials. In this study, this major weakness of self-assembled diamond nanoparticles was solved by modifying the salt concentration of nanodiamond colloidal suspensions. Several salt concentrations of colloidal suspensions were prepared using potassium chloride as an inserted electrolyte and were examined with respect to seeding on SiO2 surfaces. The colloidal suspensions and the seeded surfaces were characterized by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Also, the interaction energies between diamond nanoparticles in each of the examined colloidal suspensions were compared on the basis of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. From these investigations, it became clear that the appropriate salt concentration suppresses the formation of small aggregates during the seeding process owing to the modified electrostatic repulsive interaction between nanoparticles. Finally, monosized (<10 nm) individual diamond nanoparticles arranged on SiO2 surfaces have been successfully obtained.

Colloidal mode of transport in the Potomac River watershed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maher, I.L.; Foster, G.D.

1995-12-31

Similarly to the particulate phase the colloidal phase may play an important role in the organic contaminant transport downstream the river. The colloidal phase consisting of microparticles and micromolecules which are small enough to be mobile and large enough to attract pollutants can absorb nonpolar organic compounds similarly as do soil and sediment particles. To test the hypothesis three river water samples have been analyzed for PAH content in the dissolved, the colloidal, and the particulate phase. The first sample was collected at the Blue Ridge province of Potomac River watershed, at Point of Rocks, the second one in themore » Pidmont province, at Riverbend Park, and the third sample at Coastal Plane, at Dyke Marsh (Belle Heven marina). In the laboratory environment each water sample was prefiltered to separate the particulate phase form the dissolved and colloidal phase. One part of the prefiltered water sample was ultrafiltered to separate colloids while the second part of the water was Goulden extracted. The separated colloidal phase was liquid-liquid extracted (LLE) while filters containing the suspended solids were Soxhlet extracted. The extracts of the particulate phase, the colloidal phase, and the dissolved plus colloidal phase were analyzed for selected PAHs via GC/MS. It is planned that concentrations of selected PAHs in three phases will be used for calculations of the partition coefficients, the colloid/dissolved partition coefficient and the particle/dissolved partition coefficient. Both partition coefficients will be compared to define the significance of organic contaminant transport by aquatic colloids.« less

Dense colloidal mixtures in an external sinusoidal potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capellmann, R. F.; Khisameeva, A.; Platten, F.; Egelhaaf, S. U.

2018-03-01

Concentrated binary colloidal mixtures containing particles with a size ratio 1:2.4 were exposed to a periodic potential that was realized using a light field, namely, two crossed laser beams creating a fringe pattern. The arrangement of the particles was recorded using optical microscopy and characterized in terms of the pair distribution function along the minima, the occupation probability perpendicular to the minima, the angular bond distribution, and the average potential energy per particle. The particle arrangement was investigated in dependence of the importance of particle-potential and particle-particle interactions by changing the potential amplitude and particle concentration, respectively. An increase in the potential amplitude leads to a stronger localization, especially of the large particles, but also results in an increasing fraction of small particles being located closer to the potential maxima, which also occurs upon increasing the particle density. Furthermore, increasing the potential amplitude induces a local demixing of the two particle species, whereas an increase in the total packing fraction favors a more homogeneous arrangement.

[Morphological changes of the intestine in experimental acute intestinal infection in the treatment of colloidal silver].

PubMed

Polov'ian, E S; Chemich, N D; Moskalenko, R A; Romaniuk, A N

2012-06-01

At the present stage of infectionist practice in the treatment of acute intestinal infections caused by opportunistic microorganisms, colloidal silver is used with a particle size of 25 nm as an alternative to conventional causal therapy. In 32 rats, distributed in 4 groups of 8 animals each (intact; healthy, got colloidal silver; with a modeled acute intestinal infection in the basic treatment and with the addition of colloidal silver), histological examination was performed of small and large intestine of rats. Oral administration of colloidal silver at a dose of 0.02 mg/day to intact rats did not lead to changes in morphometric parameters compared to the norm, and during early convalescence in rats with acute intestinal infections were observed destructive and compensatory changes in the intestine, which depended on the treatment regimen. With the introduction of colloidal silver decreased activity of the inflammatory process and the severity of morphological changes in tissues of small and large intestine, indicating that the positive effect of study drug compared with baseline therapy.

Dark field differential dynamic microscopy enables accurate characterization of the roto-translational dynamics of bacteria and colloidal clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerbino, Roberto; Piotti, Davide; Buscaglia, Marco; Giavazzi, Fabio

2018-01-01

Micro- and nanoscale objects with anisotropic shape are key components of a variety of biological systems and inert complex materials, and represent fundamental building blocks of novel self-assembly strategies. The time scale of their thermal motion is set by their translational and rotational diffusion coefficients, whose measurement may become difficult for relatively large particles with small optical contrast. Here we show that dark field differential dynamic microscopy is the ideal tool for probing the roto-translational Brownian motion of anisotropic shaped particles. We demonstrate our approach by successful application to aqueous dispersions of non-motile bacteria and of colloidal aggregates of spherical particles.

Electrokinetic Particle Aggregation and Flow Instabilities in Non-Dilute Colloidal Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navaneetham, Guru; Posner, Jonathan

2007-11-01

An experimental investigation of electrokinetic particle aggregation and flow instabilities of non-dilute colloidal suspensions in microfabricated channels is presented. The addition of charged colloidal particles can alter the solution's conductivity, permittivity as well as the average particle electrophoretic mobility. In this work, a colloid volume fraction gradient is achieved at the intersection of a Y-shaped PDMS microchannel. The solution conductivity and the particle mobility as a function of the particle (500 nm polystyrene) volume fraction are presented. The critical conditions required for particle aggregation and flow instability are given along with a scaling analysis which shows that the flow becomes unstable at a critical electric Rayleigh number for a wide range of applied electric fields and colloid volume fractions. Electrokinetic particle aggregation and instabilities of non-dilute colloidal suspensions may be important for applications such as the electrophoretic deposition of particles to form micropatterned colloidal assemblies, electrorheological devices, and on-chip, electrokinetic manipulation of colloids.

The Use of Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites in Wastewater Pretreatment

PubMed Central

Rytwo, Giora

2012-01-01

Some agricultural effluents are unsuitable for discharge into standard sewage-treatment plants: their pretreatment is necessary to avoid clogging of the filtering devices by colloidal matter. The colloidal stability of the effluents is mainly due to mutual repulsive forces that keep charged particles in suspension. Pretreatment processes are based on two separate stages: (a) neutralization of the charges (“coagulation”) and (b) bridging between several small particles to form larger aggregates that sink, leaving clarified effluent (“flocculation”). The consequent destabilization of the colloidal suspension lowers total suspended solids (TSSs), turbidity, and other environmental quality parameters, making the treatments that follow more efficient. Clay-based materials have been widely used for effluent pretreatment and pollutant removal. This study presents the use of nanocomposites, comprised of an anchoring particle and a polymer, as “coagoflocculants” for the efficient and rapid reduction of TSS and turbidity in wastewater with a high organic load. The use of such particles combines the advantages of coagulant and flocculant by neutralizing the charge of the suspended particles while bridging between them and anchoring them to a denser particle (the clay mineral), enhancing their precipitation. Very rapid and efficient pretreatment is achieved in one single treatment step. PMID:22454607

Internal Structure and Preferential Protein Binding of Colloidal Aggregates.

PubMed

Duan, Da; Torosyan, Hayarpi; Elnatan, Daniel; McLaughlin, Christopher K; Logie, Jennifer; Shoichet, Molly S; Agard, David A; Shoichet, Brian K

2017-01-20

Colloidal aggregates of small molecules are the most common artifact in early drug discovery, sequestering and inhibiting target proteins without specificity. Understanding their structure and mechanism has been crucial to developing tools to control for, and occasionally even exploit, these particles. Unfortunately, their polydispersity and transient stability have prevented exploration of certain elementary properties, such as how they pack. Dye-stabilized colloidal aggregates exhibit enhanced homogeneity and stability when compared to conventional colloidal aggregates, enabling investigation of some of these properties. By small-angle X-ray scattering and multiangle light scattering, pair distance distribution functions suggest that the dye-stabilized colloids are filled, not hollow, spheres. Stability of the coformulated colloids enabled investigation of their preference for binding DNA, peptides, or folded proteins, and their ability to purify one from the other. The coformulated colloids showed little ability to bind DNA. Correspondingly, the colloids preferentially sequestered protein from even a 1600-fold excess of peptides that are themselves the result of a digest of the same protein. This may reflect the avidity advantage that a protein has in a surface-to-surface interaction with the colloids. For the first time, colloids could be shown to have preferences of up to 90-fold for particular proteins over others. Loaded onto the colloids, bound enzyme could be spun down, resuspended, and released back into buffer, regaining most of its activity. Implications of these observations for colloid mechanisms and utility will be considered.

Detection of colloidal silver chloride near solubility limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, K. Y.; Adawiah, R.

2018-03-01

Detection of nanoparticles in solution has been made possible by several means; one of them is laser-induced breakdown detection (LIBD). LIBD is able to distinguish colloids of various sizes and concentrations. This technique has been used in several solubility studies. In this study, the formation of colloids in a mixed system of silver nitrate and sodium chloride was observed by acoustic LIBD. Silver chloride has low solubility limit, therefore LIBD measurement is appropriate. Silver and chloride solutions with equal concentrations, set at below and above the solubility of silver chloride as the expected solid product, were mixed and the resulting colloids were observed. The result of LIBD measurement showed that larger particles were present as more silver and chloride introduced. However, once the concentrations exceeded the solubility limit of silver chloride, the detected particle size seemed to be decreasing, hence suggested the occurrence of coprecipitation process. This phenomenon indicated that the ability of LIBD to detect even small changes in colloid amounts might be a useful tool in study on formation and stability of colloids, i.e. to confirm whether nanoparticles synthesis has been successfully performed and whether the system is stable or not.

Silver enhancement of nanogold and undecagold

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hainfield, J.F.; Furuya, F.R.

1995-07-01

A recent advance in immunogold technology has been the use of molecular gold instead of colloidal gold. A number of advantages are realized by this approach, such as stable covalent, site-specific attachment, small probe size and absence of aggregates for improved penetration. Silver enhancement has led to improved and unique results for electron and light microscopy, as well as their use with blots and gels. Most previous work with immunogold silver staining has been done with colloidal gold particles. More recently, large gold compounds (``clusters``) having a definite number of gold atoms and defined organic shell, have been used, frequentlymore » with improved results. These gold dusters, large compared to simple compounds, are, however, at the small end of the colloidal gold scale in size; undecagold is 0.8 nm and Nanogold is 1.4 nm. They may be used in practically all applications where colloidal gold is used (Light and electron microscopy, dot blots, etc.) and in some unique applications, where at least the larger colloidal golds don`t work, such as running gold labeled proteins on gels (which are later detected by silver enhancement). The main differences between gold clusters and colloidal golds are the small size of the dusters and their covalent attachment to antibodies or other molecules.« less

Colloquium: Toward living matter with colloidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeravcic, Zorana; Manoharan, Vinothan N.; Brenner, Michael P.

2017-07-01

A fundamental unsolved problem is to understand the differences between inanimate matter and living matter. Although this question might be framed as philosophical, there are many fundamental and practical reasons to pursue the development of synthetic materials with the properties of living ones. There are three fundamental properties of living materials that we seek to reproduce: The ability to spontaneously assemble complex structures, the ability to self-replicate, and the ability to perform complex and coordinated reactions that enable transformations impossible to realize if a single structure acted alone. The conditions that are required for a synthetic material to have these properties are currently unknown. This Colloquium examines whether these phenomena could emerge by programming interactions between colloidal particles, an approach that bootstraps off of recent advances in DNA nanotechnology and in the mathematics of sphere packings. The argument is made that the essential properties of living matter could emerge from colloidal interactions that are specific—so that each particle can be programmed to bind or not bind to any other particle—and also time dependent—so that the binding strength between two particles could increase or decrease in time at a controlled rate. There is a small regime of interaction parameters that gives rise to colloidal particles with lifelike properties, including self-assembly, self-replication, and metabolism. The parameter range for these phenomena can be identified using a combinatorial search over the set of known sphere packings.

Self-assembly of colloidal particles from evaporating droplets: role of DLVO interactions and proposition of a phase diagram.

PubMed

Bhardwaj, Rajneesh; Fang, Xiaohua; Somasundaran, Ponisseril; Attinger, Daniel

2010-06-01

The shape of deposits obtained from drying drops containing colloidal particles matters for technologies such as inkjet printing, microelectronics, and bioassay manufacturing. In this work, the formation of deposits during the drying of nanoliter drops containing colloidal particles is investigated experimentally with microscopy and profilometry, and theoretically with an in-house finite-element code. The system studied involves aqueous drops containing titania nanoparticles evaporating on a glass substrate. Deposit shapes from spotted drops at different pH values are measured using a laser profilometer. Our results show that the pH of the solution influences the dried deposit pattern, which can be ring-like or more uniform. The transition between these patterns is explained by considering how DLVO interactions such as the electrostatic and van der Waals forces modify the particle deposition process. Also, a phase diagram is proposed to describe how the shape of a colloidal deposit results from the competition among three flow patterns: a radial flow driven by evaporation at the wetting line, a Marangoni recirculating flow driven by surface tension gradients, and the transport of particles toward the substrate driven by DLVO interactions. This phase diagram explains three types of deposits commonly observed experimentally, such as a peripheral ring, a small central bump, or a uniform layer. Simulations and experiments are found in very good agreement.

Emergent ultra–long-range interactions between active particles in hybrid active–inactive systems

PubMed Central

Steimel, Joshua P.; Aragones, Juan L.; Hu, Helen; Qureshi, Naser; Alexander-Katz, Alfredo

2016-01-01

Particle–particle interactions determine the state of a system. Control over the range of such interactions as well as their magnitude has been an active area of research for decades due to the fundamental challenges it poses in science and technology. Very recently, effective interactions between active particles have gathered much attention as they can lead to out-of-equilibrium cooperative states such as flocking. Inspired by nature, where active living cells coexist with lifeless objects and structures, here we study the effective interactions that appear in systems composed of active and passive mixtures of colloids. Our systems are 2D colloidal monolayers composed primarily of passive (inactive) colloids, and a very small fraction of active (spinning) ferromagnetic colloids. We find an emergent ultra–long-range attractive interaction induced by the activity of the spinning particles and mediated by the elasticity of the passive medium. Interestingly, the appearance of such interaction depends on the spinning protocol and has a minimum actuation timescale below which no attraction is observed. Overall, these results clearly show that, in the presence of elastic components, active particles can interact across very long distances without any chemical modification of the environment. Such a mechanism might potentially be important for some biological systems and can be harnessed for newer developments in synthetic active soft materials. PMID:27071096

Precursor-Based Synthesis of Porous Colloidal Particles towards Highly Efficient Catalysts.

PubMed

Zheng, Yun; Geng, Hongbo; Zhang, Yufei; Chen, Libao; Li, Cheng Chao

2018-04-02

In recent years, porous colloidal particles have found promising applications in catalytic fields, such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, industrial and automotive byproducts removal, as well as biomass upgrading. These applications are critical for alleviating the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Porous colloidal particles have remarkable specific areas and abundant reactive sites, which can significantly improve the mass/charge transport and reaction rate in catalysis. Precursor-based synthesis is among the most facile and widely-adopted methods to achieve monodisperse and homogeneous porous colloidal particles. In the current review, we briefly introduce the general catalytic applications of porous colloidal particles. The conventional precursor-based methods are reviewed to design state-of-the-art porous colloidal particles as highly efficient catalysts. The recent development of porous colloidal particles derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), glycerates, carbonate precursors, and ion exchange methods are reviewed. In the end, the current concerns and future development of porous colloidal particles are outlined. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Density-functional theory of spherical electric double layers and zeta potentials of colloidal particles in restricted-primitive-model electrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Yu, Yang-Xin; Wu, Jianzhong; Gao, Guang-Hua

2004-04-15

A density-functional theory is proposed to describe the density profiles of small ions around an isolated colloidal particle in the framework of the restricted primitive model where the small ions have uniform size and the solvent is represented by a dielectric continuum. The excess Helmholtz energy functional is derived from a modified fundamental measure theory for the hard-sphere repulsion and a quadratic functional Taylor expansion for the electrostatic interactions. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the results from Monte Carlo simulations and from previous investigations using integral-equation theory for the ionic density profiles and the zeta potentials of spherical particles at a variety of solution conditions. Like the integral-equation approaches, the density-functional theory is able to capture the oscillatory density profiles of small ions and the charge inversion (overcharging) phenomena for particles with elevated charge density. In particular, our density-functional theory predicts the formation of a second counterion layer near the surface of highly charged spherical particle. Conversely, the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory and its variations are unable to represent the oscillatory behavior of small ion distributions and charge inversion. Finally, our density-functional theory predicts charge inversion even in a 1:1 electrolyte solution as long as the salt concentration is sufficiently high. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Primary particle diameter differentiation and bimodality identification by five analytical methods using gold nanoparticle size distributions synthesized by pulsed laser ablation in liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Letzel, Alexander; Gökce, Bilal; Menzel, Andreas; Plech, Anton; Barcikowski, Stephan

2018-03-01

For a known material, the size distribution of a nanoparticle colloid is a crucial parameter that defines its properties. However, measured size distributions are not easy to interpret as one has to consider weighting (e.g. by light absorption, scattering intensity, volume, surface, number) and the way size information was gained. The radius of a suspended nanoparticle can be given as e.g. sphere equivalent, hydrodynamic, Feret or radius of gyration. In this study, gold nanoparticles in water are synthesized by pulsed-laser ablation (LAL) and fragmentation (LFL) in liquids and characterized by various techniques (scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), analytical disc centrifugation (ADC), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-vis spectroscopy with Mie-Gans Theory) to study the comparability of different analytical techniques and determine the method that is preferable for a given task related to laser-generated nanoparticles. In particular, laser-generated colloids are known to be bimodal and/or polydisperse, but bimodality is sometimes not analytically resolved in literature. In addition, frequently reported small size shifts of the primary particle mode around 10 nm needs evaluation of its statistical significance related to the analytical method. Closely related to earlier studies on SAXS, different colloids in defined proportions are mixed and their size as a function of the nominal mixing ratio is analyzed. It is found that the derived particle size is independent of the nominal mixing ratio if the colloid size fractions do not overlap considerably. Conversely, the obtained size for colloids with overlapping size fractions strongly depends on the nominal mixing ratio since most methods cannot distinguish between such fractions. Overall, SAXS and ADC are very accurate methods for particle size analysis. Further, the ability of different methods to determine the nominal mixing ratio of sizes fractions is studied experimentally.

Synthesis and self-assembly of Janus and patchy colloidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shan

Colloidal particles are considered classically as spherical particles with homogeneous surface chemistry. When this is so, the interactions between particles are isotropic and governed only by their separations. One can take advantage of this to simulate atoms, visualizing them one-by-one in a microscope, albeit at a larger length scale and longer time scale than for true atoms. However if the particles are not homogeneous, but Janus or patchy instead, with different surface chemistry on different hemispheres or otherwise different surface sites that are addressably controlled, the interactions between these particles depend not only on their separation, but also on their orientation. Research on Janus and patchy colloidal particles has opened a new chapter in the colloid research field, allowing us to mimic the behavior of these colloidal analogues of molecules, and in this way to ask new and exciting questions of condensed matter physics. In this dissertation, I investigated the synthesis and self-assembly of Janus and patchy colloidal particles with emphasis on Janus amphiphilic particles, which are the colloidal counterpart of surfactant molecules. Improving the scale-up capability, and also the capacity to control the geometry of Janus particles, I developed a simple and versatile method to synthesize Janus particles using an approach based on Pickering emulsions with particles adsorbed at the liquid-liquid interface. I showed that this method can be scaled up to synthesize Janus particles in large quantity. Also, the Janus balance can be predictably controlled by adding surfactant molecules during emulsification. In addition, going beyond the Janus geometry, I developed another synthetic method to fabricate trivalent patchy colloidal particles using micro-contact printing. With these synthetic methods in hand, I explored the self-assembly of Janus amphiphilic particles in aqueous solutions, while controlling systematically the salt concentration, the particle concentration, and the Janus balance. Various cluster and chain structures were observed. Using in situ optical microscopy, I found these structures to be dynamic in structure, in this respect analogous to the micelles formed by small surfactant molecules. A qualitative explanation about the possible underlying mechanism was proposed, based on considering the tradeoff between enthalpy gain from hydrophobic contacts, and entropy involving rotational orientation between neighboring particles. Monolayer crystals of Janus amphiphilic particles were investigated in a system of silica-based particles. Regarding positional order, these particles adopted a conventional hexagonal packing, but their orientations formed strikingly ordered linear clusters that extended the length of tens of particles. Study of their rotational dynamics using single particle tracking showed rotation to be strongly coupled between adjacent particles, with a correlation length extending to sevearl particle diameters. This is a beautiful example of a unique physical phenomenon that simply does not exist when dealing with classical particles whose surface chemical makeup is homogeneous. At the oil-water interface, Janus amphiphilic particles adsorb strongly. With simple calculations, I showed that the adsorption energy depends not only on surface tension but also on the Janus balance. I developed a rigorous mathematical definition of "Janus balance" that may find application in emulsions stabilized by Janus particles. On the experimental side, I performed experiments to quantify the efficacy of Janus particles to stabilize emulsions for extended times.

Method for the preparation of metal colloids in inverse micelles and product preferred by the method

DOEpatents

Wilcoxon, Jess P.

1992-01-01

A method is provided for preparing catalytic elemental metal colloidal particles (e.g. gold, palladium, silver, rhodium, iridium, nickel, iron, platinum, molybdenum) or colloidal alloy particles (silver/iridium or platinum/gold). A homogeneous inverse micelle solution of a metal salt is first formed in a metal-salt solvent comprised of a surfactant (e.g. a nonionic or cationic surfactant) and an organic solvent. The size and number of inverse micelles is controlled by the proportions of the surfactant and the solvent. Then, the metal salt is reduced (by chemical reduction or by a pulsed or continuous wave UV laser) to colloidal particles of elemental metal. After their formation, the colloidal metal particles can be stabilized by reaction with materials that permanently add surface stabilizing groups to the surface of the colloidal metal particles. The sizes of the colloidal elemental metal particles and their size distribution is determined by the size and number of the inverse micelles. A second salt can be added with further reduction to form the colloidal alloy particles. After the colloidal elemental metal particles are formed, the homogeneous solution distributes to two phases, one phase rich in colloidal elemental metal particles and the other phase rich in surfactant. The colloidal elemental metal particles from one phase can be dried to form a powder useful as a catalyst. Surfactant can be recovered and recycled from the phase rich in surfactant.

Towards biocompatible vaccine delivery systems: interactions of colloidal PECs based on polysaccharides with HIV-1 p24 antigen.

PubMed

Drogoz, Alexandre; Munier, Séverine; Verrier, Bernard; David, Laurent; Domard, Alain; Delair, Thierry

2008-02-01

This work reports on the interactions of a model protein (p24, the capside protein of HIV-1 virus) with colloids obtained from polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) involving two polysaccharides: chitosan and dextran sulfate (DS). The PECs were elaborated by a one-shot addition of default amounts of one counterpart to the polymer in excess. Depending on the nature of the excess polyelectrolyte, the submicrometric colloid was either positively or negatively charged. HIV-1 capsid p24 protein was chosen as antigen, the ultrapure form, lipopolysaccharide-free (endotoxin-, vaccine grade) was used in most experiments, as the level of purity of the protein had a great impact on the immobilization process. p24 sorption kinetics, isotherms, and loading capacities were investigated for positively and negatively charged particles of chitosans and dextran sulfates differing in degrees of polymerization (DP) or acetylation (DA). Compared with the positive particles, negatively charged colloids had higher binding capacities, faster kinetics, and a better stability of the adsorbed p24. Capacities up to 600 mg x g(-1) (protein-colloid) were obtained, suggesting that the protein interacted within the shell of the particles. Small-angle X-rays scattering experiments confirmed this hypothesis. Finally, the immunogenicity of the p24-covered particles was assessed for vaccine purposes in mice. The antibody titers obtained with immobilized p24 was dose dependent and in the same range as for Freund's adjuvant, a gold standard for humoral responses.

Bile Salt Micelles and Phospholipid Vesicles Present in Simulated and Human Intestinal Fluids: Structural Analysis by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation/Multiangle Laser Light Scattering.

PubMed

Elvang, Philipp A; Hinna, Askell H; Brouwers, Joachim; Hens, Bart; Augustijns, Patrick; Brandl, Martin

2016-09-01

Knowledge about colloidal assemblies present in human intestinal fluids (HIFs), such as bile salt micelles and phospholipid vesicles, is regarded of importance for a better understanding of the in vivo dissolution and absorption behavior of poorly soluble drugs (Biopharmaceutics Classification System class II/IV drugs) because of their drug-solubilizing ability. The characterization of these potential drug-solubilizing compartments is a prerequisite for further studies of the mechanistic interplays between drug molecules and colloidal structures within HIFs. The aim of the present study was to apply asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) in combination with multiangle laser light scattering in an attempt to reveal coexistence of colloidal particles in both artificial and aspirated HIFs and to determine their sizes. Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation/multiangle laser light scattering analysis of the colloidal phase of intestinal fluids allowed for a detailed insight into the whole spectrum of submicron- to micrometer-sized particles. With respect to the simulated intestinal fluids mimicking fasted and fed state (FaSSIF-V1 and FeSSIF-V1, respectively), FaSSIF contained one distinct size fraction of colloidal assemblies, whereas FeSSIF contained 2 fractions of colloidal species with significantly different sizes. These size fractions likely represent (1) mixed taurocholate-phospholipid-micelles, as indicated by a size range up to 70 nm (in diameter) and a strong UV absorption and (2) small phospholipid vesicles of 90-210 nm diameter. In contrast, within the colloidal phase of the fasted state aspirate of a human volunteer, 4 different size fractions were separated from each other in a consistent and reproducible manner. The 2 fractions containing large particles showed mean sizes of approximately 50 and 200 nm, respectively (intensity-weighted mean diameter, Dz), likely representing mixed cholate/phospholipid micelles and phospholipid vesicles, respectively. The sizes of the smaller 2 fractions being below the size range of multiangle laser light scattering analysis (<20 nm) and their strong UV absorption indicates that they represent either pure cholate micelles or small mixed micelles. Within the colloidal fraction of the fed-state human aspirate, similar colloidal assemblies were detected as in the fasted state human aspirates. The observed differences between SIF and HIF indicate that the simulated intestinal fluids (FaSSIF-V1 and FeSSIF-V1) represent rather simplified models of the real human intestinal environment in terms of coexisting colloidal particles. It is hypothesized that the different supramolecular assemblies detected differ in their lipid composition, which may affect their affinity toward drug compounds and thus the drug-solubilizing capabilities. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Colloidal Bandpass and Bandgap Filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yellen, Benjamin; Tahir, Mukarram; Ouyang, Yuyu; Nori, Franco

2013-03-01

Thermally or deterministically-driven transport of objects through asymmetric potential energy landscapes (ratchet-based motion) is of considerable interest as models for biological transport and as methods for controlling the flow of information, material, and energy. Here, we provide a general framework for implementing a colloidal bandpass filter, in which particles of a specific size range can be selectively transported through a periodic lattice, whereas larger or smaller particles are dynamically trapped in closed-orbits. Our approach is based on quasi-static (adiabatic) transition in a tunable potential energy landscape composed of a multi-frequency magnetic field input signal with the static field of a spatially-periodic magnetization. By tuning the phase shifts between the input signal and the relative forcing coefficients, large-sized particles may experience no local energy barriers, medium-sized particles experience only one local energy barrier, and small-sized particles experience two local energy barriers. The odd symmetry present in this system can be used to nudge the medium-sized particles along an open pathway, whereas the large or small beads remain trapped in a closed-orbit, leading to a bandpass filter, and vice versa for a bandgap filter. NSF CMMI - 0800173, Youth 100 Scholars Fund

Shear-induced reversibility of 2D colloidal suspensions in the presence of minimal thermal noise.

PubMed

Farhadi, Somayeh; Arratia, Paulo E

2017-06-14

The effects of minimal thermal noise on particle rearrangements in cyclically sheared colloidal suspensions are experimentally investigated using particle tracking methods. Our experimental model system consists of polystyrene microspheres adsorbed at an oil-water interface, in which the particles exhibit small but non-negligible Brownian motion. Experiments are performed on bidisperse (1.0 and 1.2 μm in diameter) systems, which form area fractions of 0.20 and 0.32 at the interface. We first characterize the thermal (Brownian) noise using particle diffusivities at quiescent states, and show that under our experimental flow conditions both systems (0.20 and 0.32 area fraction) behave as athermal, in the sense that the particle diffusion time scale is larger than the flow time scale. We then characterize particle rearrangements as a function of strain amplitude, and show that small but finite levels of thermal noise affect the reversibility dynamics, even in effectively athermal systems. Our data indicate that as thermal noise is slightly increased in a cyclically sheared athermal system, the fraction of reversible rearrangements is reduced, the reversible cycles become unstable, and the rearrangement hysteresis is significantly hindered.

Manipulating colloids with charges and electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leunissen, M. E.

2007-02-01

This thesis presents the results of experimental investigations on a variety of colloidal suspensions. Colloidal particles are at least a hundred times larger than atoms or molecules, but suspended in a liquid they display the same phase behavior, including fluid and crystalline phases. Due to their relatively large size, colloids are much easier to investigate and manipulate, though. This makes them excellent condensed matter model systems. With this in mind, we studied micrometer-sized perspex (‘PMMA’) spheres, labeled with a fluorescent dye for high-resolution confocal microscopy imaging, and suspended in a low-polar mixture of the organic solvents cyclohexyl bromide and cis-decalin. This system offered us the flexibility to change the interactions between the particles from ‘hard-sphere-like’ to long-ranged repulsive (between like-charged particles), long-ranged attractive (between oppositely charged particles) and dipolar (in an electric field). We investigated the phase behavior of our suspensions as a function of the particle concentration, the ionic strength of the solvent and the particles’ charges. In this way, we obtained new insight in the freezing and melting behavior of like-charged and oppositely charged colloids. Interestingly, we found that the latter can readily form large crystals, thus defying the common belief that plus-minus interactions inevitably lead to aggregation. Moreover, we demonstrated that these systems can serve as a reliable model system for classical ionic matter (‘salts’), and that opposite-charge interactions can greatly facilitate the self-assembly of new structures with special properties for applications. On a slightly different note, we also studied electrostatic effects in mixtures of the cyclohexyl bromide solvent and water, both with and without colloidal particles present. This provided new insight in the stabilization mechanisms of oil-water emulsions and gave us control over the self-assembly of various useful colloidal structures. Besides modifying the particle charge, we employed the sensitivity of colloids to ‘external fields’ to manipulate the structure and dynamics of our suspensions. In particular, we used an electric field, in which the particles acquired a dipole moment. The induced dipole-dipole interactions gave rise to uniquely different crystalline and non-crystalline structures, due to their anisotropic nature. We explored the phase behavior as a function of the particle concentration, the electric field strength and the field geometry, and showed how one can rapidly switch from one structure to another. The latter is particularly interesting for applications. Finally, we also studied much weaker, inhomogeneous electric fields. In this case, the dipole moment of the particles was too small to change the phase behavior, but large enough to induce dielectrophoretic motion, driving the particles to the areas with the lowest field strength. We demonstrated how this can be used to manipulate the local particle concentration inside a sealed sample, on a time scale of minutes-weeks. The combination with real-time confocal microscopy allowed us to follow all particle rearrangements during the densification. Such controlled compression is of interest to colloidal model studies and the fabrication of high-quality crystals for applications. After all, for all suspensions the particle concentration is one of the most important factors determining the behavior.

Helical paths, gravitaxis, and separation phenomena for mass-anisotropic self-propelling colloids: Experiment versus theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Andrew I.; Wittkowski, Raphael; ten Hagen, Borge; Löwen, Hartmut; Ebbens, Stephen J.

2017-08-01

The self-propulsion mechanism of active colloidal particles often generates not only translational but also rotational motion. For particles with an anisotropic mass density under gravity, the motion is usually influenced by a downwards oriented force and an aligning torque. Here we study the trajectories of self-propelled bottom-heavy Janus particles in three spatial dimensions both in experiments and by theory. For a sufficiently large mass anisotropy, the particles typically move along helical trajectories whose axis is oriented either parallel or antiparallel to the direction of gravity (i.e., they show gravitaxis). In contrast, if the mass anisotropy is small and rotational diffusion is dominant, gravitational alignment of the trajectories is not possible. Furthermore, the trajectories depend on the angular self-propulsion velocity of the particles. If this component of the active motion is strong and rotates the direction of translational self-propulsion of the particles, their trajectories have many loops, whereas elongated swimming paths occur if the angular self-propulsion is weak. We show that the observed gravitational alignment mechanism and the dependence of the trajectory shape on the angular self-propulsion can be used to separate active colloidal particles with respect to their mass anisotropy and angular self-propulsion, respectively.

Vibrational properties of quasi-two-dimensional colloidal glasses with varying interparticle attraction.

PubMed

Gratale, Matthew D; Ma, Xiaoguang; Davidson, Zoey S; Still, Tim; Habdas, Piotr; Yodh, A G

2016-10-01

We measure the vibrational modes and particle dynamics of quasi-two-dimensional colloidal glasses as a function of interparticle interaction strength. The interparticle attractions are controlled via a temperature-tunable depletion interaction. Specifically, the interparticle attraction energy is increased gradually from a very small value (nearly hard-sphere) to moderate strength (∼4k_{B}T), and the variation of colloidal particle dynamics and vibrations are concurrently probed. The particle dynamics slow monotonically with increasing attraction strength, and the particle motions saturate for strengths greater than ∼2k_{B}T, i.e., as the system evolves from a nearly repulsive glass to an attractive glass. The shape of the phonon density of states is revealed to change with increasing attraction strength, and the number of low-frequency modes exhibits a crossover for glasses with weak compared to strong interparticle attraction at a threshold of ∼2k_{B}T. This variation in the properties of the low-frequency vibrational modes suggests a new means for distinguishing between repulsive and attractive glass states.

Wiseman conducts BCAT-C1 experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-25

ISS040-E-076505 (25 July 2014) --- NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Expedition 40 flight engineer, conducts a session with the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-C1, or BCAT-C1, experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. Results from this ongoing investigation of colloids ? mixtures of small particles distributed throughout a liquid ? will help materials scientists to develop new consumer products with unique properties and longer shelf lives.

Wiseman conducts BCAT-C1 experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-25

ISS040-E-076510 (25 July 2014) --- NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Expedition 40 flight engineer, conducts a session with the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-C1, or BCAT-C1, experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. Results from this ongoing investigation of colloids ? mixtures of small particles distributed throughout a liquid ? will help materials scientists to develop new consumer products with unique properties and longer shelf lives.

Wiseman conducts BCAT-C1 experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-25

ISS040-E-076507 (25 July 2014) --- NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Expedition 40 flight engineer, conducts a session with the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-C1, or BCAT-C1, experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. Results from this ongoing investigation of colloids ? mixtures of small particles distributed throughout a liquid ? will help materials scientists to develop new consumer products with unique properties and longer shelf lives.

Strain heterogeneity in sheared colloids revealed by neutron scattering

DOE PAGES

Chen, Kevin; Wu, Bin; He, Lilin; ...

2018-02-07

Recent computational and theoretical studies have shown that the deformation of colloidal suspensions under a steady shear is highly heterogeneous at the particle level and demonstrate a critical influence on the macroscopic deformation behavior. Despite its relevance to a wide variety of industrial applications of colloidal suspensions, scattering studies focusing on addressing the heterogeneity of the non-equilibrium colloidal structure are scarce thus far. Here in this paper, we report the first experimental result using small-angle neutron scattering. From the evolution of strain heterogeneity, we conclude that the shear-induced deformation transforms from nearly affine behavior at low shear rates, to plasticmore » rearrangements when the shear rate is high.« less

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

PubMed Central

Conrad, Jacinta C.

2014-01-01

The behavior of confined colloidal suspensions with attractive interparticle interactions is critical to the rational design of materials for directed assembly1-3, drug delivery4, improved hydrocarbon recovery5-7, and flowable electrodes for energy storage8. Suspensions containing fluorescent colloids and non-adsorbing polymers are appealing model systems, as the ratio of the polymer radius of gyration to the particle radius and concentration of polymer control the range and strength of the interparticle attraction, respectively. By tuning the polymer properties and the volume fraction of the colloids, colloid fluids, fluids of clusters, gels, crystals, and glasses can be obtained9. Confocal microscopy, a variant of fluorescence microscopy, allows an optically transparent and fluorescent sample to be imaged with high spatial and temporal resolution in three dimensions. In this technique, a small pinhole or slit blocks the emitted fluorescent light from regions of the sample that are outside the focal volume of the microscope optical system. As a result, only a thin section of the sample in the focal plane is imaged. This technique is particularly well suited to probe the structure and dynamics in dense colloidal suspensions at the single-particle scale: the particles are large enough to be resolved using visible light and diffuse slowly enough to be captured at typical scan speeds of commercial confocal systems10. Improvements in scan speeds and analysis algorithms have also enabled quantitative confocal imaging of flowing suspensions11-16,37. In this paper, we demonstrate confocal microscopy experiments to probe the confined phase behavior and flow properties of colloid-polymer mixtures. We first prepare colloid-polymer mixtures that are density- and refractive-index matched. Next, we report a standard protocol for imaging quiescent dense colloid-polymer mixtures under varying confinement in thin wedge-shaped cells. Finally, we demonstrate a protocol for imaging colloid-polymer mixtures during microchannel flow. PMID:24894062

Drying paint: from micro-scale dynamics to mechanical instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, Lucas; Li, Joaquim; Kiatkirakajorn, Pree-Cha

2017-04-01

Charged colloidal dispersions make up the basis of a broad range of industrial and commercial products, from paints to coatings and additives in cosmetics. During drying, an initially liquid dispersion of such particles is slowly concentrated into a solid, displaying a range of mechanical instabilities in response to highly variable internal pressures. Here we summarize the current appreciation of this process by pairing an advection-diffusion model of particle motion with a Poisson-Boltzmann cell model of inter-particle interactions, to predict the concentration gradients in a drying colloidal film. We then test these predictions with osmotic compression experiments on colloidal silica, and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments on silica dispersions drying in Hele-Shaw cells. Finally, we use the details of the microscopic physics at play in these dispersions to explore how two macroscopic mechanical instabilities-shear-banding and fracture-can be controlled. This article is part of the themed issue 'Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications.'

Microfluidic techniques for the study of self-assembly of soft materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguade Cabanas, Rafael

This research is an approach to the study of soft condensed matter where the use of new microfluidic technology plays a central role. Often, in the study of soft matter, the sample volumes are very small, of the order of nanoliters. Therefore to quantitatively measure the equilibrium or non-equilibrium phase behavior requires microfluidics. Presented here are (1) a new way of producing aqueous drops of order 1 nl volume, in oil, (2) a new fabrication protocol to make microfluidic devices out of epoxy glue, and (3) a new microfluidic flow cell to study colloidal self-assembly. Also presented here is a new kind of colloidal particle, consisting of single strands of DNA linked to the surface of fd virus. This new particle may serve as a liquid crystalline colloid with a temperature dependent tunable potential. The fabrication process is the first step in the study of the self-assembly of rod-like particles with a temperature dependent potential.

Optothermal Manipulations of Colloidal Particles and Living Cells.

PubMed

Lin, Linhan; Hill, Eric H; Peng, Xiaolei; Zheng, Yuebing

2018-05-25

Optical manipulation techniques are important in many fields. For instance, they enable bottom-up assembly of nanomaterials and high-resolution and in situ analysis of biological cells and molecules, providing opportunities for discovery of new materials, medical diagnostics, and nanomedicines. Traditional optical tweezers have their applications limited due to the use of rigorous optics and high optical power. New strategies have been established for low-power optical manipulation techniques. Optothermal manipulation, which exploits photon-phonon conversion and matter migration under a light-controlled temperature gradient, is one such emerging technique. Elucidation of the underlying physics of optothermo-matter interaction and rational engineering of optical environments are required to realize diverse optothermal manipulation functionalities. This Account covers the working principles, design concepts, and applications of a series of newly developed optothermal manipulation techniques, including bubble-pen lithography, opto-thermophoretic tweezers, opto-thermoelectric tweezers, optothermal assembly, and opto-thermoelectric printing. In bubble-pen lithography, optical heating of a plasmonic substrate generates microbubbles at the solid-liquid interface to print diverse colloidal particles on the substrates. Programmable bubble printing of semiconductor quantum dots on different substrates and haptic control of printing have also been achieved. The key to optothermal tweezers is the ability to deliver colloidal particles from cold to hot regions of a temperature gradient or a negative Soret effect. We explore different driving forces for the two types of optothermal tweezers. Opto-thermophoretic tweezers rely on an abnormal permittivity gradient built by structured solvent molecules in the electric double layer of colloidal particles and living cells in response to heat-induced entropy, and opto-thermoelectric tweezers exploit a thermophoresis-induced thermoelectric field for the low-power manipulation of small nanoparticles with minimum diameter around 20 nm. Furthermore, by incorporating depletion attraction into the optothermal tweezers system as particle-particle or particle-substrate binding force, we have achieved bottom-up assembly and reconfigurable optical printing of artificial colloidal matter. Beyond optothermal manipulation techniques in liquid environments, we also review recent progress of gas-phase optothermal manipulation based on photophoresis. Photophoretic trapping and transport of light-absorbing materials have been achieved through optical engineering to tune particle-molecule interactions during optical heating, and a novel optical trap display has been demonstrated. An improved understanding of the colloidal response to temperature gradients will surely facilitate further innovations in optothermal manipulation. With their low-power operation, simple optics, and diverse functionalities, optothermal manipulation techniques will find a wide range of applications in life sciences, colloidal science, materials science, and nanoscience, as well as in the developments of colloidal functional devices and nanomedicine.

Colloidal-gold electrosensor measuring device

DOEpatents

Wegner, S.; Harpold, M.A.; McCaffrey, T.M.; Morris, S.E.; Wojciechowski, M.; Zhao, J.; Henkens, R.W.; Naser, N.; O`Daly, J.P.

1995-11-21

The present invention provides a new device for use in measuring lead levels in biological and environmental samples. Using square wave coulometry and colloidal gold particles impregnated on carbon electrodes, the present invention provides a rapid, reliable, portable and inexpensive means of detecting low lead levels. The colloidal gold modified electrodes have microelectrode array characteristics and produce significantly higher stripping detection signals for lead than are produced at bulk gold electrode surfaces. The method is effective in determining levels of lead down to at least 5 {micro}g/dL in blood samples as small as 10 {micro}L. 9 figs.

Colloidal-gold electrosensor measuring device

DOEpatents

Wegner, Steven; Harpold, Michael A.; McCaffrey, Terence M.; Morris, Susan E.; Wojciechowski, Marek; Zhao, Junguo; Henkens, Robert W.; Naser, Najih; O'Daly, John P.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a new device for use in measuring lead levels in biological and environmental samples. Using square wave coulometry and colloidal gold particles impregnated on carbon electrodes, the present invention provides a rapid, reliable, portable and inexpensive means of detecting low lead levels. The colloidal gold modified electrodes have microelectrode array characteristics and produce significantly higher stripping detection signals for lead than are produced at bulk gold electrode surfaces. The method is effective in determining levels of lead down to at least 5 .mu.g/dL in blood samples as small as 10 .mu.L.

Partitioning of Dissolved Metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Pb) into Soluble and Colloidal Fractions in Continental Shelf and Offshore Waters, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzsimmons, J. N.; Parker, C.; Sherrell, R. M.

2016-02-01

The physicochemical speciation of trace metals in seawater influences their cycling as essential micronutrients for microorganisms or as tracers of anthropogenic influences on the marine environment. While chemical speciation affects lability, the size of metal complexes influences their ability to be accessed biologically and also influences their fate in the aggregation pathway to marine particles. In this study, we show that multiple trace metals in shelf and open ocean waters off northern California (IRN-BRU cruise, July 2014) have colloidal-sized components. Colloidal fractions were operationally defined using two ultrafiltration methods: a 0.02 µm Anopore membrane and a 10 kDa ( 0.003 µm) cross flow filtration (CFF) system. Together these two methods distinguished small (0.003 - 0.02 µm) and large (0.02 µm - 0.2 µm) colloids. As has been found previously for seawater in other ocean regimes, dissolved Fe had a broad size distribution with 50% soluble (<10 kDa) complexes and both small and large colloidal species. Dissolved Mn had no measurable colloidal component, consistent with its predicted chemical speciation as free Mn(II). Dissolved Cu, which like Fe is thought to be nearly fully organically bound in seawater, was only 25% colloidal, and these colloids were all small. Surprisingly Cd, Ni, and Pb also showed colloidal components (8-20%, 25-40%, and 10-50%) despite their hypothesized low organic speciation. Zn and Pb were nearly completely sorbed onto the Anopore membrane, making CFF the only viable ultrafiltration method for those elements. Zn suffered incomplete recovery ( 50-75%) through the CFF system but showed 30-85% colloidal contribution; thus, verifying a Zn colloidal phase with these methods is challenging. Conclusions will reveal links between the physical and chemical speciation for these metals and what role these metal colloids might have on trace metal exchange between the ocean margin and offshore waters.

Marshburn configures FIR/LMM ACE hardware, in the U.S. Laboratory

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-21

ISS034-E-051798 (21 Feb. 2013) --- NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn, Expedition 34 flight engineer, configures one of the experiment racks in the U.S. lab called Destiny aboard the International Space Station in Earth orbit. ACE produces microscopic images of materials which contain small colloidal particles, and it examines flow characteristics and the evolution and ordering effects within these colloidal materials in 1-G and micro-G environments.

Ford poses at the FIR/LMM/ACE in the U.S. Laboratory

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-21

ISS034-E-056144 (21 Feb. 2013) --- Inside the U.S. Laboratory (Destiny) aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Statio, NASA astronaut Kevin Ford, Expedition 34 commander, is seen with the Fluids Integration Rack (FIR)/Light Microscopy Module (LMM)/Advanced Colloids Experiment (ACE). ACE samples, which produce microscopic images of materials containing small colloidal particles, are scheduled for arrival on SpaceX-2 in the first week of March.

Solvent coarsening around colloids driven by temperature gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Sutapa; Dietrich, Siegfried; Maciolek, Anna

2018-04-01

Using mesoscopic numerical simulations and analytical theory, we investigate the coarsening of the solvent structure around a colloidal particle emerging after a temperature quench of the colloid surface. Qualitative differences in the coarsening mechanisms are found, depending on the composition of the binary liquid mixture forming the solvent and on the adsorption preferences of the colloid. For an adsorptionwise neutral colloid, the phase next to its surface alternates as a function of time. This behavior sets in on the scale of the relaxation time of the solvent and is absent for colloids with strong adsorption preferences. A Janus colloid, with a small temperature difference between its two hemispheres, reveals an asymmetric structure formation and surface enrichment around it, even if the solvent is within its one-phase region and if the temperature of the colloid is above the critical demixing temperature Tc of the solvent. Our phenomenological model turns out to capture recent experimental findings according to which, upon laser illumination of a Janus colloid and due to the ensuing temperature gradient between its two hemispheres, the surrounding binary liquid mixture develops a concentration gradient.

Electrohydrodynamically patterned colloidal crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayward, Ryan C. (Inventor); Poon, Hak F. (Inventor); Xiao, Yi (Inventor); Saville, Dudley A. (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A method for assembling patterned crystalline arrays of colloidal particles using ultraviolet illumination of an optically-sensitive semiconducting anode while using the anode to apply an electronic field to the colloidal particles. The ultraviolet illumination increases current density, and consequently, the flow of the colloidal particles. As a result, colloidal particles can be caused to migrate from non-illuminated areas of the anode to illuminated areas of the anode. Selective illumination of the anode can also be used to permanently affix colloidal crystals to illuminated areas of the anode while not affixing them to non-illuminated areas of the anode.

Fabrication of large binary colloidal crystals with a NaCl structure

PubMed Central

Vermolen, E. C. M.; Kuijk, A.; Filion, L. C.; Hermes, M.; Thijssen, J. H. J.; Dijkstra, M.; van Blaaderen, A.

2009-01-01

Binary colloidal crystals offer great potential for tuning material properties for applications in, for example, photonics, semiconductors and spintronics, because they allow the positioning of particles with quite different characteristics on one lattice. For micrometer-sized colloids, it is believed that gravity and slow crystallization rates hinder the formation of high-quality binary crystals. Here, we present methods for growing binary colloidal crystals with a NaCl structure from relatively heavy, hard-sphere-like, micrometer-sized silica particles by exploring the following external fields: electric, gravitational, and dielectrophoretic fields and a structured surface (colloidal epitaxy). Our simulations show that the free-energy difference between the NaCl and NiAs structures, which differ in their stacking of the hexagonal planes of the larger spheres, is very small (≈0.002 kBT). However, we demonstrate that the fcc stacking of the large spheres, which is crucial for obtaining the pure NaCl structure, can be favored by using a combination of the above-mentioned external fields. In this way, we have successfully fabricated large, 3D, oriented single crystals having a NaCl structure without stacking disorder. PMID:19805259

Relating structure and flow of soft colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundu, S. K.; Gupta, S.; Stellbrink, J.; Willner, L.; Richter, D.

2013-11-01

To relate the complex macroscopic flow of soft colloids to details of its microscopic equilibrium and non-equilibrium structure is still one big challenge in soft matter science. We investigated several well-defined colloidal model systems like star polymers or diblock copolymer micelles by linear/non-linear rheology, static/dynamic light scattering (SLS/DLS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS). In addition, in-situ SANS experiments during shear (Rheo-SANS) revealed directly shear induced structural changes on a microscopic level. Varying the molecular architecture of the individual colloidal particle as well as particle-particle interactions and covering at the same time a broad concentration range from the very dilute to highly concentrated, glassy regime, we could separate contributions from intra- and inter-particle softness. Both can be precisely "tuned" by varying systematically the functionality, 6 ≤ f≤ 64, for star polymers or aggregation number, 30 ≤ N agg ≤ 1000 for diblock copolymer micelles, as well as the degree of polymerization of the individual polymer arm 100 ≤ D p ≤ 3000. In dilute solutions, the characteristic shear rate at which deformation of the soft colloid is observed can be related to the Zimm time of the polymeric corona. In concentrated solutions, we validated a generalized Stokes-Einstein approach to describe the increase in macroscopic viscosity and mesoscopic self diffusion coefficient on approaching the glassy regime. Both can be explained in terms of an ultra-soft interaction potential. Moreover, non-equilibrium structure factors are obtained by Rheo-SANS. All experimental results are in excellent quantitative agreement with recent theoretical predictions.

Pickering Emulsion Gels Prepared by Hydrogen-Bonded Zein/Tannic Acid Complex Colloidal Particles.

PubMed

Zou, Yuan; Guo, Jian; Yin, Shou-Wei; Wang, Jin-Mei; Yang, Xiao-Quan

2015-08-26

Food-grade colloidal particles and complexes, which are formed via modulation of the noncovalent interactions between macromolecules and natural small molecules, can be developed as novel functional ingredients in a safe and sustainable way. For this study was prepared a novel zein/tannic acid (TA) complex colloidal particle (ZTP) based on the hydrogen-bonding interaction between zein and TA in aqueous ethanol solution by using a simple antisolvent approach. Pickering emulsion gels with high oil volume fraction (φ(oil) > 50%) were successfully fabricated via one-step homogenization. Circular dichroism (CD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements, which were used to characterize the structure of zein/TA complexes in ethanol solution, clearly showed that TA binding generated a conformational change of zein without altering their supramolecular structure at pH 5.0 and intermediate TA concentrations. Consequently, the resultant ZTP had tuned near neutral wettability (θ(ow) ∼ 86°) and enhanced interfacial reactivity, but without significantly decreased surface charge. These allowed the ZTP to stabilize the oil droplets and further triggered cross-linking to form a continuous network among and around the oil droplets and protein particles, leading to the formation of stable Pickering emulsion gels. Layer-by-layer (LbL) interfacial architecture on the oil-water surface of the droplets was observed, which implied a possibility to fabricate hierarchical interface microstructure via modulation of the noncovalent interaction between hydrophobic protein and natural polyphenol.

Automated preparation method for colloidal crystal arrays of monodisperse and binary colloid mixtures by contact printing with a pintool plotter.

PubMed

Burkert, Klaus; Neumann, Thomas; Wang, Jianjun; Jonas, Ulrich; Knoll, Wolfgang; Ottleben, Holger

2007-03-13

Photonic crystals and photonic band gap materials with periodic variation of the dielectric constant in the submicrometer range exhibit unique optical properties such as opalescence, optical stop bands, and photonic band gaps. As such, they represent attractive materials for the active elements in sensor arrays. Colloidal crystals, which are 3D gratings leading to Bragg diffraction, are one potential precursor of such optical materials. They have gained particular interest in many technological areas as a result of their specific properties and ease of fabrication. Although basic techniques for the preparation of regular patterns of colloidal crystals on structured substrates by self-assembly of mesoscopic particles are known, the efficient fabrication of colloidal crystal arrays by simple contact printing has not yet been reported. In this article, we present a spotting technique used to produce a microarray comprising up to 9600 single addressable sensor fields of colloidal crystal structures with dimensions down to 100 mum on a microfabricated substrate in different formats. Both monodisperse colloidal crystals and binary colloidal crystal systems were prepared by contact printing of polystyrene particles in aqueous suspension. The array morphology was characterized by optical light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, which revealed regularly ordered crystalline structures for both systems. In the case of binary crystals, the influence of the concentration ratio of the large and small particles in the printing suspension on the obtained crystal structure was investigated. The optical properties of the colloidal crystal arrays were characterized by reflection spectroscopy. To examine the stop bands of the colloidal crystal arrays in a high-throughput fashion, an optical setup based on a CCD camera was realized that allowed the simultaneous readout of all of the reflection spectra of several thousand sensor fields per array in parallel. In agreement with Bragg's relation, the investigated arrays exhibited strong opalescence and stop bands in the expected wavelength range, confirming the successful formation of highly ordered colloidal crystals. Furthermore, a narrow distribution of wavelength-dependent stop bands across the sensor array was achieved, demonstrating the capability of producing highly reproducible crystal spots by the contact printing method with a pintool plotter.

Fouling of microfiltration membranes by flowback and produced waters from the Marcellus shale gas play.

PubMed

Xiong, Boya; Zydney, Andrew L; Kumar, Manish

2016-08-01

There is growing interest in possible options for treatment or reuse of flowback and produced waters from natural gas processing. Here we investigated the fouling characteristics during microfiltration of different flowback and produced waters from hydraulic fracturing sites in the Marcellus shale. All samples caused severe and highly variable fouling, although there was no direct correlation between the fouling rate and total suspended solids, turbidity, or total organic carbon. Furthermore, the fouling of water after prefiltration through a 0.2 μm membrane was also highly variable. Low fouling seen with prefiltered water was mainly due to removal of submicron particles 0.4-0.8 μm during prefiltration. High fouling seen with prefiltered water was mainly caused by a combination of hydrophobic organics and colloidal particles <100 nm in size (quantified by transmission electron microscopy) that passed through the prefiltration membranes. The small colloidal particles were highly stable, likely due to the surfactants and other organics present in the fracking fluids. The colloid concentration was as high as 10(11) colloids/ml, which is more than 100 times greater than that in typical seawater. Furthermore, these colloids were only partially removed by MF, causing substantial fouling during a subsequent ultrafiltration. These results clearly show the importance of organics and colloidal material in membrane fouling caused by flowback and produced waters, which is of critical importance in the development of more sustainable treatment strategies in natural gas processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of Fractal Cluster Gels with Embedded Active Colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szakasits, Megan E.; Zhang, Wenxuan; Solomon, Michael J.

2017-08-01

We find that embedded active colloids increase the ensemble-averaged mean squared displacement of particles in otherwise passively fluctuating fractal cluster gels. The enhancement in dynamics occurs by a mechanism in which the active colloids contribute to the average dynamics both directly through their own active motion and indirectly through their excitation of neighboring passive colloids in the fractal network. Fractal cluster gels are synthesized by addition of magnesium chloride to an initially stable suspension of 1.0 μ m polystyrene colloids in which a dilute concentration of platinum coated Janus colloids has been dispersed. The Janus colloids are thereby incorporated into the fractal network. We measure the ensemble-averaged mean squared displacement of all colloids in the gel before and after the addition of hydrogen peroxide, a fuel that drives diffusiophoretic motion of the Janus particles. The gel mean squared displacement increases by up to a factor of 3 for an active to passive particle ratio of 1 ∶20 and inputted active energy—defined based on the hydrogen peroxide's effect on colloid swim speed and run length—that is up to 9.5 times thermal energy, on a per particle basis. We model the enhancement in gel particle dynamics as the sum of a direct contribution from the displacement of the Janus particles themselves and an indirect contribution from the strain field that the active colloids induce in the surrounding passive particles.

Attachment of micro- and nano-particles on tipless cantilevers for colloidal probe microscopy.

PubMed

D'Sa, Dexter J; Chan, Hak-Kim; Chrzanowski, Wojciech

2014-07-15

Current colloidal probe preparation techniques face several challenges in the production of functional probes using particles ⩽5 μm. Challenges include: glue encapsulated particles, glue altered particle properties, improper particle or agglomerate attachment, and lengthy procedures. We present a method to rapidly and reproducibly produce functional micro and nano-colloidal probes. Using a six-step procedure, cantilevers mounted on a custom designed 45° holder were used to approach and obtain a minimal amount of epoxy resin (viscosity of ∼14,000 cP) followed by a single micron/nano particle on the apex of a tipless cantilever. The epoxy and particles were prepared on individual glass slides and subsequently affixed to a 10× or 40× optical microscope lens using another custom designed holder. Scanning electron microscopy and comparative glue-colloidal probe measurements were used to confirm colloidal probe functionality. The method presented allowed rapid and reproducible production of functional colloidal probes (80% success). Single nano-particles were prominently affixed to the apex of the cantilever, unaffected by the epoxy. Nano-colloidal probes were used to conduct topographical, instantaneous force, and adhesive force mapping measurements in dry and liquid media conveying their versatility and functionality in studying nano-colloidal systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal diffusion behavior of hard-sphere suspensions.

PubMed

Ning, Hui; Buitenhuis, Johan; Dhont, Jan K G; Wiegand, Simone

2006-11-28

We studied the thermal diffusion behavior of octadecyl coated silica particles (R(h)=27 nm) in toluene between 15.0 and 50.0 degrees C in a volume fraction range of 1%-30% by means of thermal diffusion forced Rayleigh scattering. The colloidal particles behave like hard spheres at high temperatures and as sticky spheres at low temperatures. With increasing temperature, the obtained Soret coefficient S(T) of the silica particles changed sign from negative to positive, which implies that the colloidal particles move to the warm side at low temperatures, whereas they move to the cold side at high temperatures. Additionally, we observed also a sign change of the Soret coefficient from positive to negative with increasing volume fraction. This is the first colloidal system for which a sign change with temperature and volume fraction has been observed. The concentration dependence of the thermal diffusion coefficient of the colloidal spheres is related to the colloid-colloid interactions, and will be compared with an existing theoretical description for interacting spherical particles. To characterize the particle-particle interaction parameters, we performed static and dynamic light scattering experiments. The temperature dependence of the thermal diffusion coefficient is predominantly determined by single colloidal particle properties, which are related to colloid-solvent molecule interactions.

Colloids removal from water resources using natural coagulant: Acacia auriculiformis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, M.; Roslan, A.; Kamarulzaman, M. F. H.; Erat, M. M.

2017-09-01

All waters, especially surface waters contain dissolved, suspended particles and/or inorganic matter, as well as several biological organisms, such as bacteria, algae or viruses. This material must be removed because it can affect the water quality that can cause turbidity and colour. The objective of this study is to develop water treatment process from Seri Alam (Johor, Malaysia) lake water resources by using natural coagulant Acacia auriculiformis pods through a jar test experiment. Jar test is designed to show the effectiveness of the water treatment. This process is a laboratory procedure that will simulate coagulation/flocculation with several parameters selected namely contact time, coagulant dosage and agitation speed. The most optimum percentage of colloids removal for each parameter is determined at 0.2 g, 90 min and 80 rpm. FESEM (Field-emission Scanning Electron Microscope) observed the small structures of final floc particles for optimum parameter in this study to show that the colloids coagulated the coagulant. All result showed that the Acacia auriculiformis pods can be a very efficient coagulant in removing colloids from water.

One stone, two birds: silica nanospheres significantly increase photocatalytic activity and colloidal stability of photocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasamani, Kowsalya D.; Foley, Jonathan J., IV; Sun, Yugang

2018-03-01

Silver-doped silver chloride [AgCl(Ag)] nanoparticles represent a unique class of visible-light-driven photocatalysts, in which the silver dopants introduce electron-abundant mid-gap energy levels to lower the bandgap of AgCl. However, free-standing AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles, particularly those with small sizes and large surface areas, exhibit low colloidal stability and low compositional stability upon exposure to light irradiation, leading to easy aggregation and conversion to metallic silver and thus a loss of photocatalytic activity. These problems could be eliminated by attaching the small AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles to the surfaces of spherical dielectric silica particles with submicrometer sizes. The high optical transparency in the visible spectral region (400-800 nm), colloidal stability, and chemical/electronic inertness displayed by the silica spheres make them ideal for supporting photocatalysts and significantly improving their stability. The spherical morphology of the dielectric silica particles can support light scattering resonances to generate significantly enhanced electric fields near the silica particle surfaces, on which the optical absorption cross-section of the AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles is dramatically increased to promote their photocatalytic activity. The hybrid silica/AgCl(Ag) structures exhibit superior photocatalytic activity and stability, suitable for supporting photocatalysis sustainably; for instance, their efficiency in the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue decreases by only ˜9% even after ten cycles of operation.

Synthesis of pure colloidal silver nanoparticles with high electroconductivity for printed electronic circuits: the effect of amines on their formation in aqueous media.

PubMed

Natsuki, Jun; Abe, Takao

2011-07-01

This paper describes a practical and convenient method to prepare stable colloidal silver nanoparticles for use in printed electronic circuits. The method uses a dispersant and two kinds of reducing agents including 2-(dimethylamino) ethanol (DMAE), which play important roles in the reduction of silver ions in an aqueous medium. The effect of DMAE and dispersant, as well as the factors affecting particle size and morphology are investigated. In the formation of the silver nanoparticles, reduction occurs rapidly at room temperature and the silver particles can be separated easily from the mixture in a short time. In addition, organic solvents are not used. Pure, small and relatively uniform particles with a diameter less than 10 nm can be obtained that exhibit high electroconductivity. The silver nanoparticles are stable, and can be isolated as a dried powder that can be fully redispersed in deionized water. This method of producing colloidal silver nanoparticles will find practical use in electronics applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ligand-free gold atom clusters adsorbed on graphene nano sheets generated by oxidative laser fragmentation in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Marcus; Haxhiaj, Ina; Wagener, Philipp; Intartaglia, Romuald; Brandi, Fernando; Nakamura, Junji; Barcikowski, Stephan

2014-08-01

Over three decades after the first synthesis of stabilized Au55-clusters many scientific questions about gold cluster properties are still unsolved and ligand-free colloidal clusters are difficult to fabricate. Here we present a novel route to produce ultra-small gold particles by using a green technique, the laser ablation and fragmentation in water, without using reductive or stabilizing agents at any step of the synthesis. For fabrication only a pulsed laser, a gold-target, pure water, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide are deployed. The particles are exemplarily hybridized to graphene supports showing that these carbon-free colloidal clusters might serve as versatile building blocks.

Active structuring of colloidal armour on liquid drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dommersnes, Paul; Rozynek, Zbigniew; Mikkelsen, Alexander; Castberg, Rene; Kjerstad, Knut; Hersvik, Kjetil; Otto Fossum, Jon

2013-06-01

Adsorption and assembly of colloidal particles at the surface of liquid droplets are at the base of particle-stabilized emulsions and templating. Here we report that electrohydrodynamic and electro-rheological effects in leaky-dielectric liquid drops can be used to structure and dynamically control colloidal particle assemblies at drop surfaces, including electric-field-assisted convective assembly of jammed colloidal ‘ribbons’, electro-rheological colloidal chains confined to a two-dimensional surface and spinning colloidal domains on that surface. In addition, we demonstrate the size control of ‘pupil’-like openings in colloidal shells. We anticipate that electric field manipulation of colloids in leaky dielectrics can lead to new routes of colloidosome assembly and design for ‘smart armoured’ droplets.

Active structuring of colloidal armour on liquid drops.

PubMed

Dommersnes, Paul; Rozynek, Zbigniew; Mikkelsen, Alexander; Castberg, Rene; Kjerstad, Knut; Hersvik, Kjetil; Otto Fossum, Jon

2013-01-01

Adsorption and assembly of colloidal particles at the surface of liquid droplets are at the base of particle-stabilized emulsions and templating. Here we report that electrohydrodynamic and electro-rheological effects in leaky-dielectric liquid drops can be used to structure and dynamically control colloidal particle assemblies at drop surfaces, including electric-field-assisted convective assembly of jammed colloidal 'ribbons', electro-rheological colloidal chains confined to a two-dimensional surface and spinning colloidal domains on that surface. In addition, we demonstrate the size control of 'pupil'-like openings in colloidal shells. We anticipate that electric field manipulation of colloids in leaky dielectrics can lead to new routes of colloidosome assembly and design for 'smart armoured' droplets.

Stable colloids in molten inorganic salts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Hao; Dasbiswas, Kinjal; Ludwig, Nicholas B.

2017-02-15

A colloidal solution is a homogeneous dispersion of particles or droplets of one phase (solute) in a second, typically liquid, phase (solvent). Colloids are ubiquitous in biological, chemical and technological processes1, 2, homogenizing highly dissimilar constituents. To stabilize a colloidal system against coalescence and aggregation, the surface of each solute particle is engineered to impose repulsive forces strong enough to overpower van der Waals attraction and keep the particles separated from each other2. Electrostatic stabilization3, 4 of charged solutes works well in solvents with high dielectric constants, such as water (dielectric constant of 80). In contrast, colloidal stabilization in solventsmore » with low polarity, such as hexane (dielectric constant of about 2), can be achieved by decorating the surface of each particle of the solute with molecules (surfactants) containing flexible, brush-like chains2, 5. Here we report a class of colloidal systems in which solute particles (including metals, semiconductors and magnetic materials) form stable colloids in various molten inorganic salts. The stability of such colloids cannot be explained by traditional electrostatic and steric mechanisms. Screening of many solute–solvent combinations shows that colloidal stability can be traced to the strength of chemical bonding at the solute–solvent interface. Theoretical analysis and molecular dynamics modelling suggest that a layer of surface-bound solvent ions produces long-ranged charge-density oscillations in the molten salt around solute particles, preventing their aggregation. Colloids composed of inorganic particles in inorganic melts offer opportunities for introducing colloidal techniques to solid-state science and engineering applications.« less

Chiral liquid crystal colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ye; Martinez, Angel; Senyuk, Bohdan; Tasinkevych, Mykola; Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2018-01-01

Colloidal particles disturb the alignment of rod-like molecules of liquid crystals, giving rise to long-range interactions that minimize the free energy of distorted regions. Particle shape and topology are known to guide this self-assembly process. However, how chirality of colloidal inclusions affects these long-range interactions is unclear. Here we study the effects of distortions caused by chiral springs and helices on the colloidal self-organization in a nematic liquid crystal using laser tweezers, particle tracking and optical imaging. We show that chirality of colloidal particles interacts with the nematic elasticity to predefine chiral or racemic colloidal superstructures in nematic colloids. These findings are consistent with numerical modelling based on the minimization of Landau-de Gennes free energy. Our study uncovers the role of chirality in defining the mesoscopic order of liquid crystal colloids, suggesting that this feature may be a potential tool to modulate the global orientated self-organization of these systems.

Centrifugation-assisted Assembly of Colloidal Silica into Crack-Free and Transferrable Films with Tunable Crystalline Structures

PubMed Central

Fan, Wen; Chen, Min; Yang, Shu; Wu, Limin

2015-01-01

Self-assembly of colloidal particles into colloidal films has many actual and potential applications. While various strategies have been developed to direct the assembly of colloidal particles, fabrication of crack-free and transferrable colloidal film with controllable crystal structures still remains a major challenge. Here we show a centrifugation-assisted assembly of colloidal silica spheres into free-standing colloidal film by using the liquid/liquid interfaces of three immiscible phases. Through independent control of centrifugal force and interparticle electrostatic repulsion, polycrystalline, single-crystalline and quasi-amorphous structures can be readily obtained. More importantly, by dehydration of silica particles during centrifugation, the spontaneous formation of capillary water bridges between particles enables the binding and pre-shrinkage of the assembled array at the fluid interface. Thus the assembled colloidal films are not only crack-free, but also robust and flexible enough to be easily transferred on various planar and curved substrates. PMID:26159121

Sensitive Analysis of Protein Adsorption to Colloidal Gold by Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

It is demonstrated that the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to aqueous gold colloids can be quantified with molecular resolution by differential centrifugal sedimentation (DCS). This method separates colloidal particles of comparable density by mass. When proteins adsorb to the nanoparticles, both their mass and their effective density change, which strongly affects the sedimentation time. A straightforward analysis allows quantification of the adsorbed layer. Most importantly, unlike many other methods, DCS can be used to detect chemisorbed proteins (“hard corona”) as well as physisorbed proteins (“soft corona”). The results for BSA on gold colloid nanoparticles can be modeled in terms of Langmuir-type adsorption isotherms (Hill model). The effects of surface modification with small thiol-PEG ligands on protein adsorption are also demonstrated. PMID:28513153

Characterization of magnetic colloids by means of magnetooptics.

PubMed

Baraban, L; Erbe, A; Leiderer, P

2007-05-01

A new, efficient method for the characterization of magnetic colloids based on the Faraday effect is proposed. According to the main principles of this technique, it is possible to detect the stray magnetic field of the colloidal particles induced inside the magnetooptical layer. The magnetic properties of individual particles can be determined providing measurements in a wide range of magnetic fields. The magnetization curves of capped colloids and paramagnetic colloids were measured by means of the proposed approach. The registration of the magnetooptical signals from each colloidal particle in an ensemble permits the use of this technique for testing the magnetic monodispersity of colloidal suspensions.

Interaction between like-charged polyelectrolyte-colloid complexes in electrolyte solutions: a Monte Carlo simulation study in the Debye-Hückel approximation.

PubMed

Truzzolillo, D; Bordi, F; Sciortino, F; Sennato, S

2010-07-14

We study the effective interaction between differently charged polyelectrolyte-colloid complexes in electrolyte solutions via Monte Carlo simulations. These complexes are formed when short and flexible polyelectrolyte chains adsorb onto oppositely charged colloidal spheres, dispersed in an electrolyte solution. In our simulations the bending energy between adjacent monomers is small compared to the electrostatic energy, and the chains, once adsorbed, do not exchange with the solution, although they rearrange on the particles surface to accommodate further adsorbing chains or due to the electrostatic interaction with neighbor complexes. Rather unexpectedly, when two interacting particles approach each other, the rearrangement of the surface charge distribution invariably produces antiparallel dipolar doublets that invert their orientation at the isoelectric point. These findings clearly rule out a contribution of dipole-dipole interactions to the observed attractive interaction between the complexes, pointing out that such suspensions cannot be considered dipolar fluids. On varying the ionic strength of the electrolyte, we find that a screening length kappa(-1), short compared with the size of the colloidal particles, is required in order to observe the attraction between like-charged complexes due to the nonuniform distribution of the electric charge on their surface ("patch attraction"). On the other hand, by changing the polyelectrolyte/particle charge ratio xi(s), the interaction between like-charged polyelectrolyte-decorated particles, at short separations, evolves from purely repulsive to strongly attractive. Hence, the effective interaction between the complexes is characterized by a potential barrier, whose height depends on the net charge and on the nonuniformity of their surface charge distribution.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

These are images of CGEL-2 samples taken during STS-95. They show binary colloidal suspensions that have formed ordered crystalline structures in microgravity. In sample 5, there are more particles therefore, many, many crystallites (small crystals) form. In sample 6, there are less particles therefore, the particles are far apart and few, much larger crystallites form. The white object in the right corner of sample 5 is the stir bar used to mix the sample at the begirning of the mission.

Humic Acid Effects on the Transport of Colloidal Particles in Unsaturated Porous Media: Humic Acid Dosage, pH, and Ionic Strength Dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, V. L.; Gao, B.; Steenhuis, T. S.

2008-12-01

Soil colloids and biocolloids can facilitate contaminant transport within the soil profile through the complexation of pollutants previously thought to have limited mobility. Dissolved organic substances are qualitatively known to alter the behavior of colloids and surface chemistry of soil particles in aquatic environments when adsorbed to their surfaces. Specifically, it has been observed that even small amounts of adsorbed humic acids result in a pronounced increase in colloid mobility in saturated porous systems, presumably by a combination of electrostatic and steric stabilization. However, the degree to which adsorbed humic acids stabilize colloidal suspension is highly sensitive to the system's solution chemistry; mainly in terms of pH, ionic strength, and metal ions present. The objective of this study is to expound quantitatively on the role that combined stabilizing and destabilizing solution chemistry components have on humic acid-colloid transport in unsaturated media by isolating experimentally some underlying mechanisms that regulate colloid transport in realistic aquatic systems. We hypothesize that in chemically heterogeneous porous media, with ionic strength values above 0 and pH ranges from 4 to 9, the effect of humic acid on colloid suspensions cannot be simply characterized by increased stability and mobility. That a critical salt concentration must exists for a given humic acid concentration and pH, above which the network of humic acid collapses by forming coordination complexes with other suspended or adsorbed humic acids, thus increasing greatly the retention of colloids in the porous medium by sweep flocculation. In addition, capillary forces in unsaturated media may contribute further to overcome repulsive forces that prevent flocculation of humic acid-colloid complexes. The experimental work in this study will include: jar tests to determine critical solution concentration combinations for desired coagulation/flocculation rates, column experiments to obtain effluent breakthrough data, in-situ visualization of internal processes with bright field microscopy, batch adsorption measurements, and changes in hydrophobic interaction energy of colloid and media surfaces for realistic aqueous ionic strength and pH ranges. Such experimental results are expected to provide sufficient evidence to corroborate our speculations that under natural soil water conditions, humic acids may greatly contribute to the immobilization of colloidal particles.

Observation of motion of colloidal particles undergoing flowing Brownian motion using self-mixing laser velocimetry with a thin-slice solid-state laser.

PubMed

Sudo, S; Ohtomo, T; Otsuka, K

2015-08-01

We achieved a highly sensitive method for observing the motion of colloidal particles in a flowing suspension using a self-mixing laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) comprising a laser-diode-pumped thin-slice solid-state laser and a simple photodiode. We describe the measurement method and the optical system of the self-mixing LDV for real-time measurements of the motion of colloidal particles. For a condensed solution, when the light scattered from the particles is reinjected into the solid-state laser, the laser output is modulated in intensity by the reinjected laser light. Thus, we can capture the motion of colloidal particles from the spectrum of the modulated laser output. For a diluted solution, when the relaxation oscillation frequency coincides with the Doppler shift frequency, f_d, which is related to the average velocity of the particles, the spectrum reflecting the motion of the colloidal particles is enhanced by the resonant excitation of relaxation oscillations. Then, the spectral peak reflecting the motion of colloidal particles appears at 2×f_d. The spectrum reflecting the motion of colloidal particles in a flowing diluted solution can be measured with high sensitivity, owing to the enhancement of the spectrum by the thin-slice solid-state laser.

Estuarine mixing behavior of colloidal organic carbon and colloidal mercury in Galveston Bay, Texas.

PubMed

Lee, Seyong; Han, Seunghee; Gill, Gary A

2011-06-01

Mercury (Hg) in estuarine water is distributed among different physical phases (i.e. particulate, colloidal, and truly dissolved). This phase speciation influences the fate and cycling of Hg in estuarine systems. However, limited information exists on the estuarine distribution of colloidal phase Hg, mainly due to the technical difficulties involved in measuring it. In the present study, we determined Hg and organic carbon levels from unfiltered, filtered (<0.45 μm), colloidal (10 kDa-0.45 μm), and truly dissolved (<10 kDa) fractions of Galveston Bay surface water in order to understand the estuarine mixing behavior of Hg species as well as interactions of Hg with colloidal organic matter. For the riverine end-member, the colloidal fraction comprised 43 ± 11% of the total dissolved Hg pool and decreased to 17 ± 8% in brackish water. In the estuarine mixing zone, dissolved Hg and colloidal organic carbon showed non-conservative removal behavior, particularly in the low salinity (<15 ppt) region. This removal may be caused by salt-induced coagulation of colloidal matter and consequent removal of dissolved Hg. The particle-water interaction, K(d) ([particulate Hg (mol kg(-1))]/[dissolved Hg (mol L(-1))]) of Hg decreased as particle concentration increased, while the particle-water partition coefficient based on colloidal Hg and the truly dissolved Hg fraction, K(c) ([colloidal Hg (mol kg(-1))]/[truly dissolved Hg (mol L(-1))]) of Hg remained constant as particle concentration increased. This suggests that the particle concentration effect is associated with the amount of colloidal Hg, increasing in proportion to the amount of suspended particulate matter. This work demonstrates that, colloidal organic matter plays an important role in the transport, particle-water partitioning, and removal of dissolved Hg in estuarine waters.

Colloid mobilization and seasonal variability in a semiarid headwater stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mills, Taylor J.; Suzanne P. Ancerson,; Bern, Carleton; Aguirre, Arnulfo; Derry, Louis A.

2017-01-01

Colloids can be important vectors for the transport of contaminants in the environment, but little is known about colloid mobilization at the watershed scale. We present colloid concentration, composition, and flux data over a large range of hydrologic conditions from a small watershed (Gordon Gulch) in the foothills of the Colorado Front Range. Colloids, consisting predominantly of Si, Fe, and Al, were present in most stream samples but were not detected in groundwater samples. Mineralogical and morphological analysis indicated that the colloids were composed of kaolinite and illite clays with lesser amounts of amorphous Fe-hydroxides. Although colloid composition remained relatively constant over the sampled flow conditions, colloid concentrations varied considerably and increased as ionic strength of stream water decreased. The highest concentrations occurred during precipitation events after extended dry periods. These observations are consistent with laboratory studies that have shown colloids can be mobilized by decreases in pore-water ionic strength, which likely occurs during precipitation events. Colloidal particles constituted 30 to 35% of the Si mass flux and 93 to 97% of the Fe and Al mass fluxes in the <0.45-µm fraction in the stream. Colloids are therefore a significant and often overlooked component of mass fluxes whose temporal variations may yield insight into hydrologic flowpaths in this semiarid catchment.

Active structuring of colloidal armour on liquid drops

PubMed Central

Dommersnes, Paul; Rozynek, Zbigniew; Mikkelsen, Alexander; Castberg, Rene; Kjerstad, Knut; Hersvik, Kjetil; Otto Fossum, Jon

2013-01-01

Adsorption and assembly of colloidal particles at the surface of liquid droplets are at the base of particle-stabilized emulsions and templating. Here we report that electrohydrodynamic and electro-rheological effects in leaky-dielectric liquid drops can be used to structure and dynamically control colloidal particle assemblies at drop surfaces, including electric-field-assisted convective assembly of jammed colloidal ‘ribbons’, electro-rheological colloidal chains confined to a two-dimensional surface and spinning colloidal domains on that surface. In addition, we demonstrate the size control of ‘pupil’-like openings in colloidal shells. We anticipate that electric field manipulation of colloids in leaky dielectrics can lead to new routes of colloidosome assembly and design for ‘smart armoured’ droplets. PMID:23811716

Physics of a rapid CD4 lymphocyte count with colloidal gold.

PubMed

Hansen, P; Barry, D; Restell, A; Sylvia, D; Magnin, O; Dombkowski, D; Preffer, F

2012-03-01

The inherent surface charges and small diameters that confer colloidal stability to gold particle conjugates (immunogold) are detrimental to rapid cell surface labeling and distinct cluster definition in flow cytometric light scatter assays. Although the inherent immunogold surface charge prevents self aggregation when stored in liquid suspension, it also slows binding to cells to timeframes of hours and inhibits cell surface coverage. Although the small diameter of immunogold particles prevents settling when in liquid suspension, small particles have small light scattering cross sections and weak light scatter signals. We report a new, small particle lyophilized immunogold reagent that maintains activity after 42°C storage for a year and can be rapidly dissolved into stable liquid suspension for use in labelling cells with larger particle aggregates that have enhanced scattering cross section. Labeling requires less than 1 min at 20°C, which is ∼30 times faster than customary fluorescent antibody labeling. The labeling step involves neutralizing the surface charge of immunogold and creating specifically bound aggregates of gold on the cell surface. This process provides distinct side-scatter cluster separation with blue laser light at 488 nm, which is further improved by using red laser light at 640 nm. Similar comparisons using LED light sources showed less improvement with red light, thereby indicating that coherent light scatter is of significance in enhancing side-scatter cluster separation. The physical principles elucidated here for this technique are compatible with most flow cytometers; however, future studies of its clinical efficacy should be of primary interest in point-of-care applications where robust reagents and rapid results are important. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Fabrication of quantum dot/silica core-shell particles immobilizing Au nanoparticles and their dual imaging functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Matsudo, Hiromu; Li, Ting-ting; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Kubota, Yohsuke; Oikawa, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Tomohiko; Gonda, Kohsuke

2016-03-01

The present work proposes preparation methods for quantum dot/silica (QD/SiO2) core-shell particles that immobilize Au nanoparticles (QD/SiO2/Au). A colloid solution of QD/SiO2 core-shell particles with an average size of 47.0 ± 6.1 nm was prepared by a sol-gel reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of the QDs with an average size of 10.3 ± 2.1 nm. A colloid solution of Au nanoparticles with an average size of 17.9 ± 1.3 nm was prepared by reducing Au3+ ions with sodium citrate in water at 80 °C. Introduction of amino groups to QD/SiO2 particle surfaces was performed using (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (QD/SiO2-NH2). The QD/SiO2/Au particles were fabricated by mixing the Au particle colloid solution and the QD/SiO2-NH2 particle colloid solution. Values of radiant efficiency and computed tomography for the QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution were 2.23 × 107 (p/s/cm2/sr)/(μW/cm2) at a QD concentration of 8 × 10-7 M and 1180 ± 314 Hounsfield units and an Au concentration of 5.4 × 10-2 M. The QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution was injected into a mouse chest wall. Fluorescence emitted from the colloid solution could be detected on the skin covering the chest wall. The colloid solution could also be X-ray-imaged in the chest wall. Consequently, the QD/SiO2/Au particle colloid solution was found to have dual functions, i.e., fluorescence emission and X-ray absorption in vivo, which makes the colloid solution suitable to function as a contrast agent for dual imaging processes.

Controlling placement of nonspherical (boomerang) colloids in nematic cells with photopatterned director

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Chenhui; Turiv, Taras; Zhang, Rui; Guo, Yubing; Shiyanovskii, Sergij V.; Wei, Qi-Huo; de Pablo, Juan; Lavrentovich, Oleg D.

2017-01-01

Placing colloidal particles in predesigned sites represents a major challenge of the current state-of-the-art colloidal science. Nematic liquid crystals with spatially varying director patterns represent a promising approach to achieve a well-controlled placement of colloidal particles thanks to the elastic forces between the particles and the surrounding landscape of molecular orientation. Here we demonstrate how the spatially varying director field can be used to control placement of non-spherical particles of boomerang shape. The boomerang colloids create director distortions of a dipolar symmetry. When a boomerang particle is placed in a periodic splay-bend director pattern, it migrates towards the region of a maximum bend. The behavior is contrasted to that one of spherical particles with normal surface anchoring, which also produce dipolar director distortions, but prefer to compartmentalize into the regions with a maximum splay. The splay-bend periodic landscape thus allows one to spatially separate these two types of particles. By exploring overdamped dynamics of the colloids, we determine elastic driving forces responsible for the preferential placement. Control of colloidal locations through patterned molecular orientation can be explored for future applications in microfluidic, lab on a chip, sensing and sorting devices.

Controlling placement of nonspherical (boomerang) colloids in nematic cells with photopatterned director.

PubMed

Peng, Chenhui; Turiv, Taras; Zhang, Rui; Guo, Yubing; Shiyanovskii, Sergij V; Wei, Qi-Huo; de Pablo, Juan; Lavrentovich, Oleg D

2017-01-11

Placing colloidal particles in predesigned sites represents a major challenge of the current state-of-the-art colloidal science. Nematic liquid crystals with spatially varying director patterns represent a promising approach to achieve a well-controlled placement of colloidal particles thanks to the elastic forces between the particles and the surrounding landscape of molecular orientation. Here we demonstrate how the spatially varying director field can be used to control placement of non-spherical particles of boomerang shape. The boomerang colloids create director distortions of a dipolar symmetry. When a boomerang particle is placed in a periodic splay-bend director pattern, it migrates towards the region of a maximum bend. The behavior is contrasted to that one of spherical particles with normal surface anchoring, which also produce dipolar director distortions, but prefer to compartmentalize into the regions with a maximum splay. The splay-bend periodic landscape thus allows one to spatially separate these two types of particles. By exploring overdamped dynamics of the colloids, we determine elastic driving forces responsible for the preferential placement. Control of colloidal locations through patterned molecular orientation can be explored for future applications in microfluidic, lab on a chip, sensing and sorting devices.

Sodium caseinate stabilized zein colloidal particles.

PubMed

Patel, Ashok R; Bouwens, Elisabeth C M; Velikov, Krassimir P

2010-12-08

The present work deals with the preparation and stabilization of zein colloidal particles using sodium caseinate as electrosteric stabilizer. Colloidal particles with well-defined size range (120-150 nm) and negative surface potential (-29 to -47 mV) were obtained using a simple antisolvent precipitation method. Due to the presence of caseinate, the stabilized colloidal particles showed a shift of isoelectric point (IEP) from 6.0 to around pH 5.0 and thus prevent the aggregation of zein near its native IEP (pH 6.2). The particles also showed good stability to varying ionic strength (15 mM-1.5 M NaCl). Furthermore, stabilized particles retained the property of redispersibility after drying. In vitro protein hydrolysis study confirmed that the presence of caseinate did not alter the digestibility of zein. Such colloidal particles could potentially serve as all-natural delivery systems for bioactive molecules in food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural formulations.

Dynamic Colloidal Molecules Maneuvered by Light-Controlled Janus Micromotors.

PubMed

Gao, Yirong; Mou, Fangzhi; Feng, Yizheng; Che, Shengping; Li, Wei; Xu, Leilei; Guan, Jianguo

2017-07-12

In this work, we propose and demonstrate a dynamic colloidal molecule that is capable of moving autonomously and performing swift, reversible, and in-place assembly dissociation in a high accuracy by manipulating a TiO 2 /Pt Janus micromotor with light irradiation. Due to the efficient motion of the TiO 2 /Pt Janus motor and the light-switchable electrostatic interactions between the micromotor and colloidal particles, the colloidal particles can be captured and assembled one by one on the fly, subsequently forming into swimming colloidal molecules by mimicking space-filling models of simple molecules with central atoms. The as-demonstrated dynamic colloidal molecules have a configuration accurately controlled and stabilized by regulating the time-dependent intensity of UV light, which controls the stop-and-go motion of the colloidal molecules. The dynamic colloidal molecules are dissociated when the light irradiation is turned off due to the disappearance of light-switchable electrostatic interaction between the motor and the colloidal particles. The strategy for the assembly of dynamic colloidal molecules is applicable to various charged colloidal particles. The simulated optical properties of a dynamic colloidal molecule imply that the results here may provide a novel approach for in-place building functional microdevices, such as microlens arrays, in a swift and reversible manner.

Motion of Colloidal Particles near Plateau Border in Freely Suspended Soap Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pak, Hyuk Kyu; Sur, Jeanman

2000-03-01

We study the motion of colloidal particle near Plateau border in free-standing soap film which is placed perpendicularly to the gravitational direction. When the thickness of soap film is a micron order, two air/water interfacial surfaces of the film can be deformed by the presence of the colloidal particle. When the colloidal particles are in the central area of soap film, they move in random directions. But, as the particles approach near Plateau border, they are accelerated to the border of the film. The travelling distance, before the accelerated particle stops, depends on particle size. We propose a simple model to explain the motion of particle near Plateau border using a surface energy argument and compare the results with experimental measurements.

Inter-particle interaction dependent evaporation-induced assembly in contact-free micro-colloidal droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, Debasis; Biswas, Priyanka; Melo, J. S.

2018-04-01

Evaporation-induced assembly of constituent particles in tiny dispersion droplet allows an efficient way to realize nano-structured micro-granules with potential for various applications. Morphology of the granules, obtained by such one-step dispersion to granular transformation, is decided by several physicochemical conditions. Here we demonstrate that the inter-particle interaction plays a crucial role in deciding the assembled morphology. Resultant granules are investigated by complementary techniques, Electron microscopy and small-angle scattering.

Colloidal Gelation-2 and Colloidal Disorder-Order Transition-2 Investigations Conducted on STS-95

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffmann, Monica T.

2000-01-01

The Colloidal Gelation-2 (CGEL 2) and Colloidal Disorder-Order Transition-2 (CDOT 2) investigations flew on Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-95 (also known as the John Glenn Mission). These investigations were part of a series of colloid experiments designed to help scientists answer fundamental science questions and reduce the trial and error involved in developing new and better materials. Industries dealing with semiconductors, electro-optics, ceramics, and composites are just a few that may benefit from this knowledge. The goal of the CGEL 2 investigation was to study the fundamental properties of colloids to help scientists better understand their nature and make them more useful for technology. Colloids consist of very small (submicron) particles suspended in a fluid. They play a critical role in the technology of this country, finding uses in materials ranging from paints and coatings to drugs, cosmetics, food, and drink. Although these products are routinely produced and used, there are still many aspects of their behavior about which scientists know little. Understanding their structures may allow scientists to manipulate the physical properties of colloids (a process called "colloidal engineering") to produce new materials and products. Colloid research may even improve the processing of known products to enhance their desirable properties.

Formation of Polyelectrolyte Complex Colloid Particles between Chitosan and Pectin with Different Degree of Esterification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Sun, Hongyuan; He, Jieyu

2017-12-01

The effects of degree of esterification, pectin/chitosan ratio and pH on the formation of polyelectrolyte complex colloid particles between chitosan (CS) and pectin (PE) were investigated. Low methoxyl pectin (LPE) was achieved by de-esterifying high methoxyl pectin (HPE) with pectin methyl esterase. Turbidity titration and colorimetric method was used to determine the stability of complex colloid particles. The structure and morphology of complex particles were characterized by FTIR and TEM. When pectin solution was dropped into chitosan solution, complex colloidal dispersion was stable as PE/CS mass ratio was no more than 3:2. Colloidal particles of HPE-CS complex coagulated at larger ratio of PE/CS than LPE-CS. The maximum complex occurred at pH 6.1 for HPE-CS and pH 5.7 for LPE-CS, and decreasing pH leaded to the dissociation of complex particles. Electrostatic interactions between carboxyl groups on pectin and amino groups on chitosan were confirmed by FTIR. Colloidal particle sizes ranged from about 100 nm to 400 nm with spherical shape.

Electrohydrodynamic Flows in Electrochemical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saville, D. A.

2005-01-01

Recent studies have established a new class of assembly processes with colloidal suspensions. Particles are driven together to form large crystalline structures in both dc and ac fields. The current work centers on this new class of flows in ac fields. In the research carried out under the current award, it was established that: (i) Small colloidal particles crystallize near an electrode due to electrohydrodynamic flows induced by an sinusoidally varying applied potential. (ii) These flows originate due to disturbances in the electrode polarization layer arising from the presence of the particles. Inasmuch as the charge and the field strength both scale on the applied field, the flows are proportional to the square of the applied voltage. (iii) Suspensions of two different sorts of particles can be crystallized and will form well-ordered binary crystals. (iv) At high frequencies the EHD flows die out. Thus, with a homogeneous system the particles become widely spaced due to dipolar repulsion. With a binary suspension, however, the particles may become attractive due to dipolar attraction arising from differences in electrokinetic dipoles. Consequently binary crystals form at both high and low frequencies.

Synthesis of colloidal silver iron oxide nanoparticles--study of their optical and magnetic behavior.

PubMed

Kumar, Anil; Singhal, Aditi

2009-07-22

Silver iron oxide nanoparticles of fairly small size (average diameter approximately 1 nm) with narrow size distribution have been synthesized by the interaction of colloidal beta- Fe2O3 and silver nanoparticles. The surface morphology and size of these particles have been analyzed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their structural analysis has been carried out by employing x-ray diffraction (XRD), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), optical and infrared (IR) spectroscopic techniques. The ageing of these particles exhibits the formation of self-assembly, possibly involving weak supramolecular interactions between Ag(I)O4 and Fe(III)O4 species. These particles display the onset of absorption in the near-infrared region and have higher absorption coefficient in the visible range compared to that of its precursors. Magnetic measurements reveal an interesting transition in their magnetic behavior from diamagnetic to superparamagnetic. The magnetic moment of these particles attains a limiting value of about 0.19 emu cm(-2), which is more than two times higher than that of colloidal beta- Fe2O3. With enhanced optical and magnetic properties, this system is suggested to have possible applications in optoelectronic and magnetic devices.

Modeling of monolayer charge-stabilized colloidal crystals with static hexagonal crystal lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagatkin, A. N.; Dyshlovenko, P. E.

2018-01-01

The mathematical model of monolayer colloidal crystals of charged hard spheres in liquid electrolyte is proposed. The particles in the monolayer are arranged into the two-dimensional hexagonal crystal lattice. The model enables finding elastic constants of the crystals from the stress-strain dependencies. The model is based on the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann differential equation. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation is solved numerically by the finite element method for any spatial configuration. The model has five geometrical and electrical parameters. The model is used to study the crystal with particles comparable in size with the Debye length of the electrolyte. The first- and second-order elastic constants are found for a broad range of densities. The model crystal turns out to be stable relative to small uniform stretching and shearing. It is also demonstrated that the Cauchy relation is not fulfilled in the crystal. This means that the pair effective interaction of any kind is not sufficient to proper model the elasticity of colloids within the one-component approach.

Nematic Liquid-Crystal Colloids

PubMed Central

Muševič, Igor

2017-01-01

This article provides a concise review of a new state of colloidal matter called nematic liquid-crystal colloids. These colloids are obtained by dispersing microparticles of different shapes in a nematic liquid crystal that acts as a solvent for the dispersed particles. The microparticles induce a local deformation of the liquid crystal, which then generates topological defects and long-range forces between the neighboring particles. The colloidal forces in nematic colloids are much stronger than the forces in ordinary colloids in isotropic solvents, exceeding thousands of kBT per micrometer-sized particle. Of special interest are the topological defects in nematic colloids, which appear in many fascinating forms, such as singular points, closed loops, multitudes of interlinked and knotted loops or soliton-like structures. The richness of the topological phenomena and the possibility to design and control topological defects with laser tweezers make colloids in nematic liquid crystals an excellent playground for testing the basic theorems of topology. PMID:29295574

The electrostatic interaction between interfacial colloidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurd, A. J.

1985-11-01

The electrostatic interaction between charged, colloidal particles trapped at an air-water interface is considered using linearised Poisson-Boltzmann results for point particles. In addition to the expected screened-Coulomb contribution, which decays exponentially, an algebraic dipole-dipole interaction occurs that may account for long-range interactions in interfacial colloidal systems.

Inventions Utilizing Microfluidics and Colloidal Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marr, David W.; Gong, Tieying; Oakey, John; Terray, Alexander V.; Wu, David T.

2009-01-01

Several related inventions pertain to families of devices that utilize microfluidics and/or colloidal particles to obtain useful physical effects. The families of devices can be summarized as follows: (1) Microfluidic pumps and/or valves wherein colloidal-size particles driven by electrical, magnetic, or optical fields serve as the principal moving parts that propel and/or direct the affected flows. (2) Devices that are similar to the aforementioned pumps and/or valves except that they are used to manipulate light instead of fluids. The colloidal particles in these devices are substantially constrained to move in a plane and are driven to spatially order them into arrays that function, variously, as waveguides, filters, or switches for optical signals. (3) Devices wherein the ultra-laminar nature of microfluidic flows is exploited to effect separation, sorting, or filtering of colloidal particles or biological cells in suspension. (4) Devices wherein a combination of confinement and applied electrical and/or optical fields forces the colloidal particles to become arranged into three-dimensional crystal lattices. Control of the colloidal crystalline structures could be exploited to control diffraction of light. (5) Microfluidic devices, incorporating fluid waveguides, wherein switching of flows among different paths would be accompanied by switching of optical signals.

Study of adhesion and friction properties on a nanoparticle gradient surface: transition from JKR to DMT contact mechanics.

PubMed

Ramakrishna, Shivaprakash N; Nalam, Prathima C; Clasohm, Lucy Y; Spencer, Nicholas D

2013-01-08

We have previously investigated the dependence of adhesion on nanometer-scale surface roughness by employing a roughness gradient. In this study, we correlate the obtained adhesion forces on nanometer-scale rough surfaces to their frictional properties. A roughness gradient with varying silica particle (diameter ≈ 12 nm) density was prepared, and adhesion and frictional forces were measured across the gradient surface in perfluorodecalin by means of atomic force microscopy with a polyethylene colloidal probe. Similarly to the pull-off measurements, the frictional forces initially showed a reduction with decreasing particle density and later an abrupt increase as the colloidal sphere began to touch the flat substrate beneath, at very low particle densities. The friction-load relation is found to depend on the real contact area (A(real)) between the colloid probe and the underlying particles. At high particle density, the colloidal sphere undergoes large deformations over several nanoparticles, and the contact adhesion (JKR type) dominates the frictional response. However, at low particle density (before the colloidal probe is in contact with the underlying surface), the colloidal sphere is suspended by a few particles only, resulting in local deformations of the colloid sphere, with the frictional response to the applied load being dominated by long-range, noncontact (DMT-type) interactions with the substrate beneath.

Brownian motion studies of viscoelastic colloidal gels by rotational single particle tracking

DOE PAGES

Liang, Mengning; Harder, Ross; Robinson, Ian K.

2014-04-14

Colloidal gels have unique properties due to a complex microstructure which forms into an extended network. Although the bulk properties of colloidal gels have been studied, there has been difficulty correlating those properties with individual colloidal dynamics on the microscale due to the very high viscosity and elasticity of the material. We utilize rotational X-ray tracking (RXT) to investigate the rotational motion of component crystalline colloidal particles in a colloidal gel of alumina and decanoic acid. Our investigation has determined that the high elasticity of the bulk is echoed by a high elasticity experienced by individual colloidal particles themselves butmore » also finds an unexpected high degree of rotational diffusion, indicating a large degree of freedom in the rotational motion of individual colloids even within a tightly bound system.« less

Melting of 2D colloidal crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maret, G.; Eisenmann, C.; Gasser, U.; Vongruenberg, H. H.; Keim, P.; Zahn, K.

2004-11-01

We study melting of 2D crystals of super-paramagnetic colloidal particles confined by gravity to a flat air-water interface. The effective system temperature is given by the strength of the dipolar inter-particle interaction controlled by an external magnetic field B. Particle positions are obtained by video-microscopy. In vertical B-field crystals are hexagonal and we find all features of the 2-step melting scenario predicted by KTHNY-theory. In particular, quantitative agreement is found for the translational and orientational order parameters related to bound and isolated dislocations and disclinations. From particle position fluctuations wave-vector (q) dependent normal-mode spring constants are obtained in agreement with phonon band structure calculations. The elastic constants (q=0 limit) soften near melting in quantitative agreement with KTHNY. By tilting B away from vertical anisotropic 2D crystals are generated; at small tilting angles they melt through a quasi-hexatic phase, while at higher tilts a centered rectangular phase is found which melts into a 2D smectic-like phase through orientation-dependent dislocations.

Understanding Subsurface Colloid Behavior: A New Visualization Technique and the Application of Geo-Centrifuge Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, J. S.; Culligan, P. J.; Germaine, J. T.

2003-12-01

Subsurface colloid behavior has recently drawn attention because colloids are suspected of enhancing contaminant transport in groundwater systems. To better understand the processes by which colloids move through the subsurface, and in particular the vadose zone, a new technique that enables real-time visualization of colloid particles as they move through a porous medium has been developed. This visualization technique involves the use of laser induced fluorescent particles and digital image processing to directly observe particles moving through a porous medium consisting of soda-lime glass beads and water in a transparent experimental box of 10.0cm\\x9D27.9cm\\x9D2.38cm. Colloid particles are simulated using commercially available micron sized particles that fluoresce under argon-ion laser light. The fluorescent light given off from the particles is captured through a camera filter, which lets through only the emitted wavelength of the colloid particles. The intensity of the emitted light is proportional to the colloid particle concentration. The images of colloid movement are captured by a MagnaFire digital camera; a cooled CCD digital camera produced by Optronics. This camera enables real-time capture of images to a computer, thereby allowing the images to be processed immediately. The images taken by the camera are analyzed by the ImagePro software from Media Cybernetics, which contains a range of counting, sizing, measuring, and image enhancement tools for image processing. Laboratory experiments using the new technique have demonstrated the existence of both irreversible and reversible sites for colloid entrapment during uniform saturated flow in a homogeneous porous medium. These tests have also shown a dependence of colloid entrapment on velocity. Models for colloid transport currently available in the literature have proven to be inadequate predictors for the experimental observations, despite the simplicity of the system studied. To further extend the work, the visualization technique has been developed for use on the geo-centrifuge. The advantage that the geo-centrifuge has for investigating subsurface colloid behavior, is the ability to simulate unsaturated transport mechanisms under well simulated field moisture profiles and in shortened periods of time. A series of tests to investigate colloid transport during uniform saturated flow is being used to examine basic scaling laws for colloid transport under enhanced gravity. The paper will describe the new visualization technique, its use in geo-centrifuge testing and observations on scaling relationships for colloid transport during geo-centrifuge experiments. Although the visualization technique has been developed for investigating subsurface colloid behavior, it does have application in other areas of investigation, including the investigation of microbial behavior in the subsurface.

Self assembly of anisotropic colloidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florea, Daniel; Wyss, Hans

2012-02-01

Colloidal particles have been successfully used as ''model atoms'', as their behavior can be more directly studied than that of atoms or molecules by direct imaging in a confocal microscope. Most studies have focussed on spherical particles with isotropic interactions. However, a range of interesting materials such as many supramolecular polymers or biopolymers exhibit highly directional interactions. To capture their behavior in colloidal model systems, particles with anisotropic interactions are clearly required. Here we use a colloidal system of nonspherical colloids, where highly directional interactions can be induced via depletion. By biaxially stretching spherical PMMA particles we create oblate spheroidal particles. We induce attractive interactions between these particles by adding a non-adsorbing polymer to the background liquid. The resulting depletion interaction is stronger along the minor axis of the oblate spheroids. We study the phase behavior of these materials as a function of the ellipsoid aspect ratio, the strength of the depletion interactions, and the particle concentration. The resulting morphologies are qualitatively different from those observed with spherical particles. This can be exploited for creating new materials with tailored structures.

Patterning of colloidal particles in the galvanic microreactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jan, Linda

A Cu-Au galvanic microreactor is used to demonstrate the autonomous patterning of two-dimensional colloidal crystals with spatial and orientational order which are adherent to the electrode substrate. The microreactor is comprised of a patterned array of copper and gold microelectrodes in a coplanar arrangement that is immersed in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution in which colloidal polystyrene microspheres are suspended. During the electrochemical dissolution of copper, polystyrene colloids are transported to the copper electrodes. The spatial arrangement of the electrodes determines whether the colloids initiate aggregation at the edges or centers of the copper electrodes. Depending on the microreactor parameters, two-dimensional colloidal crystals can form and adhere to the electrode. This thesis investigates the mechanisms governing the autonomous particle motion, the directed particle trajectory (inner- versus edge-aggregation) as affected by the spatial patterning of the electrodes, and the adherence of the colloidal particles onto the substrate. Using in situ current density measurements, particle velocimetry, and order-of-magnitude arguments, it is shown that particle motion is governed by bulk fluid motion and electrophoresis induced by the electrochemical reactions. Bulk electrolyte flow is most likely driven by electrochemical potential gradients of reaction products formed during the inhomogeneous copper dissolution, particularly due to localized high current density at the electrode junction. Preferential aggregation of the colloidal particles resulting in inner- and edge-aggregation is influenced by changes to the flow pattern in response to difference in current density profiles as affected by the spatial patterning of the electrode. Finally, by determining the onset of particle cementation through particle tracking analysis, and by monitoring the deposition of reaction products through the observation of color changes of the galvanic electrodes in situ, it is shown that particle cementation coincides with the precipitation and deposition of reaction products. The precipitation process is caused by shifts in the chemical equilibria of the microreactor due to changes in the composition of the electrolyte during the reactions, which can be used to control particle cementation. The corrosion driven transport, deposition and adherence of colloidal particles at corrosion sites have implications for the development of autonomous self-healing materials.

Extraction of an urease-active organo-complex from soil.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, R. G.; El-Sayed, M. H.; Mclaren, A. D.

1972-01-01

Description of an extraction from a Dublin clay loam soil of a colloidal organic matter complex that is urease active and, by X-ray analysis, free of clays. Urease activity in the clay-free precipitates, as in the soil, was not destroyed by the activity of an added proteolytic enzyme, pronase. This is attributed to the circumstance that native soil urease resides in organic colloidal particles with pores large enough for water, urea, ammonia, and carbon dioxide to pass freely, but nevertheless small enough to exclude pronase.

Thermoreversible Gels Composed of Colloidal Silica Rods with Short-Range Attractions

DOE PAGES

Murphy, Ryan P.; Hong, Kunlun; Wagner, Norman J.

2016-07-28

Dynamic arrest transitions of colloidal suspensions containing non-spherical particles are of interest for the design and processing of various particle technologies. To better understand the effects of particle shape anisotropy and attraction strength on gel and glass formation, we present a colloidal model system of octadecyl-coated silica rods, termed as adhesive hard rods (AHR), which enables control of rod aspect ratio and temperature-dependent interactions. The aspect ratios of silica rods were controlled by varying the initial TEOS concentration following the work of Kuijk et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133, 2346–2349) and temperature-dependent attractions were introduced by coating themore » calcined silica rods with an octadecyl-brush and suspending in tetradecane. The rod length and aspect ratio were found to increase with TEOS concentration as expected, while other properties such as the rod diameter, coating coverage, density, and surface roughness were nearly independent of the aspect ratio. Ultra-small angle X-ray scattering measurements revealed temperature-dependent attractions between octadecyl-coated silica rods in tetradecane, as characterized by a low-q upturn in the scattered intensity upon thermal quenching. Lastly, the rheology of a concentrated AHR suspension in tetradecane demonstrated thermoreversible gelation behavior, displaying a nearly 5 orders of magnitude change in the dynamic moduli as the temperature was cycled between 15 and 40 °C. We find the adhesive hard rod model system serves as a tunable platform to explore the combined influence of particle shape anisotropy and attraction strength on the dynamic arrest transitions in colloidal suspensions with thermoreversible, short-range attractions.« less

Magnetically actuated and controlled colloidal sphere-pair swimmer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ran, Sijie; Guez, Allon; Friedman, Gary

2016-12-01

Magnetically actuated swimming of microscopic objects has been attracting attention partly due to its promising applications in the bio-medical field and partly due to interesting physics of swimming in general. While colloidal particles that are free to move in fluid can be an attractive swimming system due it its simplicity and ability to assemble in situ, stability of their dynamics and the possibility of stable swimming behavior in periodically varying magnetic fields has not been considered. Dynamic behavior of two magnetically interacting colloidal particles subjected to rotating magnetic field of switching frequency is analyzed here and is shown to result in stable swimming without any stabilizing feedback. A new mechanism of swimming that relies only on rotations of the particles themselves and of the particle pair axis is found to dominate the swimming dynamics of the colloidal particle pair. Simulation results and analytical arguments demonstrate that this swimming strategy compares favorably to dragging the particles with an external magnetic force when colloidal particle sizes are reduced.

Apparatus for electrohydrodynamically assembling patterned colloidal structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trau, Mathias (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Saville, Dudley A. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A method apparatus is provided for electrophoretically depositing particles onto an electrode, and electrohydrodynamically assembling the particles into crystalline structures. Specifically, the present method and apparatus creates a current flowing through a solution to cause identically charged electrophoretically deposited colloidal particles to attract each other over very large distances (<5 particle diameters) on the surface of electrodes to form two-dimensional colloidal crystals. The attractive force can be created with both DC and AC fields and can modulated by adjusting either the field strength or frequency of the current. Modulating this lateral attraction between the particles causes the reversible formation of two-dimensional fluid and crystalline colloidal states on the electrode surface. Further manipulation allows for the formation of two or three-dimensional colloidal crystals, as well as more complex designed structures. Once the required structures are formed, these three-dimension colloidal crystals can be permanently frozen or glued by controlled coagulation induced by to the applied field to form a stable crystalline structure.

Multiple electrokinetic actuators for feedback control of colloidal crystal size.

PubMed

Juárez, Jaime J; Mathai, Pramod P; Liddle, J Alexander; Bevan, Michael A

2012-10-21

We report a feedback control method to precisely target the number of colloidal particles in quasi-2D ensembles and their subsequent assembly into crystals in a quadrupole electrode. Our approach relies on tracking the number of particles within a quadrupole electrode, which is used in a real-time feedback control algorithm to dynamically actuate competing electrokinetic transport mechanisms. Particles are removed from the quadrupole using DC-field mediated electrophoretic-electroosmotic transport, while high-frequency AC-field mediated dielectrophoretic transport is used to concentrate and assemble colloidal crystals. Our results show successful control of the size of crystals containing 20 to 250 colloidal particles with less than 10% error. Assembled crystals are characterized by their radius of gyration, crystallinity, and number of edge particles, and demonstrate the expected size-dependent properties. Our findings demonstrate successful ensemble feedback control of the assembly of different sized colloidal crystals using multiple actuators, which has broad implications for control over nano- and micro- scale assembly processes involving colloidal components.

Method for electrohydrodynamically assembling patterned colloidal structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trau, Mathias (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Saville, Dudley A. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A method apparatus is provided for electrophoretically depositing particles onto an electrode, and electrohydrodynamically assembling the particles into crystalline structures. Specifically, the present method and apparatus creates a current flowing through a solution to cause identically charged electrophoretically deposited colloidal particles to attract each other over very large distances (<5 particle diameters) on the surface of electrodes to form two-dimensional colloidal crystals. The attractive force can be created with both DC and AC fields and can modulated by adjusting either the field strength or frequency of the current. Modulating this lateral attraction between the particles causes the reversible formation of two-dimensional fluid and crystalline colloidal states on the electrode surface. Further manipulation allows for the formation of two or three-dimensional colloidal crystals, as well as more complex designed structures. Once the required structures are formed, these three-dimension colloidal crystals can be permanently frozen or glued by controlled coagulation induced by to the applied field to form a stable crystalline structure.

Live Imaging of Cellular Internalization of Single Colloidal Particle by Combined Label-Free and Fluorescence Total Internal Reflection Microscopy.

PubMed

Byrne, Gerard D; Vllasaliu, Driton; Falcone, Franco H; Somekh, Michael G; Stolnik, Snjezana

2015-11-02

In this work we utilize the combination of label-free total internal reflection microscopy and total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRM/TIRF) microscopy to achieve a simultaneous, live imaging of single, label-free colloidal particle endocytosis by individual cells. The TIRM arm of the microscope enables label free imaging of the colloid and cell membrane features, while the TIRF arm images the dynamics of fluorescent-labeled clathrin (protein involved in endocytosis via clathrin pathway), expressed in transfected 3T3 fibroblasts cells. Using a model polymeric colloid and cells with a fluorescently tagged clathrin endocytosis pathway, we demonstrate that wide field TIRM/TIRF coimaging enables live visualization of the process of colloidal particle interaction with the labeled cell structure, which is valuable for discerning the membrane events and route of colloid internalization by the cell. We further show that 500 nm in diameter model polystyrene colloid associates with clathrin, prior to and during its cellular internalization. This association is not apparent with larger, 1 μm in diameter colloids, indicating an upper particle size limit for clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Model colloid system for interfacial sorption kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salipante, Paul; Hudson, Steven

2014-11-01

Adsorption kinetics of nanometer scale molecules, such as proteins at interfaces, is usually determined through measurements of surface coverage. Their small size limits the ability to directly observe individual molecule behavior. To better understand the behavior of nanometer size molecules and the effect on interfacial kinetics, we use micron size colloids with a weak interfacial interaction potential as a model system. Thus, the interaction strength is comparable to many nanoscale systems (less than 10 kBT). The colloid-interface interaction potential is tuned using a combination of depletion, electrostatic, and gravitational forces. The colloids transition between an entropically trapped adsorbed state and a desorbed state through Brownian motion. Observations are made using an LED-based Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) setup. The observed adsorption and desorption rates are compared theoretical predictions based on the measured interaction potential and near wall particle diffusivity. This experimental system also allows for the study of more complex dynamics such as nonspherical colloids and collective effects at higher concentrations.

SERS active colloidal nanoparticles for the detection of small blood biomarkers using aptamers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks, Haley; Mabbott, Samuel; Jackson, George W.; Graham, Duncan; Cote, Gerard L.

2015-03-01

Functionalized colloidal nanoparticles for SERS serve as a promising multifunctional assay component for blood biomarker detection. Proper design of these nanoprobes through conjugation to spectral tags, protective polymers, and sensing ligands can provide experimental control over the sensitivity, range, reproducibility, particle stability, and integration with biorecognition assays. Additionally, the optical properties and degree of electromagnetic SERS signal enhancement can be altered and monitored through tuning the nanoparticle shape, size, material and the colloid's local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Aptamers, synthetic affinity ligands derived from nucleic acids, provide a number of advantages for biorecognition of small molecules and toxins with low immunogenicity. DNA aptamers are simpler and more economical to produce at large scale, are capable of greater specificity and affinity than antibodies, are easily tailored to specific functional groups, can be used to tune inter-particle distance and shift the LSPR, and their intrinsic negative charge can be utilized for additional particle stability.1,2 Herein, a "turn-off" competitive binding assay platform involving two different plasmonic nanoparticles for the detection of the toxin bisphenol A (BPA) using SERS is presented. A derivative of the toxin is immobilized onto a silver coated magnetic nanoparticle (Ag@MNP), and a second solid silver nanoparticle (AgNP) is functionalized with the BPA aptamer and a Raman reporter molecule (RRM). The capture (Ag@MNP) and probe (AgNP) particles are mixed and the aptamer binding interaction draws the nanoparticles closer together, forming an assembly that results in an increased SERS signal intensity. This aptamer mediated assembly of the two nanoparticles results in a 100x enhancement of the SERS signal intensity from the RRM. These pre-bound aptamer/nanoparticle conjugates were then exposed to BPA in free solution and the competitive binding event was monitored by the decrease in SERS intensity.

Modeling of protein electrophoresis in silica colloidal crystals having brush layers of polyacrylamide

PubMed Central

Birdsall, Robert E.; Koshel, Brooke M.; Hua, Yimin; Ratnayaka, Saliya N.; Wirth, Mary J.

2013-01-01

Sieving of proteins in silica colloidal crystals of mm dimensions is characterized for particle diameters of nominally 350 and 500 nm, where the colloidal crystals are chemically modified with a brush layer of polyacrylamide. A model is developed that relates the reduced electrophoretic mobility to the experimentally measurable porosity. The model fits the data with no adjustable parameters for the case of silica colloidal crystals packed in capillaries, for which independent measurements of the pore radii were made from flow data. The model also fits the data for electrophoresis in a highly ordered colloidal crystal formed in a channel, where the unknown pore radius was used as a fitting parameter. Plate heights as small as 0.4 μm point to the potential for miniaturized separations. Band broadening increases as the pore radius approaches the protein radius, indicating that the main contribution to broadening is the spatial heterogeneity of the pore radius. The results quantitatively support the notion that sieving occurs for proteins in silica colloidal crystals, and facilitate design of new separations that would benefit from miniaturization. PMID:23229163

New collector efficiency equation for colloid filtration in both natural and engineered flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Kirk E.; Ginn, Timothy R.

2011-05-01

A new equation for the collector efficiency (η) of the colloid filtration theory (CFT) is developed via nonlinear regression on the numerical data generated by a large number of Lagrangian simulations conducted in Happel's sphere-in-cell porous media model over a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions. The new equation expands the range of CFT's applicability in the natural subsurface primarily by accommodating departures from power law dependence of η on the Peclet and gravity numbers, a necessary but as of yet unavailable feature for applying CFT to large-scale field transport (e.g., of nanoparticles, radionuclides, or genetically modified organisms) under low groundwater velocity conditions. The new equation also departs from prior equations for colloids in the nanoparticle size range at all fluid velocities. These departures are particularly relevant to subsurface colloid and colloid-facilitated transport where low permeabilities and/or hydraulic gradients lead to low groundwater velocities and/or to nanoparticle fate and transport in porous media in general. We also note the importance of consistency in the conceptualization of particle flux through the single collector model on which most η equations are based for the purpose of attaining a mechanistic understanding of the transport and attachment steps of deposition. A lack of sufficient data for small particles and low velocities warrants further experiments to draw more definitive and comprehensive conclusions regarding the most significant discrepancies between the available equations.

Stability and precipitation of diverse nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Chintal

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing industry that is exploiting the novel characteristics of materials manufactured at the nanoscale. Carbon based nanomaterials such as Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Detonation Nanodiamond (DND) possess unique properties and find a wide range of industrial applications. With the advent of mass production of such materials, there is a possibility of contamination of water resources. Depending on the surface properties and structures, they might aggregate and settle down, or be dispersed and transported by the water. Therefore, there is a need to develop an understanding of the fate of such materials in aqueous media. The understanding and effect of solution chemistry is a key to predicting their deposition, transport, reactivity, and bioavailability in aquatic environments. The colloidal behavior of organic dispersed CNTs and water dispersed DNDs is investigated. The aggregation behavior of these two colloidal systems is quite different from that of hydrophilic, water soluble functionalized CNTs (F-CNTs). The values of the Fuchs stability ratio or the critical coagulant concentration are determined experimentally using time-resolved dynamic light scattering and are used to predict the stability of such systems. It is found that the aggregation behavior of the organic dispersed, antisolvent precipitated system does not follow the conventional Derjaguin--Landau--Verwey-- Overbeek (DLVO) theory. But they stabilize in the long term, which is attributed to the supersaturation generated by different solubility of a solute in the solvent/antisolvent. Based on particle size distribution, zeta potential as well as the aggregation kinetics, the water dispersed DNDs are found to be relatively stable in aqueous solutions, but aggregate rapidly in presence of mono and divalent salts. Also, the formation of carboxylic groups on the DND surface does not alter colloidal behavior as dramatically as it does for other nanocarbons especially carbon nanotubes. Formation of colloidal dispersions via precipitation processes has been widely used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The synthesis of micro- particles for hydrophobic drugs is effectively carried out via anti-solvent precipitation method. The formation of small particles in the precipitation method is strongly influenced by colloidal interactions, and therefore, dependent on the properties of the particles and the liquid. The effect of solvent on the colloidal stability of the micro-drug particles is studied in detail. It is found that the organic solvent plays an important role on particle formation, polymorphism and stability of micron scale drug particles in aqueous media. Also, the supersaturation can be varied by using different solvents and the physicochemical characteristics of the suspension can be altered, which affects stability. Understanding of the colloidal stability and the aggregation kinetics has great importance not only for fundamental researches, but also for their applications.

Direct numerical simulations of agglomeration of circular colloidal particles in two-dimensional shear flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Young Joon, E-mail: yjchoi@uvic.ca; Djilali, Ned, E-mail: ndjilali@uvic.ca

2016-01-15

Colloidal agglomeration of nanoparticles in shear flow is investigated by solving the fluid-particle and particle-particle interactions in a 2D system. We use an extended finite element method in which the dynamics of the particles is solved in a fully coupled manner with the flow, allowing an accurate description of the fluid-particle interfaces without the need of boundary-fitted meshes or of empirical correlations to account for the hydrodynamic interactions between the particles. Adaptive local mesh refinement using a grid deformation method is incorporated with the fluid-structure interaction algorithm, and the particle-particle interaction at the microscopic level is modeled using the Lennard-Jonesmore » potential. Motivated by the process used in fabricating fuel cell catalysts from a colloidal ink, the model is applied to investigate agglomeration of colloidal particles under external shear flow in a sliding bi-periodic Lees-Edwards frame with varying shear rates and particle fraction ratios. Both external shear and particle fraction are found to have a crucial impact on the structure formation of colloidal particles in a suspension. Segregation intensity and graph theory are used to analyze the underlying agglomeration patterns and structures, and three agglomeration regimes are identified.« less

Colloids from the aqueous corrosion of uranium nuclear fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, M. D.; Dimitrijevic, N. M.; Mertz, C. J.; Goldberg, M. M.

2005-12-01

Colloids may enhance the subsurface transport of radionuclides and potentially compromise the long-term safe operation of the proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Little data is available on colloid formation for the many different waste forms expected to be buried in the repository. This work expands the sparse database on colloids formed during the corrosion of metallic uranium nuclear fuel. We characterized spherical UO 2 and nickel-rich montmorilonite smectite-clay colloids formed during the corrosion of uranium metal fuel under bathtub conditions at 90 °C. Iron and chromium oxides and calcium carbonate colloids were present but were a minor population. The estimated upper concentration of the UO 2 and clays was 4 × 10 11 and 7 × 10 11-3 × 10 12 particles/L, respectively. However, oxygen eventually oxidized the UO 2 colloids, forming long filaments of weeksite K 2(UO 2) 2Si 6O 15 · 4H 2O that settled from solution, reducing the UO 2 colloid population and leaving predominantly clay colloids. The smectite colloids were not affected by oxygen. Plutonium was not directly observed within the UO 2 colloids but partitioned completely to the colloid size fraction. The plutonium concentration in the colloidal fraction was slightly higher than the value used in the viability assessment model, and does not change in concentration with exposure to oxygen. This paper provides conclusive evidence for single-phase radioactive colloids composed of UO 2. However, its impact on repository safety is probably small since oxygen and silica availability will oxidize and effectively precipitate the UO 2 colloids from concentrated solutions.

Nonlinear machine learning and design of reconfigurable digital colloids.

PubMed

Long, Andrew W; Phillips, Carolyn L; Jankowksi, Eric; Ferguson, Andrew L

2016-09-14

Digital colloids, a cluster of freely rotating "halo" particles tethered to the surface of a central particle, were recently proposed as ultra-high density memory elements for information storage. Rational design of these digital colloids for memory storage applications requires a quantitative understanding of the thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the configurational states within which information is stored. We apply nonlinear machine learning to Brownian dynamics simulations of these digital colloids to extract the low-dimensional intrinsic manifold governing digital colloid morphology, thermodynamics, and kinetics. By modulating the relative size ratio between halo particles and central particles, we investigate the size-dependent configurational stability and transition kinetics for the 2-state tetrahedral (N = 4) and 30-state octahedral (N = 6) digital colloids. We demonstrate the use of this framework to guide the rational design of a memory storage element to hold a block of text that trades off the competing design criteria of memory addressability and volatility.

EFFECT OF NONCLASSICAL POLARIZATION OF Na+ AND K+ ON THE STABILITY OF SOIL COLLOIDAL PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu-Quan, Ding; Jia-Hong, He; Lei, Wang; Xin-Min, Liu; Hang, Li

The study of soil colloids is essential because the stability of soil colloidal particles are important processes of interest to researchers in environmental fields. The strong nonclassical polarization of the adsorbed cations (Na+ and K+) decreased the electric field and the electrostatic repulsion between adjacent colloidal particles. The decrease of the absolute values of surface potential was greater for K+ than for Na+. The lower the concentration of Na+ and K+ in soil colloids, the greater the electrostatic repulsion between adjacent colloidal particles. The net pressure and the electrostatic repulsion was greater for Na+ than for K+ at the same ion concentration. For K+ and Na+ concentrations higher than 50mmol L-1 or 100 mmol L-1, there was a net negative (or attractive) pressure between two adjacent soil particles. The increasing total average aggregation (TAA) rate of soil colloids with increasing Na+ and K+ concentrations exhibited two stages: the growth rates of TAA increased rapidly at first and then increased slowly and eventually almost negligibly. The critical coagulation concentrations of soil colloids in Na+ and K+ were 91.6mmol L-1 and 47.8mmol L-1, respectively, and these were similar to the concentrations at the net negative pressure.

Coffee-rings and glasses: Colloids out of equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunker, Peter Joseph

This thesis describes experiments that utilize colloids to explore nonequilibrium phenomena. Specifically, the deposition of particles during evaporation and the glass transition are explored. In the first set of experiments, we found that particle shape has a profound effect on particle deposition. We evaporated drops of colloidal suspensions containing micron-sized particles that range in shape from isotropic spheres to very anisotropic ellipsoids. For sessile drops, i.e., drops sitting on a solid surface, spheres are deposited in a ring-like stain, while ellipsoids are deposited uniformly. We also confined drops between glass plates and allowed them to evaporate. During evaporation, colloidal particles coat the air-water interface, forming colloidal monolayer membranes (CMMs). As particle anisotropy increases, CMM bending rigidity was found to increase. This increase in bending rigidity provides a new mechanism that produces a uniform deposition of ellipsoids and a heterogeneous deposition of spheres. In the second set of experiments, we employed colloidal suspensions to investigate the character of glassy materials. "Anisotropic glasses'' were investigated with ellipsoidal particles confined to two-dimensional chambers at high packing fractions; this system enabled the study of the effects of particle shape on the vibrational properties of colloidal glasses. Low frequency modes in glasses composed of slightly anisotropic particles are found to have predominantly rotational character. Conversely, low frequency modes in glasses of highly anisotropic particles exhibit a mix of rotational and translational character. Aging effects in glasses were explored using suspensions of temperature-sensitive microgel spheres. We devised a method to rapidly quench from liquid to glass states, and then observed the resultant colloidal glasses as they aged. Particle rearrangements in glasses occur collectively, i.e., many particles move in a correlated manner. During aging, we observed that the size of these collective rearrangements increases. Thus, the slowing dynamics of aging appear governed by growing correlated domains of particles required for relaxation. Using the same microgel particles, the transformation of a crystal into a glass due to added disorder was investigated by adding smaller particles into a quasi-two-dimensional colloidal crystal. The crystal-glass transition bears structural signatures similar to those of the crystal-fluid transition, but also exhibits a sharp change in dynamic heterogeneity which ``turns-on'' abruptly as a function of increasing disorder. Finally, we investigated the influence of morphology and size on the vibrational properties of disordered clusters of colloidal particles. Spectral features of cluster vibrational modes are found to depend strongly on the average number of nearest neighbors but only weakly on the number of particles in each glassy cluster. The scaling of the median phonon frequency with nearest neighbor number is reminiscent of athermal simulations of the jamming transition.

Characterization, origin and aggregation behavior of colloids in eutrophic shallow lake.

PubMed

Xu, Huacheng; Xu, Mengwen; Li, Yani; Liu, Xin; Guo, Laodong; Jiang, Helong

2018-05-31

Stability of colloidal particles contributes to the turbidity in the water column, which significantly influences water quality and ecological functions in aquatic environments especially shallow lakes. Here we report characterization, origin and aggregation behavior of aquatic colloids, including natural colloidal particles (NCPs) and total inorganic colloidal particles (TICPs), in a highly turbid shallow lake, via field observations, simulation experiments, ultrafiltration, spectral and microscopic, and light scattering techniques. The colloidal particles were characterized with various shapes (spherical, polygonal and elliptical) and aluminum-, silicon-, and ferric-containing mineralogical structures, with a size range of 20-200 nm. The process of sediment re-suspension under environmentally relevant conditions contributed 78-80% of TICPs and 54-55% of NCPs in Lake Taihu, representing an important source of colloids in the water column. Both mono- and divalent electrolytes enhanced colloidal aggregation, while a reverse trend was observed in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM). The influence of NOM on colloidal stability was highly related to molecular weight (MW) properties with the high MW fraction exhibiting higher stability efficiency than the low MW counterparts. However, the MW-dependent aggregation behavior for NCPs was less significant than that for TICPs, implying that previous results on colloidal behavior using model inorganic colloids alone should be reevaluated. Further studies are needed to better understand the mobility/stability and transformation of aquatic colloids and their role in governing the fate and transport of pollutants in natural waters. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Supracolloidal Architectures Self-Assembled in Microdroplets.

PubMed

Xu, Xuejiao; Tian, Feng; Liu, Xin; Parker, Richard M; Lan, Yang; Wu, Yuchao; Yu, Ziyi; Scherman, Oren A; Abell, Chris

2015-10-26

We demonstrate a novel method for the formation of a library of structured colloidal assemblies by exploiting the supramolecular heteroternary host-guest interaction between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and methyl viologen- and naphthalene-functionalised particles. The approach is dependent upon compartmentalisation in microdroplets generated by a microfluidic platform. Though the distribution of colloidal particles encapsulated within each microdroplet followed a Poisson distribution, tuning the concentration of the initial colloidal particle suspensions provided some level of control over the structure of the formed colloidal assemblies. This ability to direct the assembly of complementarily-functionalised colloids through a supramolecular interaction, without the need for complex modification of the colloidal surface or external stimuli, presents an exciting new approach towards the design of structured colloidal materials with the potential to produce many challenging structures. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cementation of colloidal particles on electrodes in a galvanic microreactor.

PubMed

Jan, Linda; Punckt, Christian; Aksay, Ilhan A

2013-07-10

We have studied the processes leading to the cementation of colloidal particles during their autonomous assembly on corroding copper electrodes within a Cu-Au galvanic microreactor. We determined the onset of particle immobilization through particle tracking, monitored the dissolution of copper as well as the deposition of insoluble products of the corrosion reactions in situ, and showed that particle immobilization initiated after reaction products (RPs) began to deposit on the electrode substrate. We further demonstrated that the time and the extent of RP precipitation and thus the strength of the particle-substrate bond could be tuned by varying the amount of copper in the system and the microreactor pH. The ability to cement colloidal particles at locations undergoing corrosion illustrates that the studied colloidal assembly approach holds potential for applications in dynamic material property adaptation.

Experimental Studies of the Brownian Diffusion of Boomerang Colloidal Particle in a Confined Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarty, Ayan; Wang, Feng; Joshi, Bhuwan; Wei, Qi-Huo

2011-03-01

Recent studies shows that the boomerang shaped molecules can form various kinds of liquid crystalline phases. One debated topic related to boomerang molecules is the existence of biaxial nematic liquid crystalline phase. Developing and optical microscopic studies of colloidal systems of boomerang particles would allow us to gain better understanding of orientation ordering and dynamics at ``single molecule'' level. Here we report the fabrication and experimental studies of the Brownian motion of individual boomerang colloidal particles confined between two glass plates. We used dark-field optical microscopy to directly visualize the Brownian motion of the single colloidal particles in a quasi two dimensional geometry. An EMCCD was used to capture the motion in real time. An indigenously developed imaging processing algorithm based on MatLab program was used to precisely track the position and orientation of the particles with sub-pixel accuracy. The experimental finding of the Brownian diffusion of a single boomerang colloidal particle will be discussed.

Nonlinear optical probe of biopolymer adsorption on colloidal particle surface: poly-L-lysine on polystyrene sulfate microspheres.

PubMed

Eckenrode, Heather M; Dai, Hai-Lung

2004-10-12

A nonlinear optical technique--second harmonic generation (SHG)--has been applied to characterize the adsorption of poly-L-lysine on micrometer size polystyrene particles, whose surface is covered with negatively charged sulfonate groups, in aqueous solutions. Adsorption behavior of the biopolymer with two chain lengths (14 and 75 amino acid units; PL14 and PL75) has been examined. Centrifugation experiments were also performed to support the adsorption measurements made using SHG. The adsorption free energies of the two polymers PL75 and PL14 are determined as -16.57 and -14.40 kcal/mol, respectively. The small difference in the adsorption free energies of the two chain lengths, however, leads to dramatic difference in the concentration needed for saturated surface coverage: nearly 50 times higher concentration is needed for the smaller polymer. Under acidic colloidal conditions, polylysine is found to adsorb in a relatively flat conformation on the surface. The surface area that each polylysine molecule occupies is nearly 1 order of magnitude larger than the size of the molecule in its extended form. The low adsorption density is likely a result from Coulombic repulsion between the positive charges on the amino acid units of PL. The measurements demonstrate the utility of SHG as an efficient and sensitive experimental approach for measuring adsorption characteristics of bio/macromolecules on colloidal particles and define surface and colloidal conditions for achieving maximum surface coverage of a widely used biopolymer. Copyright 2004 American Chemical Society

Key-lock colloids in a nematic liquid crystal.

PubMed

Silvestre, Nuno M; Tasinkevych, M

2017-01-01

The Landau-de Gennes free energy is used to study theoretically the effective interaction of spherical "key" and anisotropic "lock" colloidal particles. We assume identical anchoring properties of the surfaces of the key and of the lock particles, and we consider planar degenerate and perpendicular anchoring conditions separately. The lock particle is modeled as a spherical particle with a spherical dimple. When such a particle is introduced into a nematic liquid crystal, it orients its dimple at an oblique angle θ_{eq} with respect to the far field director n_{∞}. This angle depends on the depth of the dimple. Minimization results show that the free energy of a pair of key and lock particles exhibits a global minimum for the configuration when the key particle is facing the dimple of the lock colloidal particle. The preferred orientation ϕ_{eq} of the key-lock composite doublet relative to n_{∞} is robust against thermal fluctuations. The preferred orientation θ_{eq}^{(2)} of the dimple particle in the doublet is different from the isolated situation. This is related to the "direct" interaction of defects accompanying the key particle with the edge of the dimple. We propose that this nematic-amplified key-lock interaction can play an important role in self-organization and clustering of mixtures of colloidal particles with dimple colloids present.

Simulation study on the structural properties of colloidal particles with offset dipoles.

PubMed

Rutkowski, David M; Velev, Orlin D; Klapp, Sabine H L; Hall, Carol K

2017-05-03

A major research theme in materials science is determining how the self-assembly of new generations of colloidal particles of complex shape and surface charge is guided by their interparticle interactions. In this paper, we describe results from quasi-2D Monte Carlo simulations of systems of colloidal particles with offset transversely-oriented extended dipole-like charge distributions interacting via an intermediate-ranged Yukawa potential. The systems are cooled slowly through an annealing procedure during which the temperature is lowered in discrete steps, allowing the system to equilibrate. We perform ground state calculations for two, three and four particles at several shifts of the dipole vector from the particle center. We create state diagrams in the plane spanned by the temperature and the area fraction outlining the boundaries between fluid, string-fluid and percolated states at various values of the shift. Remarkably we find that the effective cooling rate in our simulations has an impact on the structures formed, with chains being more prevalent if the system is cooled quickly and cyclic structures more prevalent if the system is cooled slowly. As the dipole is further shifted from the center, there is an increased tendency to assemble into small cyclic structures at intermediate temperatures. These systems further self-assemble into open lattice-like arrangements at very low temperatures. The novel structures identified might be useful for photonic applications, new types of porous media for filtration and catalysis, and gel matrices with unusual properties.

Sedimentation of iron deposits in Nagahama Bay, Satsuma Iwo-jima Island:Precipitation behavior of colloidal particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, T.; Kiyokawa, S.; Ikehara, M.

2016-12-01

Satsuma Iwo-Jima Island, with volcanic activities, is located about 40km south of Kyushu Island, Japan. This island is one of the best places to observe a shallow water hydrothermal system. Nagahama Bay, in the south of Satsuma Iwo-Jima Island, is partly separated from open sea. The seawater appears dark reddish brown color due to colloidal iron hydroxide by the mixing of volcanic fluids (pH=5.5, 50-60 degree Celsius) and oceanic water (Ninomiya & kiyokawa, 2009; Kiyokawa et al., 2012; Ueshiba & kiyokawa, 2012). Very high deposition rate (33 cm per year) of iron-rich sediments was observed in the bay (Kiyokawa et al., 2012). However, precipitation behavior of colloidal iron hydroxide has not been clarified. In this study, I report the results of analysis of deposition experiments of the colloidal particles at the Nagahama bay. Since the size of the colloidal particles is 1nm 1μm, single particle cannot be precipitated. This arise from precipitation of the particles in the viscous fluid is according to the Stokes' law. Colloidal iron hydroxide has the property of having the electric charges on the surface. The charge on the colloids is affected by pH of its surrounding seawater and can become more positively or negatively charged due to the gain or loss, respectively, of protons (H+) in the seawater. This property affects the stability of the colloidal dispersion. FE-SEM observation shows that the suspended particles consist of colloidal iron hydroxide (about 0.2μm), on the other hand, the iron-rich sediments are composed of bigger one (>1 μm). This indicates the colloidal iron hydroxide is precipitated by flocculation. We examined the precipitation amount of colloidal iron hydroxide under the various pH environments. The precipitation amount of pH=7.8 seawater 10% higher than that of pH=7.2. This result is roughly follows the theoretical value.

Beyond the dynamic density functional theory for steady currents: application to driven colloidal particles in a channel.

PubMed

Tarazona, P; Marini Bettolo Marconi, Umberto

2008-04-28

Motivated by recent studies on the dynamics of colloidal solutions in narrow channels, we consider the steady state properties of an assembly of noninteracting particles subject to the action of a traveling potential moving at a constant speed, while the solvent is modeled by a heat bath at rest in the laboratory frame. Here, since the description we propose takes into account the inertia of the colloidal particles, it is necessary to consider the evolution of both positions and momenta and study the governing equation for the one-particle phase-space distribution. First, we derive the asymptotic form of its solutions as an expansion in Hermite polynomials and their generic properties, such as the force and energy balance, and then we particularize our study to the case of an inverted parabolic potential barrier. We numerically obtain the steady state density and temperature profile and show that the expansion is rapidly convergent for large values of the friction constant and small drifting velocities. On the one hand, the present results confirm the previous studies based on the dynamic density functional theory (DDFT): On the other hand, when the friction constant is large, it display effects such as the presence of a wake behind the barrier and a strong inhomogeneity in the temperature field which are beyond the DDFT description.

Effects of magnetic field strength and particle aggregation on relaxivity of ultra-small dual contrast iron oxide nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ta, Hang T.; Li, Zhen; Wu, Yuao; Cowin, Gary; Zhang, Shaohua; Yago, Anya; Whittaker, Andrew K.; Xu, Zhi Ping

2017-11-01

This study aims to compare the relaxivities of ultra-small dual positive and negative contrast iron oxide nanoparticles (DCION) at different magnetic field strengths ranging from 4.7 to 16.4 T at physiological temperatures; and to investigate the effect of particle aggregation on relaxivities. Relaxivities of DCIONs were determined by magnetic resonance imaging scanners at 4.7, 7, 9.4, and 16.4 T. Both longitudinal (T 1) and transverse relaxation times (T 2) were measured by appropriate spin-echo sequences. It has been found that both longitudinal and transverse relaxivities are significantly dependent on the magnetic field strength. Particle aggregation also strongly affects the relaxivities. Awareness of the field strength and particle colloid stability is crucial for the comparison and evaluation of relaxivity values of these ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles, and also for their medical applications as contrast agents.

Dynamic properties of polydisperse colloidal particles in the presence of thermal gradient studied by a modified Brownian dynamic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Dongxing; Jin, Hui; Jing, Dengwei; Wang, Xin

2018-03-01

Aggregation and migration of colloidal particles under the thermal gradient widely exists in nature and many industrial processes. In this study, dynamic properties of polydisperse colloidal particles in the presence of thermal gradient were studied by a modified Brownian dynamic model. Other than the traditional forces on colloidal particles, including Brownian force, hydrodynamic force, and electrostatic force from other particles, the electrostatic force from the asymmetric ionic diffusion layer under a thermal gradient has been considered and introduced into the Brownian dynamic model. The aggregation ratio of particles (R A), the balance time (t B) indicating the time threshold when {{R}A} becomes constant, the porosity ({{P}BA} ), fractal dimension (D f) and distributions of concentration (DISC) and aggregation (DISA) for the aggregated particles were discussed based on this model. The aggregated structures formed by polydisperse particles are less dense and the particles therein are loosely bonded. Also it showed a quite large compressibility as the increases of concentration and interparticle potential can significantly increase the fractal dimension. The thermal gradient can induce two competitive factors leading to a two-stage migration of particles. When t<{{t}B} , the unsynchronized aggregation is dominant and the particles slightly migrate along the thermal gradient. When t>{{t}B} , the thermophoresis becomes dominant thus the migrations of particles are against the thermal gradient. The effect of thermophoresis on the aggregate structures was found to be similar to the effect of increasing particle concentration. This study demonstrates how the thermal gradient affects the aggregation of monodisperse and polydisperse particles and can be a guide for the biomimetics and precise control of colloid system under the thermal gradient. Moreover, our model can be easily extended to other more complex colloidal systems considering shear, temperature fluctuation, surfactant, etc.

Synthesis of macroporous structures

DOEpatents

Stein, Andreas; Holland, Brian T.; Blanford, Christopher F.; Yan, Hongwei

2004-01-20

The present application discloses a method of forming an inorganic macroporous material. In some embodiments, the method includes: providing a sample of organic polymer particles having a particle size distribution of no greater than about 10%; forming a colloidal crystal template of the sample of organic polymer particles, the colloidal crystal template including a plurality of organic polymer particles and interstitial spaces therebetween; adding an inorganic precursor composition including a noncolloidal inorganic precursor to the colloidal crystal template such that the precursor composition permeates the interstitial spaces between the organic polymer particles; converting the noncolloidal inorganic precursor to a hardened inorganic framework; and removing the colloidal crystal template from the hardened inorganic framework to form a macroporous material. Inorganic macroporous materials are also disclosed.

Colloidal Particles at Fluid Interfaces and the Interface of Colloidal Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGorty, Ryan

Holographic microscopy is a unifying theme in the different projects discussed in this thesis. The technique allows one to observe microscopic objects, like colloids and droplets, in a three-dimensional (3D) volume. Unlike scanning 3D optical techniques, holography captures a sample's 3D information in a single image: the hologram. Therefore, one can capture 3D information at video frame rates. The price for such speed is paid in computation time. The 3D information must be extracted from the image by methods such as reconstruction or fitting the hologram to scattering calculations. Using holography, we observe a single colloidal particle approach, penetrate and then slowly equilibrate at an oil--water interface. Because the particle moves along the optical axis (z-axis) and perpendicular to the interface holography is used to determine its position. We are able to locate the particle's z-position to within a few nanometers with a time resolution below a millisecond. We find that the capillary force pulling the particle into the interface is not balanced by a hydrodynamic force. Rather, a larger-than-viscous dissipation associated with the three-phase contact-line slipping over the particle's surface results in equilibration on time scales orders of magnitude longer than the minute time scales over which our setup allows us to examine. A separate project discussed here also examines colloidal particles and fluid-fluid interfaces. But the fluids involved are composed of colloids. With a colloid and polymer water-based mixture we study the phase separation of the colloid-rich (or liquid) and colloid-poor (or gas) region. In comparison to the oil--water interface in the previously mentioned project, the interface between the colloidal liquid and gas phases has a surface tension nearly six orders of magnitude smaller. So interfacial fluctuations are observable under microscopy. We also use holographic microscopy to study this system but not to track particles with great time and spatial resolution. Rather, holography allows us to observe nucleation of the liquid phase occurring throughout our sample volume.

Autonomous colloidal crystallization in a galvanic microreactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punckt, Christian; Jan, Linda; Jiang, Peng; Frewen, Thomas A.; Saville, Dudley A.; Kevrekidis, Ioannis G.; Aksay, Ilhan A.

2012-10-01

We report on a technique that utilizes an array of galvanic microreactors to guide the assembly of two-dimensional colloidal crystals with spatial and orientational order. Our system is comprised of an array of copper and gold electrodes in a coplanar arrangement, immersed in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution in which colloidal micro-spheres of polystyrene and silica are suspended. Under optimized conditions, two-dimensional colloidal crystals form at the anodic copper with patterns and crystal orientation governed by the electrode geometry. After the aggregation process, the colloidal particles are cemented to the substrate by co-deposition of reaction products. As we vary the electrode geometry, the dissolution rate of the copper electrodes is altered. This way, we control the colloidal motion as well as the degree of reaction product formation. We show that particle motion is governed by a combination of electrokinetic effects acting directly on the colloidal particles and bulk electrolyte flow generated at the copper-gold interface.

Role of colloidal material in the removal of 234Th in the Canada basin of the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baskaran, M.; Swarzenski, P.W.; Porcelli, D.

2003-01-01

The phase partitioning of 234Th between dissolved ( 200m, general equilibrium existed between total 234Th and 238U. The inventory of SPM and the specific activity of particulate 234Th in the Canada Basin was about an order of magnitude higher than the profile reported for the Alpha Ridge ice camp station. This higher concentration of SPM in the southwestern Canada Basin is likely derived from ice-rafted sedimentary particles. Inventories of nutrients, and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in the upper 100 m of the Canada Basin are comparable to the other estimates for the central Arctic Ocean. Comparison of the mass concentrations of colloidal and filter-retained particulate matter as well as the activity of 234Th in these phases indicates that only a very small component of the colloidal material is actively involved in Th scavenging. Lower values of the conditional partition coefficient between the colloidal and dissolved phase indicate that the Arctic colloids are less reactive than colloidal material from other regions. The conditional partition coefficient between the filter-retained and dissolved phases (Kf) is generally higher than that for other regions, which is attributed to the higher complexation capacity of glacio-marine sedimentary particles in these waters. The 234Th-derived export of POC for the shelf and deep Canada Basin ranges between 5.6 and 6.5 mmol m-2 d-1, and is in agreement with other estimates reported for the central Arctic Ocean and Beaufort Sea. ?? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reversible gelation of rod-like viruses grafted with thermoresponsive polymers.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhenkun; Krishna, Naveen; Lettinga, M Paul; Vermant, Jan; Grelet, Eric

2009-02-17

The synthesis and selected macroscopic properties of a new model system consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-coated rod-like fd virus particles are presented. The sticky rod-like colloids can be used to study effect of particle shape on gelation transition, the structure and viscoelasticity of isotropic and nematic gels, and to make both open isotropic as well as ordered nematic particle networks. This model system of rod-like colloids, for which the strength of attraction between the particles is tunable, is obtained by chemically grafting highly monodisperse rod-like fd virus particles with thermoresponsive polymers, e.g. PNIPAM. At room temperature, suspensions of the resulting hybrid PNIPAM-fd are fluid sols which are in isotropic or liquid crystalline phases, depending on the particle concentration and ionic strength. During heating/cooling, the suspensions change reversibly between sol and gel state near a critical temperature of approximately 32 degrees C, close to the lower critical solution temperature of free PNIPAM. The so-called nematic gel, which exhibits a cholesteric feature, can therefore be easily obtained. The gelation behavior of PNIPAM-fd system and the structure of the nematic gel have been characterized by rheology, optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering.

Structural Coloration of a Colloidal Amorphous Array is Intensified by Carbon Nanolayers.

PubMed

Takeoka, Yukikazu; Iwata, Masanori; Seki, Takahiro; Nueangnoraj, Khanin; Nishihara, Hirotomo; Yoshioka, Shinya

2018-04-10

In this study, we introduce the possibility of applying a colloidal amorphous array composed of fine silica particles as a structural-color material to invisible information technology. The appearance of a thick filmlike colloidal amorphous array formed from fine silica particles is considerably influenced by incoherent light scattering across the entire visible region. Therefore, regardless of the diameter of the fine silica particles, the thick colloidal amorphous array exhibits a white color to the naked eye. When carbon is uniformly deposited in the colloidal amorphous array by a pressure-pulsed chemical vapor deposition method, incoherent light scattering in the colloidal amorphous array is suppressed. As a result, coherent light scattering due to the short-range order in the colloidal amorphous array becomes conspicuous and the array exhibits a vivid structural color. As structures, such as letters and pictures, can be drawn using this technology, the colloidal amorphous array as a structural-colored material may also be applicable for invisible information technology.

Equivalence of Brownian dynamics and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations in multicomponent colloidal suspensions.

PubMed

Cuetos, Alejandro; Patti, Alessandro

2015-08-01

We propose a simple but powerful theoretical framework to quantitatively compare Brownian dynamics (BD) and dynamic Monte Carlo (DMC) simulations of multicomponent colloidal suspensions. By extending our previous study focusing on monodisperse systems of rodlike colloids, here we generalize the formalism described there to multicomponent colloidal mixtures and validate it by investigating the dynamics in isotropic and liquid crystalline phases containing spherical and rodlike particles. In order to investigate the dynamics of multicomponent colloidal systems by DMC simulations, it is key to determine the elementary time step of each species and establish a unique timescale. This is crucial to consistently study the dynamics of colloidal particles with different geometry. By analyzing the mean-square displacement, the orientation autocorrelation functions, and the self part of the van Hove correlation functions, we show that DMC simulation is a very convenient and reliable technique to describe the stochastic dynamics of any multicomponent colloidal system. Our theoretical formalism can be easily extended to any colloidal system containing size and/or shape polydisperse particles.

Programming Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Patchy Particles into Colloidal Crystals via Colloidal Molecules.

PubMed

Morphew, Daniel; Shaw, James; Avins, Christopher; Chakrabarti, Dwaipayan

2018-03-27

Colloidal self-assembly is a promising bottom-up route to a wide variety of three-dimensional structures, from clusters to crystals. Programming hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal building blocks, which can give rise to structures ordered at multiple levels to rival biological complexity, poses a multiscale design problem. Here we explore a generic design principle that exploits a hierarchy of interaction strengths and employ this design principle in computer simulations to demonstrate the hierarchical self-assembly of triblock patchy colloidal particles into two distinct colloidal crystals. We obtain cubic diamond and body-centered cubic crystals via distinct clusters of uniform size and shape, namely, tetrahedra and octahedra, respectively. Such a conceptual design framework has the potential to reliably encode hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal particles into a high level of sophistication. Moreover, the design framework underpins a bottom-up route to cubic diamond colloidal crystals, which have remained elusive despite being much sought after for their attractive photonic applications.

Solution-processed photodetectors from colloidal silicon nano/micro particle composite.

PubMed

Tu, Chang-Ching; Tang, Liang; Huang, Jiangdong; Voutsas, Apostolos; Lin, Lih Y

2010-10-11

We demonstrate solution-processed photodetectors composed of heavy-metal-free Si nano/micro particle composite. The colloidal Si particles are synthesized by electrochemical etching of Si wafers, followed by ultra-sonication to pulverize the porous surface. With alkyl ligand surface passivation through hydrosilylation reaction, the particles can form a stable colloidal suspension which exhibits bright photoluminescence under ultraviolet excitation and a broadband extinction spectrum due to enhanced scattering from the micro-size particles. The efficiency of the thin film photodetectors has been substantially improved by preventing oxidation of the particles during the etching process.

Colloidal suspensions in external rotating electric field: experimental studies and prospective applications in physics, material science, and biomedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, Egor V.; Troshina, Anna V.; Korsakova, Sofia A.; Andronik, Mikhail; Rodionov, Ilya A.; Aliev, Ismail N.; Zaytsev, Kirill I.; Cherkasova, Olga P.; Tuchin, Valery V.; Yurchenko, Stanislav O.

2018-04-01

Colloidal suspensions and tunable self-assembly of colloidal particles attract a great interest in recent years. In this paper, we propose a new setup and technology for studies of self-assembly of colloidal particles, interection of which between themselves is tuned by external rotating electric fields. We reveal wide prospectives of electric field employment for tunable self-assembly, from suspensions of inorganic particles to ensembles of biological cells. These results make enable particle-resolved studies of various collective phenomena and fundamental processes in many-particle systems in equilibrium state and far from it, while the dynamics can be resolved at the level of individual particles using video microscopy. For the first time, we demonstrate that, apart from ability to prepare photonic crystalline films of inorganic silica particles, the tunable self-assembly provides a novel technological way for manipulation with ensembles of biological cells by control of interactions between them.

Colloid particle sizes in the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries, from Minneapolis to below New Orleans

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rostad, C.E.; Rees, T.F.; Daniel, S.R.

1998-01-01

An on-board technique was developed that combined discharge-weighted pumping to a high-speed continuous-flow centrifuge for isolation of the particulate-sized material with ultrafiltration for isolation of colloid-sized material. In order to address whether these processes changed the particle sizes during isolation, samples of particles in suspension were collected at various steps in the isolation process to evaluate changes in particle size. Particle sizes were determined using laser light-scattering photon correlation spectroscopy and indicated no change in size during the colloid isolation process. Mississippi River colloid particle sizes from twelve sites from Minneapolis to below New Orleans were compared with sizes from four tributaries and three seasons, and from predominantly autochthonous sources upstream to more allochthonous sources downstream. ?? 1998 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Colloid-probe AFM studies of the interaction forces of proteins adsorbed on colloidal crystals.

PubMed

Singh, Gurvinder; Bremmell, Kristen E; Griesser, Hans J; Kingshott, Peter

2015-04-28

In recent years, colloid-probe AFM has been used to measure the direct interaction forces between colloidal particles of different size or surface functionality in aqueous media, as one can study different forces in symmerical systems (i.e., sphere-sphere geometry). The present study investigates the interaction between protein coatings on colloid probes and hydrophilic surfaces decorated with hexagonally close packed single particle layers that are either uncoated or coated with proteins. Controlled solvent evaporation from aqueous suspensions of colloidal particles (coated with or without lysozyme and albumin) produces single layers of close-packed colloidal crystals over large areas on a solid support. The measurements have been carried out in an aqueous medium at different salt concentrations and pH values. The results show changes in the interaction forces as the surface charge of the unmodified or modified particles, and ionic strength or pH of the solution is altered. At high ionic strength or pH, electrostatic interactions are screened, and a strong repulsive force at short separation below 5 nm dominates, suggesting structural changes in the absorbed protein layer on the particles. We also study the force of adhesion, which decreases with an increment in the salt concentration, and the interaction between two different proteins indicating a repulsive interaction on approach and adhesion on retraction.

Natural colloids are the dominant factor in the sedimentation of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Quik, Joris T K; Stuart, Martien Cohen; Wouterse, Marja; Peijnenburg, Willie; Hendriks, A Jan; van de Meent, Dik

2012-05-01

Estimating the environmental exposure to manufactured nanomaterials is part of risk assessment. Because nanoparticles aggregate with each other (homoaggregation) and with other particles (heteroaggregation), the main route of the removal of most nanoparticles from water is aggregation, followed by sedimentation. The authors used water samples from two rivers in Europe, the Rhine and the Meuse. To distinguish between small (mainly natural organic matter [NOM]) particles and the remainder of the natural colloids present, both filtered and unfiltered river water was used to prepare the particle suspensions. The results show that the removal of nanoparticles from natural river water follows first-order kinetics toward a residual concentration. This was measured in river water with less than 1 mg L(-1) CeO(2) nanoparticles. The authors inferred that the heteroaggregation with or deposition onto the solid fraction of natural colloids was the main mechanism causing sedimentation in relation to homoaggregation. In contrast, the NOM fraction in filtered river water stabilized the residual nanoparticles against further sedimentation for up to 12 d. In 10 mg L(-1) and 100 mg L(-1) CeO(2) nanoparticle suspensions, homoaggregation is likely the main mechanism leading to sedimentation. The proposed model could form the basis for improved exposure assessment for nanomaterials. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Method to separate lignin-rich solid phase from acidic biomass suspension at an acidic pH

DOEpatents

Yasarla, Kumar Lakshmi Rakesh; Ramarao, Bandaru V; Amidon, Thomas

2017-09-05

A method of separating a lignin-rich solid phase from a solution suspension, by pretreating a lignocellulosic biomass with a pretreatment fluid having remove soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles; separating the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass from the pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles; flocculating the separated pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles using polyethylene oxide (i.e., PEO) or cationic Poly acrylamide (i.e., CPAM) as a flocculating agent; and filtering the flocculated separated pretreatment fluid with soluble components, colloidal material and primarily lignin containing particles to remove agglomerates.

Generation of colloidal granules and capsules from double emulsion drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, Kathryn S.

Assemblies of colloidal particles are extensively used in ceramic processing, pharmaceuticals, inks and coatings. In this project, the aim was to develop a new technique to fabricate monodispersed colloidal assemblies. The use of microfluidic devices and emulsion processing allows for the fabrication of complex materials that can be used in a variety of applications. A microfluidic device is used to create monodispersed water/oil/water (w/o/w) double emulsions with interior droplets of colloidal silica suspension ranging in size from tens to hundreds of microns. By tailoring the osmotic pressure using glycerol as a solute in the continuous and inner phases of the emulsion, we can control the final volume size of the monodispersed silica colloidal crystals that form in the inner droplets of the double emulsion. Modifying the ionic strength in the colloidal dispersion can be used to affect the particle-particle interactions and crystal formation of the final colloidal particle. This w/o/w technique has been used with other systems of metal oxide colloids and cellulose nanocrystals. Encapsulation of the colloidal suspension in a polymer shell for the generation of ceramic-polymer core-shell particles has also been developed. These core-shell particles have spawned new research in the field of locally resonant acoustic metamaterials. Systems and chemistries for creating cellulose hydrogels within the double emulsions have also been researched. Water in oil single emulsions and double emulsions have been used to create cellulose hydrogel spheres in the sub-100 micron diameter range. Oil/water/oil double emulsions allow us to create stable cellulose capsules. The addition of a second hydrogel polymer, such as acrylate or alginate, further strengthens the cellulose gel network and can also be processed into capsules and particles using the microfluidic device. This work could have promising applications in acoustic metamaterials, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural applications, among others.

Motility of catalytic nanoparticles through self-generated forces.

PubMed

Paxton, Walter F; Sen, Ayusman; Mallouk, Thomas E

2005-11-04

Small-scale synthetic motors capable of generating their own motive forces by exploiting the chemical free energy of their environment represent an important step in developing practical nanomachines. Catalytic particles are capable of generating concentration and other gradients that can be used to self-propel small objects. However, the autonomous movement of catalytic nanoparticles by self-generated forces is a relatively unexplored area in colloid and interfacial chemistry. This paper explores the potential of catalytically self-generated forces for propulsion of small objects through fluids.

Coulomb-like elastic interaction induced by symmetry breaking in nematic liquid crystal colloids.

PubMed

Lee, Beom-Kyu; Kim, Sung-Jo; Kim, Jong-Hyun; Lev, Bohdan

2017-11-21

It is generally thought that colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal do not generate the first multipole term called deformation elastic charge as it violates the mechanical equilibrium. Here, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that this is not the case, and deformation elastic charges, as well as dipoles and quadrupoles, can be induced through anisotropic boundary conditions. We report the first direct observation of Coulomb-like elastic interactions between colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal. The behaviour of two spherical colloidal particles with asymmetric anchoring conditions induced by asymmetric alignment is investigated experimentally; the interaction of two particles located at the boundary of twist and parallel aligned regions is observed. We demonstrate that such particles produce deformation elastic charges and interact by Coulomb-like interactions.

Surface chemical effects on colloid stability and transport through natural porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puls, Robert W.; Paul, Cynthia J.; Clark, Donald A.

1993-01-01

Surface chemical effects on colloidal stability and transport through porous media were investigated using laboratory column techniques. Approximately 100 nm diameter, spherical, iron oxide particles were synthesized as the mobile colloidal phase. The column packing material was retrieved from a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, MA. Previous studies have indicated enhanced stability and transport of iron oxide particles due to specific adsorption of some inorganic anions on the iron oxide surface. This phenomenon was further evaluated with an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate. Surfactants constitute a significant mass of the contaminant loading at the Cape Cod site and their presence may contribute to colloidal transport as a significant transport mechanism at the site. Other studies at the site have previously demonstrated the occurrence of this transport mechanism for iron phosphate particles. Photon correlation spectroscopy, micro-electrophoretic mobility, and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate particle stability, mobility and size. Adsorption of negatively charged organic and inorganic species onto the surface of the iron oxide particles was shown to significantly enhance particle stability and transport through alterations of the electrokinetic properties of the particle surface. Particle breakthrough generally occurred simultaneously with tritiated water, a conservative tracer. The extent of particle breakthrough was primarily dependent upon colloidal stability and surface charge.

Early Dynamics and Stabilization Mechanisms of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Containing Colloidal Particles Modified with Short Amphiphiles: A Numerical Study.

PubMed

Cerbelaud, Manuella; Videcoq, Arnaud; Alison, Lauriane; Tervoort, Elena; Studart, André R

2017-12-19

Emulsions stabilized by mixtures of particles and amphiphilic molecules are relevant for a wide range of applications, but their dynamics and stabilization mechanisms on the colloidal level are poorly understood. Given the challenges to experimentally probe the early dynamics and mechanisms of droplet stabilization, Brownian dynamics simulations are developed here to study the behavior of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by colloidal particles modified with short amphiphiles. Simulation parameters are based on an experimental system that consists of emulsions obtained with octane as the oil phase and a suspension of alumina colloidal particles modified with short carboxylic acids as the continuous aqueous medium. The numerical results show that attractive forces between the colloidal particles favor the formation of closely packed clusters on the droplet surface or of a percolating network of particles throughout the continuous phase, depending on the amphiphile concentration. Simulations also reveal the importance of a strong adsorption of particles at the liquid interface to prevent their depletion from the droplet surface when another droplet approaches. Strongly adsorbed particles remain immobile on the droplet surface, generating an effective steric barrier against droplet coalescence. These findings provide new insights into the early dynamics and mechanisms of stabilization of emulsions using particles and amphiphilic molecules.

Nonequilibrium self-organization of colloidal particles on substrates: adsorption, relaxation, and annealing.

PubMed

Araújo, Nuno A M; Dias, Cristóvão S; Telo da Gama, Margarida M

2017-01-11

Colloidal particles are considered ideal building blocks to produce materials with enhanced physical properties. The state-of-the-art techniques for synthesizing these particles provide control over shape, size, and directionality of the interactions. In spite of these advances, there is still a huge gap between the synthesis of individual components and the management of their spontaneous organization towards the desired structures. The main challenge is the control over the dynamics of self-organization. In their kinetic route towards thermodynamically stable structures, colloidal particles self-organize into intermediate (mesoscopic) structures that are much larger than the individual particles and become the relevant units for the dynamics. To follow the dynamics and identify kinetically trapped structures, one needs to develop new theoretical and numerical tools. Here we discuss the self-organization of functionalized colloids (also known as patchy colloids) on attractive substrates. We review our recent results on the adsorption and relaxation and explore the use of annealing cycles to overcome kinetic barriers and drive the relaxation towards the targeted structures.

Continuous separation of colloidal particles using dielectrophoresis.

PubMed

Yunus, Nurul Amziah Md; Nili, Hossein; Green, Nicolas G

2013-04-01

Dielectrophoresis is the movement of particles in nonuniform electric fields and has been of interest for application to manipulation and separation at and below the microscale. This technique has the advantages of being noninvasive, nondestructive, and noncontact, with the movement of particle achieved by means of electric fields generated by miniaturized electrodes and microfluidic systems. Although the majority of applications have been above the microscale, there is increasing interest in application to colloidal particles around a micron and smaller. This paper begins with a review of colloidal and nanoscale dielectrophoresis with specific attention paid to separation applications. An innovative design of integrated microelectrode array and its application to flow-through, continuous separation of colloidal particles is then presented. The details of the angled chevron microelectrode array and the test microfluidic system are then discussed. The variation in device operation with applied signal voltage is presented and discussed in terms of separation efficiency, demonstrating 99.9% separation of a mixture of colloidal latex spheres. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication of non-hexagonal close packed colloidal array on a substrate by transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banik, Meneka; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

Self-organized colloidal arrays find application in fabrication of solar cells with advanced light management strategies. We report a simple spincoating based approach for fabricating two dimensional colloidal crystals with hexagonal and non-hexagonal close packed assembly on flat and nanopatterned substrates. The non-HCP arrays were fabricated by spin coating the particles onto soft lithographically fabricated substrates. The substrate patterns impose directionality to the particles by confining them within the grooves. We have developed a technique by which the HCP and non-HCP arrays can be transferred to any surface. For this purpose the colloidal arrays were fabricated on a UV degradable PMMA layer, resulting in transfer of the particles on UV exposure. This allows the colloidal structures to be transported across substrates irrespective of their surface energy, wettability or morphology. Since the particles are transferred without exposing it to any kind of chemical or thermal environment, it can be utilized for placing particles on top of thin film solar cells for improving their absorption efficiency.

Dynamic self-assembly of charged colloidal strings and walls in simple fluid flows.

PubMed

Abe, Yu; Zhang, Bo; Gordillo, Leonardo; Karim, Alireza Mohammad; Francis, Lorraine F; Cheng, Xiang

2017-02-22

Colloidal particles can self-assemble into various ordered structures in fluid flows that have potential applications in biomedicine, materials synthesis and encryption. These dynamic processes are also of fundamental interest for probing the general principles of self-assembly under non-equilibrium conditions. Here, we report a simple microfluidic experiment, where charged colloidal particles self-assemble into flow-aligned 1D strings with regular particle spacing near a solid boundary. Using high-speed confocal microscopy, we systematically investigate the influence of flow rates, electrostatics and particle polydispersity on the observed string structures. By studying the detailed dynamics of stable flow-driven particle pairs, we quantitatively characterize interparticle interactions. Based on the results, we construct a simple model that explains the intriguing non-equilibrium self-assembly process. Our study shows that the colloidal strings arise from a delicate balance between attractive hydrodynamic coupling and repulsive electrostatic interaction between particles. Finally, we demonstrate that, with the assistance of transverse electric fields, a similar mechanism also leads to the formation of 2D colloidal walls.

Feedback Controlled Colloidal Assembly at Fluid Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bevan, Michael

The autonomous and reversible assembly of colloidal nano- and micro- scale components into ordered configurations is often suggested as a scalable process capable of manufacturing meta-materials with exotic electromagnetic properties. As a result, there is strong interest in understanding how thermal motion, particle interactions, patterned surfaces, and external fields can be optimally coupled to robustly control the assembly of colloidal components into hierarchically structured functional meta-materials. We approach this problem by directly relating equilibrium and dynamic colloidal microstructures to kT-scale energy landscapes mediated by colloidal forces, physically and chemically patterned surfaces, multiphase fluid interfaces, and electromagnetic fields. 3D colloidal trajectories are measured in real-space and real-time with nanometer resolution using an integrated suite of evanescent wave, video, and confocal microscopy methods. Equilibrium structures are connected to energy landscapes via statistical mechanical models. The dynamic evolution of initially disordered colloidal fluid configurations into colloidal crystals in the presence of tunable interactions (electromagnetic field mediated interactions, particle-interface interactions) is modeled using a novel approach based on fitting the Fokker-Planck equation to experimental microscopy and computer simulated assembly trajectories. This approach is based on the use of reaction coordinates that capture important microstructural features of crystallization processes and quantify both statistical mechanical (free energy) and fluid mechanical (hydrodynamic) contributions. Ultimately, we demonstrate real-time control of assembly, disassembly, and repair of colloidal crystals using both open loop and closed loop control to produce perfectly ordered colloidal microstructures. This approach is demonstrated for close packed colloidal crystals of spherical particles at fluid-solid interfaces and is being extended to anisotropic particles and multiphase fluid interfaces.

Quantification of hydrophobic interaction affinity of colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, G.; Nasholm, N.; Wood, B. D.

2009-12-01

Colloids play an important role in a wide variety of disciplines, including water and wastewater treatment, subsurface transport of metals and organic contaminants, migration of fines in oil reservoirs, biocolloid (virus and bacteria) transport in subsurface, and are integral to laboratory transport studies. Although the role of hydrophobicity in adhesion and transport of colloids, particularly bacteria, is well known; there is scarcity of literature regarding hydrophobicity measurement of non-bacterial colloids and other micron-sized particles. Here we detail an experimental approach based on differential partitioning of colloids between two liquid phases (hydrocarbon and buffer) as a measure of the hydrophobic interaction affinity of colloids. This assay, known as Microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons or MATH, is frequently used in microbiology and bacteriology for quantifying the hydrophobicity of microbes. Monodispersed colloids and particles, with sizes ranging from 1 micron to 33 micron, were used for the experiments. A range of hydrophobicity values were observed for different particles. The hydrophobicity results are also verified against water contact angle measurements of these particles. This liquid-liquid partitioning assay is quick, easy-to-perform and requires minimal instrumentation. Estimation of the hydrophobic interaction affinity of colloids would lead to a better understanding of their adhesion to different surfaces and subsequent transport in porous media.

Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zhe; Hueckel, Theodore; Yi, Gi-Ra; Sacanna, Stefano

2017-10-01

Patches on the surfaces of colloidal particles provide directional information that enables the self-assembly of the particles into higher-order structures. Although computational tools can make quantitative predictions and can generate design rules that link the patch motif of a particle to its internal microstructure and to the emergent properties of the self-assembled materials, the experimental realization of model systems of particles with surface patches (or `patchy' particles) remains a challenge. Synthetic patchy colloidal particles are often poor geometric approximations of the digital building blocks used in simulations and can only rarely be manufactured in sufficiently high yields to be routinely used as experimental model systems. Here we introduce a method, which we refer to as colloidal fusion, for fabricating functional patchy particles in a tunable and scalable manner. Using coordination dynamics and wetting forces, we engineer hybrid liquid-solid clusters that evolve into particles with a range of patchy surface morphologies on addition of a plasticizer. We are able to predict and control the evolutionary pathway by considering surface-energy minimization, leading to two main branches of product: first, spherical particles with liquid surface patches, capable of forming curable bonds with neighbouring particles to assemble robust supracolloidal structures; and second, particles with a faceted liquid compartment, which can be cured and purified to yield colloidal polyhedra. These findings outline a scalable strategy for the synthesis of patchy particles, first by designing their surface patterns by computer simulation, and then by recreating them in the laboratory with high fidelity.

Critical Casimir effect for colloids close to chemically patterned substrates.

PubMed

Tröndle, M; Kondrat, S; Gambassi, A; Harnau, L; Dietrich, S

2010-08-21

Colloids immersed in a critical or near-critical binary liquid mixture and close to a chemically patterned substrate are subject to normal and lateral critical Casimir forces of dominating strength. For a single colloid, we calculate these attractive or repulsive forces and the corresponding critical Casimir potentials within mean-field theory. Within this approach we also discuss the quality of the Derjaguin approximation and apply it to Monte Carlo simulation data available for the system under study. We find that the range of validity of the Derjaguin approximation is rather large and that it fails only for surface structures which are very small compared to the geometric mean of the size of the colloid and its distance from the substrate. For certain chemical structures of the substrate, the critical Casimir force acting on the colloid can change sign as a function of the distance between the particle and the substrate; this provides a mechanism for stable levitation at a certain distance which can be strongly tuned by temperature, i.e., with a sensitivity of more than 200 nm/K.

Directed assembly of colloidal particles for micro/nano photonics (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yuebing

2017-02-01

Bottom-up fabrication of complex structures with chemically synthesized colloidal particles as building blocks pave an efficient and cost-effective way towards micro/nano photonics with unprecedented functionality and tunability. Novel properties can arise from quantum effects of colloidal particles, as well as inter-particle interactions and spatial arrangement in particle assemblies. Herein, I discuss our recent developments and applications of three types of techniques for directed assembly of colloidal particles: moiré nanosphere lithography (MNSL), bubble-pen lithography (BPL), and optothermal tweezers (OTTs). Specifically, MNSL provides an efficient approach towards creating moiré metasurface with tunable and multiband optical responses from visible to mid-infrared regime. Au moiré metasurfaces have been applied for surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy, optical capture and patterning of bacteria, and photothermal denaturation of proteins. BPL is developed to pattern a variety of colloidal particles on plasmonic substrates and two-dimensional atomic-layer materials in an arbitrary manner. The laser-directed microbubble captures and immobilizes nanoparticles through coordinated actions of Marangoni convection, surface tension, gas pressure, and substrate adhesion. OTTs are developed to create dynamic nanoparticle assemblies at low optical power. Such nanoparticle assemblies have been used for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for molecular analysis in their native environments.

Shape-tailored polymer colloids on the road to become structural motifs for hierarchically organized materials.

PubMed

Plüisch, Claudia Simone; Wittemann, Alexander

2013-12-01

Anisometric polymer colloids are likely to behave differently when compared with centrosymmetric particles. Their study may not only shine new light on the organization of matter; they may also serve as building units with specific symmetries and complexity to build new materials from them. Polymer colloids of well-defined complex geometries can be obtained by packing a limited number of spherical polymer particles into clusters with defined configurations. Such supracolloidal architectures can be fabricated at larger scales using narrowly dispersed emulsion droplets as templates. Assemblies built from at least two different types of particles as elementary building units open perspectives in selective targeting of colloids with specific properties, aiming for mesoscale building blocks with tailor-made morphologies and multifunctionality. Polymer colloids with defined geometries are also ideal to study shape-dependent properties such as the diffusion of complex particles. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Using Light Scattering to Track, Characterize and Manipulate Colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oostrum, P. D. J.

2011-03-01

A new technique is developed to analyze in-line Digital Holographic Microscopy images, making it possible to characterize, and track colloidal particles in three dimensions at unprecedented accuracy. We took digital snapshots of the interference pattern between the light scattered by micrometer particles and the unaltered portion of a laser beam that was used to illuminate dilute colloidal dispersions on a light microscope in transmission mode. We numerically fit Mie-theory for the light-scattering by micrometer sized particles to these experimental in-line holograms. The fit values give the position in three dimensions with an accuracy of a few nanometers in the lateral directions and several tens of nanometers in the axial direction. The individual particles radii and refractive indices could be determined to within tens of nanometers and a few hundredths respectively. By using a fast CCD camera, we can track particles with millisecond resolution in time which allows us to study dynamical properties such as the hydrodynamic radius and the sedimentation coefficient. The scattering behavior of the particles that we use to track and characterize colloidal particles makes it possible to exert pico-Newton forces on them close to a diffraction limited focus. When these effects are used to confine colloids in space, this technique is called Optical Tweezers. Both by numerical calculations and by experiments, we explore the possibilities of optical tweezers in soft condensed matter research. Using optical tweezers we placed multiple particles in interesting configurations to measure the interaction forces between them. The interaction forces were Yukawa-like screened charge repulsions. Careful timing of the blinking of time-shared optical tweezers and of the recording of holographic snapshots, we were able to measure interaction forces with femto-Newton accuracy from an analysis of (driven) Brownian motion. Forces exerted by external fields such as electric fields and gravity were measured as well. We induced electric dipoles in colloidal particles by applying radio frequency electric fields. Dipole induced strings of particles were formed and made permanent by van der Waals attractions or thermal annealing. Such colloidal strings form colloidal analogues of charged and un-charged (bio-) polymers. The diffusion and bending behavior of such strings was probed using DHM and optical tweezers.

Plasmonic particles of colloidal silver in high-resolution recording media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreeva, O. V.; Andreeva, N. V.; Kuzmina, T. B.

2017-01-01

The optical properties of colloidal silver particles formed photographically in high-resolution silver halide photographic materials have been considered. The conditions that allow one to obtain exposed and developed light-sensitive silver halide particles in the form of colloidal particles of metallic silver having the properties of localized plasmons have been described. The results of the studies of the developed silver particles in traditional photographic materials for image holography and in nanoporous silver halide photographic materials for volume holography have been presented. The perspectives of using plasmonic silver nanoparticles produced photographically have been discussed.

Asymmetrical Polyhedral Configuration of Giant Vesicles Induced by Orderly Array of Encapsulated Colloidal Particles

PubMed Central

Natsume, Yuno; Toyota, Taro

2016-01-01

Giant vesicles (GVs) encapsulating colloidal particles by a specific volume fraction show a characteristic configuration under a hypertonic condition. Several flat faces were formed in GV membrane with orderly array of inner particles. GV shape changed from the spherical to the asymmetrical polyhedral configuration. This shape deformation was derived by entropic interaction between inner particles and GV membrane. Because a part of inner particles became to form an ordered phase in the region neighboring the GV membrane, free volume for the other part of particles increased. Giant vesicles encapsulating colloidal particles were useful for the model of “crowding effect” which is the entropic interaction in the cell. PMID:26752650

Asymmetrical Polyhedral Configuration of Giant Vesicles Induced by Orderly Array of Encapsulated Colloidal Particles.

PubMed

Natsume, Yuno; Toyota, Taro

2016-01-01

Giant vesicles (GVs) encapsulating colloidal particles by a specific volume fraction show a characteristic configuration under a hypertonic condition. Several flat faces were formed in GV membrane with orderly array of inner particles. GV shape changed from the spherical to the asymmetrical polyhedral configuration. This shape deformation was derived by entropic interaction between inner particles and GV membrane. Because a part of inner particles became to form an ordered phase in the region neighboring the GV membrane, free volume for the other part of particles increased. Giant vesicles encapsulating colloidal particles were useful for the model of "crowding effect" which is the entropic interaction in the cell.

Colloidal assembly directed by virtual magnetic moulds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirörs, Ahmet F.; Pillai, Pramod P.; Kowalczyk, Bartlomiej; Grzybowski, Bartosz A.

2013-11-01

Interest in assemblies of colloidal particles has long been motivated by their applications in photonics, electronics, sensors and microlenses. Existing assembly schemes can position colloids of one type relatively flexibly into a range of desired structures, but it remains challenging to produce multicomponent lattices, clusters with precisely controlled symmetries and three-dimensional assemblies. A few schemes can efficiently produce complex colloidal structures, but they require system-specific procedures. Here we show that magnetic field microgradients established in a paramagnetic fluid can serve as `virtual moulds' to act as templates for the assembly of large numbers (~108) of both non-magnetic and magnetic colloidal particles with micrometre precision and typical yields of 80 to 90 per cent. We illustrate the versatility of this approach by producing single-component and multicomponent colloidal arrays, complex three-dimensional structures and a variety of colloidal molecules from polymeric particles, silica particles and live bacteria and by showing that all of these structures can be made permanent. In addition, although our magnetic moulds currently resemble optical traps in that they are limited to the manipulation of micrometre-sized objects, they are massively parallel and can manipulate non-magnetic and magnetic objects simultaneously in two and three dimensions.

In-situ chemical barrier and method of making

DOEpatents

Cantrell, K.J.; Kaplan, D.I.

1999-01-12

A chemical barrier is formed by injecting a suspension of solid particles or colloids into the subsurface. First, a stable colloid suspension is made including a surfactant and a non-Newtonian fluid. This stable colloid suspension is characterized by colloid concentration, colloid size, colloid material, solution ionic strength, and chemical composition. A second step involves injecting the optimized stable colloid suspension at a sufficiently high flow rate to move the colloids through the subsurface sediment, but not at such a high rate so as to induce resuspending indigenous soil particles in the aquifer. While injecting the stable colloid suspension, a withdrawal well may be used to draw the injected colloids in a direction perpendicular to the flow path of a contaminant plume. The withdrawal well, may then be used as an injection well, and a third well, in line with the first two wells, may then be used as a withdrawal well, thereby increasing the length of the colloid barrier. This process would continue until emplacement of the colloid barrier is complete. 7 figs.

In-situ chemical barrier and method of making

DOEpatents

Cantrell, Kirk J.; Kaplan, Daniel I.

1999-01-01

A chemical barrier is formed by injecting a suspension of solid particles or colloids into the subsurface. First, a stable colloid suspension is made including a surfactant and a non-Newtonian fluid. This stable colloid suspension is characterized by colloid concentration, colloid size, colloid material, solution ionic strength, and chemical composition. A second step involves injecting the optimized stable colloid suspension at a sufficiently high flow rate to move the colloids through the subsurface sediment, but not at such a high rate so as to induce resuspending indigenous soil particles in the aquifer. While injecting the stable colloid suspension, a withdrawal well may be used to draw the injected colloids in a direction perpendicular to the flow path of a contaminant plume. The withdrawal well, may then be used as an injection well, and a third well, in line with the first two wells, may then be used as a withdrawal well, thereby increasing the length of the colloid barrier. This process would continue until emplacement of the colloid barrier is complete.

Surface preparation of substances for continuous convective assembly of fine particles

DOEpatents

Rossi, Robert

2003-01-01

A method for producing periodic nanometer-scale arrays of metal or semiconductor junctions on a clean semiconductor substrate surface is provided comprising the steps of: etching the substrate surface to make it hydrophilic, forming, under an inert atmosphere, a crystalline colloid layer on the substrate surface, depositing a metal or semiconductor material through the colloid layer onto the surface of the substrate, and removing the colloid from the substrate surface. The colloid layer is grown on the clean semiconductor surface by withdrawing the semiconductor substrate from a sol of colloid particles.

Get Beyond Limits: From Colloidal Tectonics Concept to the Engineering of Eco-friendly Catalytic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclercq, Loïc

2018-05-01

The interactions between two or more molecules or colloidal particles can be used to obtain a variety of self-assembled systems called supramolecules or supracolloids. There is a clear, but neglected, convergence between these two fields. Indeed, the packing of molecules into colloidal or supracolloidal particles emerges as a smart solution to build an infinite variety of reversible systems with predictable properties. In this respect, the molecular building blocks are called “tectons” whereas “colloidal tectonics” describes the spontaneous formation of (supra)colloidal structures using tectonic subunits. As a consequence, a bottom-up edification is allowed from tectons into (supra)colloidal particles with higher degrees of organization. These (supra)colloidal systems can be very useful to obtain catalysts with tunable amphiphilic properties. In this perspective, an overview of colloidal tectonics concept is presented as well as its use for the design of new, smart and flexible catalytic systems. Finally, the advantages of these catalytic devices are discussed and the perspective of future developments is addressed especially in the context of “green chemistry”.

Get Beyond Limits: From Colloidal Tectonics Concept to the Engineering of Eco-Friendly Catalytic Systems

PubMed Central

Leclercq, Loïc

2018-01-01

The interactions between two or more molecules or colloidal particles can be used to obtain a variety of self-assembled systems called supramolecules or supracolloids. There is a clear, but neglected, convergence between these two fields. Indeed, the packing of molecules into colloidal or supracolloidal particles emerges as a smart solution to build an infinite variety of reversible systems with predictable properties. In this respect, the molecular building blocks are called “tectons” whereas “colloidal tectonics” describes the spontaneous formation of (supra)colloidal structures using tectonic subunits. As a consequence, a bottom-up edification is allowed from tectons into (supra)colloidal particles with higher degrees of organization (Graphical Abstract). These (supra)colloidal systems can be very useful to obtain catalysts with tunable amphiphilic properties. In this perspective, an overview of colloidal tectonics concept is presented as well as its use for the design of new, smart, and flexible catalytic systems. Finally, the advantages of these catalytic devices are discussed and the perspective of future developments is addressed especially in the context of “green chemistry.”

Determining Number Concentrations and Diameters of Polystyrene Particles by Measuring the Effective Refractive Index of Colloids Using Surface Plasmon Resonance.

PubMed

Tuoriniemi, Jani; Moreira, Beatriz; Safina, Gulnara

2016-10-04

The capabilities of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for characterization of colloidal particles were evaluated for 100, 300, and 460 nm nominal diameter polystyrene (PS) latexes. First the accuracy of measuring the effective refractive index (n eff ) of turbid colloids using SPR was quantified. It was concluded that for submicrometer sized PS particles the accuracy is limited by the reproducibility between replicate injections of samples. An SPR method was developed for obtaining the particle mean diameter (d part ) and the particle number concentration (c p ) by fitting the measured n eff of polystyrene (PS) colloids diluted in series with theoretical values calculated using the coherent scattering theory (CST). The d part and c p determined using SPR agreed with reference values obtained from size distributions measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the mass concentrations stated by the manufacturer. The 100 nm particles adsorbed on the sensing surface, which hampered the analysis. Once the adsorption problem has been overcome, the developed SPR method has potential to become a versatile tool for characterization of colloidal particles. In particular, SPR could form the basis of rapid and accurate methods for measuring the c p of submicrometer particles in dispersion.

Two-Dimensional Nucleation on the Terrace of Colloidal Crystals with Added Polymers.

PubMed

Nozawa, Jun; Uda, Satoshi; Guo, Suxia; Hu, Sumeng; Toyotama, Akiko; Yamanaka, Junpei; Okada, Junpei; Koizumi, Haruhiko

2017-04-04

Understanding nucleation dynamics is important both fundamentally and technologically in materials science and other scientific fields. Two-dimensional (2D) nucleation is the predominant growth mechanism in colloidal crystallization, in which the particle interaction is attractive, and has recently been regarded as a promising method to fabricate varieties of complex nanostructures possessing innovative functionality. Here, polymers are added to a colloidal suspension to generate a depletion attractive force, and the detailed 2D nucleation process on the terrace of the colloidal crystals is investigated. In the system, we first measured the nucleation rate at various area fractions of particles on the terrace, ϕ area . In situ observations at single-particle resolution revealed that nucleation behavior follows the framework of classical nucleation theory (CNT), such as single-step nucleation pathway and existence of critical size. Characteristic nucleation behavior is observed in that the nucleation and growth stage are clearly differentiated. When many nuclei form in a small area of the terrace, a high density of kink sites of once formed islands makes growth more likely to occur than further nucleation because nucleation has a higher energy barrier than growth. The steady-state homogeneous 2D nucleation rate, J, and the critical size of nuclei, r*, are measured by in situ observations based on the CNT, which enable us to obtain the step free energy, γ, which is an important parameter for characterizing the nucleation process. The γ value is found to change according to the strength of attraction, which is tuned by the concentration of the polymer as a depletant.

Fabrication of Polyhedral Particles from Spherical Colloids and Their Self-Assembly into Rotator Phases**

PubMed Central

Vutukuri, Hanumantha Rao; Imhof, Arnout; van Blaaderen, Alfons

2014-01-01

Particle shape is a critical parameter that plays an important role in self-assembly, for example, in designing targeted complex structures with desired properties. Over the last decades, an unprecedented range of monodisperse nanoparticle systems with control over the shape of the particles have become available. In contrast, the choice of micrometer-sized colloidal building blocks of particles with flat facets, that is, particles with polygonal shapes, is significantly more limited. This can be attributed to the fact that in contrast to nanoparticles, the larger colloids are significantly harder to synthesize as single crystals. It is now shown that a very simple building block, such as a micrometer-sized polymeric spherical colloidal particle, is already enough to fabricate particles with regularly placed flat facets, including completely polygonal shapes with sharp edges. As an illustration that the yields are high enough for further self-assembly studies, the formation of three-dimensional rotator phases of fluorescently labelled, micrometer-sized, and charged rhombic dodecahedron particles was demonstrated. This method for fabricating polyhedral particles opens a new avenue for designing new materials. PMID:25366869

Charging and discharging of single colloidal particles at oil/water interfaces

PubMed Central

Gao, Peng; Xing, XiaoChen; Li, Ye; Ngai, To; Jin, Fan

2014-01-01

The physical behavior of solid colloids trapped at a fluid-fluid interface remains in itself an open fundamental issue. Here, we show that the gradients of surface tension can induce particles to jet towards the oil/water interface with velocities as high as ≈ 60 mm/s when particle suspensions come in contact with the interface. We hypothesize that rubbing between the particles and oil lead to the spontaneous accumulation of negative charges on the hemisphere of those interfacial particles that contact the oil phase by means of triboelectrification. The charging process is highly dependent on the sliding distances, and gives rise to long-ranged repulsions that protect interfacial particles from coagulating at the interface by the presence of electrolyte. These triboelectric charges, however, are compensated within several hours, which affect the stability of interfacial particles. Importantly, by charging different kinds of colloidal particles using various spreading solvents and dispersion methods, we have demonstrated that charging and discharging of single colloidal particles at oil/water interfaces impacts a broad range of dynamical behavior. PMID:24786477

Physical foundation of the fluid particle dynamics method for colloid dynamics simulation.

PubMed

Furukawa, Akira; Tateno, Michio; Tanaka, Hajime

2018-05-16

Colloid dynamics is significantly influenced by many-body hydrodynamic interactions mediated by a suspending fluid. However, theoretical and numerical treatments of such interactions are extremely difficult. To overcome this situation, we developed a fluid particle dynamics (FPD) method [H. Tanaka and T. Araki, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2000, 35, 3523], which is based on two key approximations: (i) a colloidal particle is treated as a highly viscous particle and (ii) the viscosity profile is described by a smooth interfacial profile function. Approximation (i) makes our method free from the solid-fluid boundary condition, significantly simplifying the treatment of many-body hydrodynamic interactions while satisfying the incompressible condition without the Stokes approximation. Approximation (ii) allows us to incorporate an extra degree of freedom in a fluid, e.g., orientational order and concentration, as an additional field variable. Here, we consider two fundamental problems associated with these approximations. One is the introduction of thermal noise and the other is the incorporation of coupling of the colloid surface with an order parameter introduced into a fluid component, which is crucial when considering colloidal particles suspended in a complex fluid. Here, we show that our FPD method makes it possible to simulate colloid dynamics properly while including full hydrodynamic interactions, inertia effects, incompressibility, thermal noise, and additional degrees of freedom of a fluid, which may be relevant for wide applications in colloidal and soft matter science.

On adiabatic pair potentials of highly charged colloid particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sogami, Ikuo S.

2018-03-01

Generalizing the Debye-Hückel formalism, we develop a new mean field theory for adiabatic pair potentials of highly charged particles in colloid dispersions. The unoccupied volume and the osmotic pressure are the key concepts to describe the chemical and thermodynamical equilibrium of the gas of small ions in the outside region of all of the colloid particles. To define the proper thermodynamic quantities, it is postulated to take an ensemble averaging with respect to the particle configurations in the integrals for their densities consisting of the electric potential satisfying a set of equations that are derived by linearizing the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. With the Fourier integral representation of the electric potential, we calculate first the internal electric energy of the system from which the Helmholtz free energy is obtained through the Legendre transformation. Then, the Gibbs free energy is calculated using both ways of the Legendre transformation with respect to the unoccupied volume and the summation of chemical potentials. The thermodynamic functions provide three types of pair potentials, all of which are inversely proportional to the fraction of the unoccupied volume. At the limit when the fraction factor reduces to unity, the Helmholtz pair potential turns exactly into the well known Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek repulsive potential. The Gibbs pair potential possessing a medium-range strong repulsive part and a long-range weak attractive tail can explain the Schulze-Hardy rule for coagulation in combination with the van der Waals-London potential and describes a rich variety of phenomena of phase transitions observed in the dilute dispersions of highly charged particles.

Reconfigurable interactions and three-dimensional patterning of colloidal particles and defects in lamellar soft media

PubMed Central

Trivedi, Rahul P.; Klevets, Ivan I.; Senyuk, Bohdan; Lee, Taewoo; Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2012-01-01

Colloidal systems find important applications ranging from fabrication of photonic crystals to direct probing of phenomena typically encountered in atomic crystals and glasses. New applications—such as nanoantennas, plasmonic sensors, and nanocircuits—pose a challenge of achieving sparse colloidal assemblies with tunable interparticle separations that can be controlled at will. We demonstrate reconfigurable multiscale interactions and assembly of colloids mediated by defects in cholesteric liquid crystals that are probed by means of laser manipulation and three-dimensional imaging. We find that colloids attract via distance-independent elastic interactions when pinned to the ends of cholesteric oily streaks, line defects at which one or more layers are interrupted. However, dislocations and oily streaks can also be optically manipulated to induce kinks, allowing one to lock them into the desired configurations that are stabilized by elastic energy barriers for structural transformation of the particle-connecting defects. Under the influence of elastic energy landscape due to these defects, sublamellar-sized colloids self-assemble into structures mimicking the cores of dislocations and oily streaks. Interactions between these defect-embedded colloids can be varied from attractive to repulsive by optically introducing dislocation kinks. The reconfigurable nature of defect–particle interactions allows for patterning of defects by manipulation of colloids and, in turn, patterning of particles by these defects, thus achieving desired colloidal configurations on scales ranging from the size of defect core to the sample size. This defect-colloidal sculpturing may be extended to other lamellar media, providing the means for optically guided self-assembly of mesoscopic composites with predesigned properties. PMID:22411822

MOBILIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COLLOIDS GENERATED FROM CEMENT LEACHATES MOVING THROUGH A SRS SANDY SEDIMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, D.; Roberts, K.; Kaplan, D.

Naturally occurring mobile colloids are ubiquitous and are involved in many important processes in the subsurface zone. For example, colloid generation and subsequent mobilization represent a possible mechanism for the transport of contaminants including radionuclides in the subsurface environments. For colloid-facilitated transport to be significant, three criteria must be met: (1) colloids must be generated; (2) contaminants must associate with the colloids preferentially to the immobile solid phase (aquifer); and (3) colloids must be transported through the groundwater or in subsurface environments - once these colloids start moving they become 'mobile colloids'. Although some experimental investigations of particle release inmore » natural porous media have been conducted, the detailed mechanisms of release and re-deposition of colloidal particles within natural porous media are poorly understood. Even though this vector of transport is known, the extent of its importance is not known yet. Colloid-facilitated transport of trace radionuclides has been observed in the field, thus demonstrating a possible radiological risk associated with the colloids. The objective of this study was to determine if cementitious leachate would promote the in situ mobilization of natural colloidal particles from a SRS sandy sediment. The intent was to determine whether cementitious surface or subsurface structure would create plumes that could produce conditions conducive to sediment dispersion and mobile colloid generation. Column studies were conducted and the cation chemistries of influents and effluents were analyzed by ICP-OES, while the mobilized colloids were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, PSD and Zeta potential. The mobilization mechanisms of colloids in a SRS sandy sediment by cement leachates were studied.« less

Note: Production of stable colloidal probes for high-temperature atomic force microscopy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ditscherlein, L.; Peuker, U. A.

2017-04-01

For the application of colloidal probe atomic force microscopy at high temperatures (>500 K), stable colloidal probe cantilevers are essential. In this study, two new methods for gluing alumina particles onto temperature stable cantilevers are presented and compared with an existing method for borosilicate particles at elevated temperatures as well as with cp-cantilevers prepared with epoxy resin at room temperature. The durability of the fixing of the particle is quantified with a test method applying high shear forces. The force is calculated with a mechanical model considering both the bending as well as the torsion on the colloidal probe.

New grafted ferrite particles/liquid crystal composite under magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manaila Maximean, D.

2018-04-01

A new colloidal composite formed by specially synthesized dimethylphenyl ferrite particles and a nematic liquid crystal (LC) is presented. By applying a small magnetic field during polarizing optical microscopy observations, it was found that the magnetic moment of the synthesized ferrite is perpendicular to the director of the LC. The optical transmission of laser light across the ferronematic was investigated under magnetic field. The critical magnetic field corresponding to the Freedericksz transition was obtained and discussed according to the Burylov and Raikher theory.

Self-assembled tunable networks of sticky colloidal particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Demortiere, Arnaud; Snezhko, Oleksiy Alexey; Sapozhnikov, Maksim

Self-assembled tunable networks of microscopic polymer fibers ranging from wavy colloidal "fur" to highly interconnected networks are created from polymer systems and an applied electric field. The networks emerge via dynamic self-assembly in an alternating (ac) electric field from a non-aqueous suspension of "sticky" polymeric colloidal particles with a controlled degree of polymerization. The resulting architectures are tuned by the frequency and amplitude of the electric field and surface properties of the particles.

Size-dependent control of colloid transport via solute gradients in dead-end channels

PubMed Central

Shin, Sangwoo; Um, Eujin; Sabass, Benedikt; Ault, Jesse T.; Rahimi, Mohammad; Warren, Patrick B.; Stone, Howard A.

2016-01-01

Transport of colloids in dead-end channels is involved in widespread applications including drug delivery and underground oil and gas recovery. In such geometries, Brownian motion may be considered as the sole mechanism that enables transport of colloidal particles into or out of the channels, but it is, unfortunately, an extremely inefficient transport mechanism for microscale particles. Here, we explore the possibility of diffusiophoresis as a means to control the colloid transport in dead-end channels by introducing a solute gradient. We demonstrate that the transport of colloidal particles into the dead-end channels can be either enhanced or completely prevented via diffusiophoresis. In addition, we show that size-dependent diffusiophoretic transport of particles can be achieved by considering a finite Debye layer thickness effect, which is commonly ignored. A combination of diffusiophoresis and Brownian motion leads to a strong size-dependent focusing effect such that the larger particles tend to concentrate more and reside deeper in the channel. Our findings have implications for all manners of controlled release processes, especially for site-specific delivery systems where localized targeting of particles with minimal dispersion to the nontarget area is essential. PMID:26715753

Super-resolution optical microscopy resolves network morphology of smart colloidal microgels.

PubMed

Bergmann, Stephan; Wrede, Oliver; Huser, Thomas; Hellweg, Thomas

2018-02-14

We present a new method to resolve the network morphology of colloidal particles in an aqueous environment via super-resolution microscopy. By localization of freely diffusing fluorophores inside the particle network we can resolve the three dimensional structure of one species of colloidal particles (thermoresponsive microgels) without altering their chemical composition through copolymerization with fluorescent monomers. Our approach utilizes the interaction of the fluorescent dye rhodamine 6G with the polymer network to achieve an indirect labeling. We calculate the 3D structure from the 2D images and compare the structure to previously published models for the microgel morphology, e.g. the fuzzy sphere model. To describe the differences in the data an extension of this model is suggested. Our method enables the tailor-made fabrication of colloidal particles which are used in various applications, such as paints or cosmetics, and are promising candidates for drug delivery, smart surface coatings, and nanocatalysis. With the precise knowledge of the particle morphology an understanding of the underlying structure-property relationships for various colloidal systems is possible.

Refractive index of colloidal dispersions of spheroidal particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meeten, G.H.

1980-09-01

The effect of particle shape on the refractive index of a colloidal dispersion of spheroidal particles is investigated theoretically, using the Rayleigh, Rayleigh- Gans-Debye, and the anomalous diffraction light-scattering approximations. It is shown that departure from particle sphericity modify the dispersion refractive index, both size and shape being of importance.

Improving the engine power of a catalytic Janus-sphere micromotor by roughening its surface.

PubMed

Longbottom, Brooke W; Bon, Stefan A F

2018-03-15

Microspheres with catalytic caps have become a popular model system for studying self-propelled colloids. Existing experimental studies involve predominantly "smooth" particle surfaces. In this study we determine the effect of irregular surface deformations on the propulsive mechanism with a particular focus on speed. The particle surfaces of polymer microspheres were deformed prior to depositing a layer of platinum which resulted in the formation of nanoscopic pillars of catalyst. Self-propulsion was induced upon exposure of the micromotors to hydrogen peroxide, whilst they were dispersed in water. The topological surface features were shown to boost speed (~2×) when the underlying deformations are small (nanoscale), whilst large deformations afforded little difference despite a substantial apparent catalytic surface area. Colloids with deformed surfaces were more likely to display a mixture of rotational and translational propulsion than their "smooth" counterparts.

Acquisition of a High Voltage/High resolution Transmission Electron Microscope.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-21

microstructural design starts at the nanometer level. One such method is colloidal processing of materials with ultrafine particles in which particle...applications in the colloidal processing of ceramics with ultrafine particles . Aftervards, nanometer-sized particles will be synthesized and...STRUCTURAL CONTROL WITH ULTRAFINE PARTICLES Jun Liu. Mehmet Sarikaya, and I. A. Aksay Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Advanced

Solid colloidal optical wavelength filter

DOEpatents

Alvarez, Joseph L.

1992-01-01

A solid colloidal optical wavelength filter includes a suspension of spheal particles dispersed in a coagulable medium such as a setting plastic. The filter is formed by suspending spherical particles in a coagulable medium; agitating the particles and coagulable medium to produce an emulsion of particles suspended in the coagulable medium; and allowing the coagulable medium and suspended emulsion of particles to cool.

Aggregation of asbestos fibers in water: role of solution chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, L.; Ortiz, C. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2016-12-01

Aggregation kinetics and stability of colloidal particles have been extensively studied using bulk techniques such as dynamic light scattering; these techniques involve large ensembles of particles and interpretation of results is difficult when particles are non-spherical and poorly characterized, as is always the case with non-ideal natural hazardous materials such as asbestos fibers. These difficulties hinder greatly progress on fundamental understanding of whether the classic colloidal aggregation theories can be applied to natural materials and how the heterogeneity of particles (e.g., shape) affects the colloidal aggregation kinetics and structure. By using in-situ microscopy and particle tracking techniques, we were able to observe the particle-by-particle growth of aggregated formed by elongated particles (synthetic glass rods and natural asbestos fibers) and demonstrated the rod-shaped geometry induced novel structures and growth dynamics that challenge existing theory. In this study, we continue to use asbestos as model system of elongated colloidal contaminant, and investigate the effects of changing solution chemistry (e.g., ionic strength, pH, and natural organic matter (NOM)), on growth dynamics and aggregates structure. The results show that aggregate growth curves are self-similar with a characteristic timescale that increases with increasing pH. By varying ionic strength for fixed pH values, we determine that the ccc is sensitive to pH. Fractal dimension decreases slightly with increasing pH and decreasing ionic strength, indicating that stronger inter-particle repulsion create sparser aggregates; however, the magnitude of the solution chemistry effects is much smaller than that of colloid shape. In monovalent solutions, regardless of their concentration, HA drastically reduces the aggregation kinetics of asbestos fiber. This work may lead to enhanced prediction of the colloidal contaminants' mobility in the environment, bioavailability, and toxicity to organisms.

Self-Sorting of Bidispersed Colloidal Particles Near Contact Line of an Evaporating Sessile Droplet.

PubMed

Patil, Nagesh D; Bhardwaj, Rajneesh; Sharma, Atul

2018-06-13

Here, we investigate deposit patterns and associated morphology formed after the evaporation of an aqueous droplet containing mono- and bidispersed colloidal particles. In particular, the combined effect of substrate heating and particle diameter is investigated. We employ high-speed visualization, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to characterize the evaporating droplets, particle motion, and deposit morphology, respectively. In the context of monodispersed colloidal particles, an inner deposit and a typical ring form for smaller and larger particles, respectively, on a nonheated surface. The formation of the inner deposit is attributed to early depinning of the contact line, explained by a mechanistic model based on the balance of several forces acting on a particle near the contact line. At larger substrate temperature, a thin ring with inner deposit forms, explained by the self-pinning of the contact line and advection of the particles from the contact line to the center of the droplet due to the Marangoni flow. In the context of bidispersed colloidal particles, self-sorting of the colloidal particles within the ring occurs at larger substrate temperature. The smaller particles deposit at the outermost edge compared to the larger particles, and this preferential deposition in a stagnation region near the contact line is due to the spatially varying height of the liquid-gas interface above the substrate. The sorting occurs at a smaller ratio of the diameters of the smaller and larger particles. At larger substrate temperature and larger ratio, the particles do not get sorted and mix into each other. Our measurements show that there exists a critical substrate temperature as well as a diameter ratio to achieve the sorting. We propose regime maps on substrate temperature-particle diameter and substrate temperature-diameter ratio plane for mono- and bidispersed solutions, respectively.

Conception of the first magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents: a brief history.

PubMed

de Haën, C

2001-08-01

About 20 years ago, a technological innovation process started that eventually led to the affirmation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, which are used today in about 25% of all MRI procedures, as medical diagnostic tools. The process began with exploration of various technical possibilities and the conception in the years 1981 to 1982 of two types of agents (soluble paramagnetic chelates and protection colloid-stabilized colloidal particle solutions of magnetite) that eventually found embodiments in commercially available products. The pioneering products that eventually reached the market were gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist, Schering AG) and the ferumoxides (Endorem, Guerbet SA; or Ferridex , Berlex Laboratories Inc.). The history of the conception phase of the technology is reconstructed here, focusing on the social dynamics rather than on technological aspects. In the period 1981 to 1982, a number of independent inventors from industry and academia conceived of water-soluble paramagnetic chelates and protection colloid-stabilized colloidal solutions of small particles of magnetite, both of acceptable tolerability, as contrast agents for MRI. Priorities on patents conditioned the further course of events. The analyzed history helps in understanding the typical roles of different institutions in technological innovation. The foundation of MRI contrast agent technology in basic science clearly was laid in academia. During the conception of practical products, industry assumed a dominant role. Beginning with the radiological evaluation of candidate products, the collaboration between industry and academia became essential.

Regiospecific Nucleation and Growth of Silane Coupling Agent Droplets onto Colloidal Particles

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Nucleation-and-growth processes are used extensively in the synthesis of spherical colloids, and more recently regiospecific nucleation-and-growth processes have been exploited to prepare more complex colloids such as patchy particles. We demonstrate that surface geometry alone can be made to play the dominant role in determining the final particle geometry in such syntheses, meaning that intricate chemical surface patternings are not required. We present a synthesis method for “lollipop”-shaped colloidal heterodimers (patchy particles), combining a recently published nucleation-and-growth technique with our recent findings that particle geometry influences the locus of droplet adsorption onto anisotropic template particles. Specifically, 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) is nucleated and grown onto bullet-shaped and nail-shaped colloids. The shape of the template particle can be chosen such that the MPTMS adsorbs regiospecifically onto the flat ends. In particular, we find that particles with a wider base increase the range of droplet volumes for which the minimum in the free energy of adsorption is located at the flat end of the particle compared with bullet-shaped particles of the same aspect ratio. We put forward an extensive analysis of the synthesis mechanism and experimentally determine the physical properties of the heterodimers, supported by theoretical simulations. Here we numerically optimize, for the first time, the shape of finite-sized droplets as a function of their position on the rod-like silica particle surface. We expect that our findings will give an impulse to complex particle creation by regiospecific nucleation and growth. PMID:29057028

Modeling particle-facilitated solute transport using the C-Ride module of HYDRUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simunek, Jiri; Bradford, Scott A.

2017-04-01

Strongly sorbing chemicals (e.g., heavy metals, radionuclides, pharmaceuticals, and/or explosives) in soils are associated predominantly with the solid phase, which is commonly assumed to be stationary. However, recent field- and laboratory-scale observations have shown that, in the presence of mobile colloidal particles (e.g., microbes, humic substances, clays and metal oxides), the colloids could act as pollutant carriers and thus provide a rapid transport pathway for strongly sorbing contaminants. Such transport can be further accelerated since these colloidal particles may travel through interconnected larger pores where the water velocity is relatively high. Additionally, colloidal particles have a considerable adsorption capacity for other species present in water because of their large specific surface areas and their high concentrations in soil-water and groundwater. As a result, the transport of contaminants can be significantly, sometimes dramatically, enhanced when they are adsorbed to mobile colloids. To address this problem, we have developed the C-Ride module for HYDRUS-1D. This one-dimensional numerical module is based on the HYDRUS-1D software package and incorporates mechanisms associated with colloid and colloid-facilitated solute transport in variably saturated porous media. This numerical model accounts for both colloid and solute movement due to convection, diffusion, and dispersion in variably-saturated soils, as well as for solute movement facilitated by colloid transport. The colloids transport module additionally considers processes of attachment/detachment to/from the solid phase, straining, and/or size exclusion. Various blocking and depth dependent functions can be used to modify the attachment and straining coefficients. The module additionally considers the effects of changes in the water content on colloid/bacteria transport and attachment/detachment to/from solid-water and air-water interfaces. For example, when the air-water interface disappears during imbibition, particles residing on this interface are released into the liquid phase. Similarly, during drainage, particles residing at the solid-water interface may be detached from this interface by capillary forces and released into the liquid phase or become attached to the air-water interface. The solute transport module uses the concept of two-site sorption to describe nonequilibrium adsorption-desorption reactions to the solid phase. The module further assumes that the contaminant can be sorbed onto surfaces of both deposited and mobile colloids, fully accounting for the dynamics of colloids movement between different phases. We will demonstrate the use of the module using selected datasets and numerical examples.

Cotransport of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and hematite colloids in saturated porous media: Mechanistic insights from mathematical modeling and phosphate oxygen isotope fractionation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dengjun; Jin, Yan; Jaisi, Deb P.

2015-11-01

The fate and transport of individual type of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in porous media have been studied intensively and the corresponding mechanisms controlling ENPs transport and deposition are well-documented. However, investigations regarding the mobility of ENPs in the concurrent presence of another mobile colloidal phase such as naturally occurring colloids (colloid-mediated transport of ENPs) are largely lacking. Here, we investigated the cotransport and retention of engineered hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) with naturally occurring hematite colloids in water-saturated sand columns under environmentally relevant transport conditions, i.e., pH, ionic strength (IS), and flow rate. Particularly, phosphate oxygen isotope fractionation of HANPs during cotransport was explored at various ISs and flow rates to examine the mechanisms controlling the isotope fractionation of HANPs in abiotic transport processes (physical transport). During cotransport, greater mobility of both HANPs and hematite occurred at higher pHs and flow rates, but at lower ISs. Intriguingly, the mobility of both HANPs and hematite was substantially lower during cotransport than the individual transport of either, attributed primarily to greater homo- and hetero-aggregation when both particles are copresent in the suspension. The shapes of breakthrough curves (BTCs) and retention profiles (RPs) during cotransport for both particles evolved from blocking to ripening with time and from flat to hyperexponential with depth, respectively, in response to decreases in pH and flow rate, and increases in IS. The blocking BTCs and RPs that are flat or hyperexponential can be well-approximated by a one-site kinetic attachment model. Conversely, a ripening model that incorporates attractive particle-particle interaction has to be employed to capture the ripening BTCs that are impacted by particle aggregation during cotransport. A small phosphate oxygen isotope fractionation (≤ 1.8‰) occurred among HANPs populations during cotransport responding to IS and flow rate changes. This fractionation is most likely a result of hetero-aggregation between hematite and HANPs that favors light phosphate isotopes (P16O4). This interpretation is further supported by the increase in isotope fractionation at higher ISs (i.e., greater aggregation). However, the fractionation was progressively erased by decreasing flow rate, ascribed to the reduced mass transfer of HANPs between the influent and effluent. Together our findings suggest that the cotransport and retention of HANPs and hematite colloids are highly sensitive to the considered physicochemical factors, and isotope tracing could serve as a promising tool to identify the sources and transport of phosphate-based NPs in complex subsurface environments due to insignificant transport-related isotope fractionation.

Self-assembly of colloid-cholesteric composites provides a possible route to switchable optical materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stratford, K.; Henrich, O.; Lintuvuori, J. S.; Cates, M. E.; Marenduzzo, D.

2014-06-01

Colloidal particles dispersed in liquid crystals can form new materials with tunable elastic and electro-optic properties. In a periodic ‘blue phase’ host, particles should template into colloidal crystals with potential uses in photonics, metamaterials and transformational optics. Here we show by computer simulation that colloid/cholesteric mixtures can give rise to regular crystals, glasses, percolating gels, isolated clusters, twisted rings and undulating colloidal ropes. This structure can be tuned via particle concentration, and by varying the surface interactions of the cholesteric host with both the particles and confining walls. Many of these new materials are metastable: two or more structures can arise under identical thermodynamic conditions. The observed structure depends not only on the formulation protocol but also on the history of an applied electric field. This new class of soft materials should thus be relevant to design of switchable, multistable devices for optical technologies such as smart glass and e-paper.

Mesoporous Colloidal Superparticles of Platinum-Group Nanocrystals with Surfactant-Free Surfaces and Enhanced Heterogeneous Catalysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Yongxing; Liu, Yuzi; Sun, Yugang

2015-01-23

Synthesis of colloidal superparticles (CSPs) of nanocrystals, a class of assembled nanocrystals in the form of colloidal particles, has been emerging as a new frontier in the field of nanotechnology because of their potential novel properties originated from coupling of individual nanocrystals in CSPs. Here, a facile approach is reported for the controlled synthesis of mesoporous CSPs made of various platinum-group nanocrystals that exhibit high colloidal stability and ligand-free surfaces to significantly benefit their applications in solution-phase heterogeneous catalysis. The synthesis relies on self-limiting growth of composite particles through coprecipitation of both Pt-group nanocrystals (or their precursor compounds) and silvermore » halides on sacrificial substrates of colloidal silver particles. The intermediate silver halides in the composite particles play the critical role in limiting the continuous growth (and/or coalescence) of individual Pt-group nanocrystals and they can be selectively dissolved to create nanoscale pores in the resulting CSPs.« less

Flocking ferromagnetic colloids

PubMed Central

Kaiser, Andreas; Snezhko, Alexey; Aranson, Igor S.

2017-01-01

Assemblages of microscopic colloidal particles exhibit fascinating collective motion when energized by electric or magnetic fields. The behaviors range from coherent vortical motion to phase separation and dynamic self-assembly. Although colloidal systems are relatively simple, understanding their collective response, especially under out-of-equilibrium conditions, remains elusive. We report on the emergence of flocking and global rotation in the system of rolling ferromagnetic microparticles energized by a vertical alternating magnetic field. By combing experiments and discrete particle simulations, we have identified primary physical mechanisms, leading to the emergence of large-scale collective motion: spontaneous symmetry breaking of the clockwise/counterclockwise particle rotation, collisional alignment of particle velocities, and random particle reorientations due to shape imperfections. We have also shown that hydrodynamic interactions between the particles do not have a qualitative effect on the collective dynamics. Our findings shed light on the onset of spatial and temporal coherence in a large class of active systems, both synthetic (colloids, swarms of robots, and biopolymers) and living (suspensions of bacteria, cell colonies, and bird flocks). PMID:28246633

Flocking ferromagnetic colloids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaiser, Andreas; Snezhko, Alexey; Aranson, Igor S.

Assemblages of microscopic colloidal particles exhibit fascinating collective motion when energized by electric or magnetic fields. The behaviors range from coherent vortical motion to phase separation and dynamic self-assembly. While colloidal systems are relatively simple, understanding their collective response, especially in out of equilibrium conditions, remains elusive. Here, we report on the emergence of flocking and global rotation in the system of rolling ferromagnetic microparticles energized by a vertical alternating magnetic field. By combing experiments and discrete particle simulations, we have identified primary physical mechanisms leading to the emergence of largescale collective motion: spontaneous symmetry breaking of the clock /more » counterclockwise particle rotation, collisional alignment of particle velocities, and random particle re-orientations due to shape imperfections. We have also shown that hydrodynamic interactions between the particles do not have a qualitative effect on the collective dynamics. Lastly, our findings shed light on the onset of spatial and temporal coherence in a large class of active systems, both synthetic (colloids, swarms of robots, biopolymers) and living (suspensions of bacteria, cell colonies, bird flocks).« less

Flocking ferromagnetic colloids

DOE PAGES

Kaiser, Andreas; Snezhko, Alexey; Aranson, Igor S.

2017-02-15

Assemblages of microscopic colloidal particles exhibit fascinating collective motion when energized by electric or magnetic fields. The behaviors range from coherent vortical motion to phase separation and dynamic self-assembly. While colloidal systems are relatively simple, understanding their collective response, especially in out of equilibrium conditions, remains elusive. Here, we report on the emergence of flocking and global rotation in the system of rolling ferromagnetic microparticles energized by a vertical alternating magnetic field. By combing experiments and discrete particle simulations, we have identified primary physical mechanisms leading to the emergence of largescale collective motion: spontaneous symmetry breaking of the clock /more » counterclockwise particle rotation, collisional alignment of particle velocities, and random particle re-orientations due to shape imperfections. We have also shown that hydrodynamic interactions between the particles do not have a qualitative effect on the collective dynamics. Lastly, our findings shed light on the onset of spatial and temporal coherence in a large class of active systems, both synthetic (colloids, swarms of robots, biopolymers) and living (suspensions of bacteria, cell colonies, bird flocks).« less

Experimental evidence of colloids and nanoparticles presence from 25 waste leachates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hennebert, Pierre, E-mail: pierre.hennebert@ineris.fr; Avellan, Astrid; Yan, Junfang

Highlights: • This work is the first assessment of colloids in waste leachates. • Analytical methods are proposed and discussed. • All the waste have at least one element in colloidal form, and some elements are always colloidal. • Man-made nanoparticles are observed. • It can change the interpretation of leachate elemental concentration. - Abstract: The potential colloids release from a large panel of 25 solid industrial and municipal waste leachates, contaminated soil, contaminated sediments and landfill leachates was studied. Standardized leaching, cascade filtrations and measurement of element concentrations in the microfiltrate (MF) and ultrafiltrate (UF) fraction were used tomore » easily detect colloids potentially released by waste. Precautions against CO{sub 2} capture by alkaline leachates, or bacterial re-growth in leachates from wastes containing organic matter should be taken. Most of the colloidal particles were visible by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersion spectrometry (TEM–EDS) if their elemental MF concentration is greater than 200 μg l{sup −1}. If the samples are dried during the preparation for microscopy, neoformation of particles can occur from the soluble part of the element. Size distribution analysis measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) were frequently unvalid, particularly due to polydispersity and/or too low concentrations in the leachates. A low sensitivity device is required, and further improvement is desirable in that field. For some waste leachates, particles had a zeta potential strong enough to remain in suspension. Mn, As, Co, Pb, Sn, Zn had always a colloidal form (MF concentration/UF concentration > 1.5) and total organic carbon (TOC), Fe, P, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni are partly colloidal for more than half of the samples). Nearly all the micro-pollutants (As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, V and Zn) were found at least once in colloidal form greater than 100 μg l{sup −1}. In particular, the colloidal forms of Zn were always by far more concentrated than its dissolved form. The TEM–EDS method showed various particles, including manufactured nanoparticles (organic polymer, TiO{sub 2}, particles with Sr, La, Ce, Nd). All the waste had at least one element detected as colloidal. The solid waste leachates contained significant amount of colloids different in elemental composition from natural ones. The majority of the elements were in colloidal form for wastes of packaging (3), a steel slag, a sludge from hydrometallurgy, composts (2), a dredged sediment (#18), an As contaminated soil and two active landfill leachates. These results showed that cascade filtration and ICP elemental analysis seems valid methods in this field, and that electronic microscopy with elemental detection allows to identify particles. Particles can be formed from dissolved elements during TEM sample preparation and cross-checking with MF and UF composition by ICP is useful. The colloidal fraction of leachate of waste seems to be a significant source term, and should be taken into account in studies of emission and transfer of contaminants in the environment. Standardized cross-filtration method could be amended for the presence of colloids in waste leachates.« less

Soil colloidal behavior

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent understanding that organic and inorganic contaminants are often transported via colloidal particles has increased interest in colloid science. The primary importance of colloids in soil science stems from their surface reactivity and charge characteristics. Characterizations of size, shape,...

Avalanches and plasticity for colloids in a time dependent optical trap

DOE PAGES

Olson Reichhardt, Cynthia Jane; McDermott, Danielle Marie; Reichhardt, Charles

2015-08-25

Here, with the use of optical traps it is possible to confine assemblies of colloidal particles in two-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional arrays. Here we examine how colloidal particles rearrange in a quasi-one-dimensional trap with a time dependent confining potential. The particle motion occurs both through slow elastic uniaxial distortions as well as through abrupt large-scale two-dimensional avalanches associated with plastic rearrangements. During the avalanches the particle velocity distributions extend over a broad range and can be fit to a power law consistent with other studies of plastic events mediated by dislocations.

Accelerated stability assay (ASA) for colloidal systems.

PubMed

Chong, Josephine Y T; Mulet, Xavier; Boyd, Ben J; Drummond, Calum J

2014-05-12

Assessment of the stability of colloidal systems, in particular lyotropic liquid crystalline dispersions, such as cubosomes and hexosomes, is typically performed qualitatively or with limited throughput on specialized instruments. Here, an accelerated stability assay for colloidal particles has been developed in 384-well plates with standard laboratory equipment. These protocols enable quantitative assessments of colloidal stability. To demonstrate the applicability of the assay, several steric stabilizers for cubic phase nanostructured particles (cubosomes) have been compared to the current "gold standard" Pluronic F127.

Colloidal aspects and packing behaviour of charged microparticulates in high efficiency ion chromatography.

PubMed

Wahab, M Farooq; Pohl, Christopher A; Lucy, Charles A

2012-12-28

The development of small particles in ion chromatography (IC) is a recent phenomenon. Very few studies are available on packing polymeric particles bearing ionizable functional groups. This study explores the colloidal and rheological properties that govern slurry packing to form high efficiency IC columns. The polymeric substrate used was non-porous 4.4 μm sulfonated ethylvinylbenzene–divinylbenzene (1.4 mequiv. SO(3)H/g resin) with 55% crosslink. We developed simple tests optical microscopy and sedimentation tests for predicting the quality of packed columns. The negatively charged particles (zeta potential: −52 mV in water) behave like colloids. The influence of counter-ion charge (Al(3+), Mg(2+), Na(+)) and ionic strength on column efficiency followed the Schulze–Hardy rule. Highly flocculating slurries give poorly packed columns with N ~ 900 whereas under non-agglomerating slurry conditions efficiencies up to N > 10,000 can be achieved. A non-agglomerating slurry also shows non-Newtonian behaviour, specifically shear thickening. Packing at lower flow rate (<1 mL/min) or higher temperature (>50 °C) reduces the shear thickening and produces higher efficiency columns. The packed sulfonated resin column is coated with 72 nm quaternary ammonium bearing latex (AS4A) and used in the separation of F(−), Cl(−), NO(2)(−), Br(−), and NO(3)(−) yielding a reduced plate height of 1.9 under optimum conditions.

The rheology and microstructure of aging thermoreversible colloidal gels & attractive driven glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Norman; Gordon, Melissa; Kloxin, Christopher

The properties of colloidal gels and glasses are known to change with age, but the particle-level mechanisms by which aging occurs is are fully understood, which limits our ability to predict macroscopic behavior in these systems. In this work, we quantitatively relate rheological aging to structural aging of a model, homogenous gel and attractive driven glass by simultaneously measuring the bulk properties and gel microstructure using rheometry and small angle neutron scattering (Rheo-SANS), respectively. Specifically, we develop a quantitative and predictive relationship between the macroscopic properties and the underlying microstructure (i . e . , the effective strength of attraction) of an aging colloidal gel and attractive driven glass and study it as a function of the thermal and shear history. Analysis with mode coupling theory is consistent with local particle rearrangements as the mechanism of aging, which lead to monotonically increasing interaction strengths in a continuously evolving material and strongly supports aging as a trajectory in the free energy landscape dominated by local particle relaxations. The analyses and conclusions of this study may be 1) industrially relevant to products that age on commercial timescales, such as paints and pharmaceuticals, 2) applicable to other dynamically arrested systems, such as metallic glasses, and 3) used in the design of new materials. NIST Center for Neutron Research CNS cooperative agreement number #70NANB12H239 and NASA Grant No. NNX15AI19H.

Electrode reactions of iron oxide-hydroxide colloids.

PubMed

Mahmoudi, Leila; Kissner, Reinhard

2014-11-07

Small-sized FeO(OH) colloids stabilised by sugars, commercially available for the clinical treatment of iron deficiency, show two waves during cathodic polarographic sweeps, or two current maxima with stationary electrodes, in neutral to slightly alkaline aqueous medium. Similar signals are observed with Fe(III) in alkaline media, pH > 12, containing citrate in excess. Voltammetric and polarographic responses reveal a strong influence of fast adsorption processes on gold and mercury. Visible spontaneous accumulation was also observed on platinum. The voltammetric signal at more positive potential is caused by Fe(III)→Fe(II) reduction, while the one at more negative potential has previously been assigned to Fe(II)→Fe(0) reduction. However, the involvement of adsorption phenomena leads us to the conclusion that the second cathodic current is caused again by Fe(III)→Fe(II), of species deeper inside the particles than those causing the first wave. This is further supported by X-ray photoelectron spectra obtained after FeO(OH) particle adsorption and reduction on a gold electrode surface. The same analysis suggests that sucrose stabilising the colloid is still bound to the adsorbed material, despite dilution and rinsing.

Size-fractionation of groundwater arsenic in alluvial aquifers of West Bengal, India: the role of organic and inorganic colloids.

PubMed

Majumder, Santanu; Nath, Bibhash; Sarkar, Simita; Chatterjee, Debashis; Roman-Ross, Gabriela; Hidalgo, Manuela

2014-01-15

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Fe mineral phases are known to influence the mobility of arsenic (As) in groundwater. Arsenic can be associated with colloidal particles containing organic matter and Fe. Currently, no data is available on the dissolved phase/colloidal association of As in groundwater of alluvial aquifers in West Bengal, India. This study investigated the fractional distribution of As (and other metals/metalloids) among the particulate, colloidal and dissolved phases in groundwater to decipher controlling behavior of organic and inorganic colloids on As mobility. The result shows that 83-94% of As remained in the 'truly dissolved' phases (i.e., <0.05 μm size). Strong positive correlation between Fe and As (r(2) between 0.65 and 0.94) is mainly observed in the larger (i.e., >0.05 μm size) colloidal particles, which indicates the close association of As with larger Fe-rich inorganic colloids. In smaller (i.e., <0.05 μm size) colloidal particles strong positive correlation is observed between As and DOC (r(2)=0.85), which highlights the close association of As with smaller organic colloids. As(III) is mainly associated with larger inorganic colloids, whereas, As(V) is associated with smaller organic/organometallic colloids. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm the association of As with DOC and Fe mineral phases suggesting the formation of dissolved organo-Fe complexes and colloidal organo-Fe oxide phases. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further confirms the formation of As-Fe-NOM organometallic colloids, however, a detailed study of these types of colloids in natural waters is necessary to underpin their controlling behavior. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shape recognition of microbial cells by colloidal cell imprints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borovička, Josef; Stoyanov, Simeon D.; Paunov, Vesselin N.

2013-08-01

We have engineered a class of colloids which can recognize the shape and size of targeted microbial cells and selectively bind to their surfaces. These imprinted colloid particles, which we called ``colloid antibodies'', were fabricated by partial fragmentation of silica shells obtained by templating the targeted microbial cells. We successfully demonstrated the shape and size recognition between such colloidal imprints and matching microbial cells. High percentage of binding events of colloidal imprints with the size matching target particles was achieved. We demonstrated selective binding of colloidal imprints to target microbial cells in a binary mixture of cells of different shapes and sizes, which also resulted in high binding selectivity. We explored the role of the electrostatic interactions between the target cells and their colloid imprints by pre-coating both of them with polyelectrolytes. Selective binding occurred predominantly in the case of opposite surface charges of the colloid cell imprint and the targeted cells. The mechanism of the recognition is based on the amplification of the surface adhesion in the case of shape and size match due to the increased contact area between the target cell and the colloidal imprint. We also tested the selective binding for colloid imprints of particles of fixed shape and varying sizes. The concept of cell recognition by colloid imprints could be used for development of colloid antibodies for shape-selective binding of microbes. Such colloid antibodies could be additionally functionalized with surface groups to enhance their binding efficiency to cells of specific shape and deliver a drug payload directly to their surface or allow them to be manipulated using external fields. They could benefit the pharmaceutical industry in developing selective antimicrobial therapies and formulations.

Colloidal isopressing: A new shaping method for ceramic suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Benjamin Christopher

Colloidal Isopressing is a new processing method for shaping compacts from particulate suspensions. The study of interparticle interactions within a suspension, and their effect on the overall slurry behavior, has led to the prior discovery of a plastic-to-brittle transition in powder compacts formed by pressure filtration. Colloidal Isopressing utilizes this pressure dependent behavior for slurries with a short-range repulsive potential to rapidly transform plastic consolidated bodies into more complex shapes. The first results are presented for aqueous alumina suspensions where electrostatic double layer repulsion is compressed to short interparticle separations by the addition of ammonium chloride. Consolidation at low pressures produces a high relative density slurry that is plastic and can be extruded into a rubber mold. The application of an hydrostatic pressure forces a small amount of liquid into a porous portion of the mold and pushes particles together into a rigid network. As the pressure is released, the newly formed powder compact will partially separate from the lower modulus rubber mold. The body can then be ejected from the mold, dried, and densified to produce the final ceramic component. Colloidal Isopressing has been successfully modeled as a special case of consolidation via pressure filtration. Theoretical analyses have accurately predicted the time required for the rapid transformation from plastic slurry to elastic powder compact. The effects of slurry composition on processing were studied. The electrolyte concentration, powder particle size, slurry pH, and polymer concentration were shown to alter the flow behavior of filter pressed and liquefied compacts. As the free volume of liquid decreased and/or the relative attraction between particles increased, the concentrated slurry became more difficult to process. Finally, drying of compacts formed by Colloidal Isopressing did not result in any shrinkage during drying, thus allowing for very rapid heating rates to be used. In fact, the drying, burnout, and densification could be combined into one step, with final densities approaching the theoretical limit.

Nanophotonic force microscopy: characterizing particle-surface interactions using near-field photonics.

PubMed

Schein, Perry; Kang, Pilgyu; O'Dell, Dakota; Erickson, David

2015-02-11

Direct measurements of particle-surface interactions are important for characterizing the stability and behavior of colloidal and nanoparticle suspensions. Current techniques are limited in their ability to measure pico-Newton scale interaction forces on submicrometer particles due to signal detection limits and thermal noise. Here we present a new technique for making measurements in this regime, which we refer to as nanophotonic force microscopy. Using a photonic crystal resonator, we generate a strongly localized region of exponentially decaying, near-field light that allows us to confine small particles close to a surface. From the statistical distribution of the light intensity scattered by the particle we are able to map out the potential well of the trap and directly quantify the repulsive force between the nanoparticle and the surface. As shown in this Letter, our technique is not limited by thermal noise, and therefore, we are able to resolve interaction forces smaller than 1 pN on dielectric particles as small as 100 nm in diameter.

Assembly, Elasticity, and Structure of Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals and Disordered Colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, Zoey S.

This dissertation describes experiments which explore the structure and dynamics in two classes of soft materials: lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals and colloidal glasses and super-cooled liquids. The first experiments found that the achiral LCLCs, sunset yellow FCF (SSY) and disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) both exhibit spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking in the nematic phase driven by a giant elastic anisotropy of their twist modulus compared to their splay and bend moduli. Resulting structures of the confined LCLCs display interesting director configurations due to interplay of topologically required defects and twisted director fields. At higher concentrations, the LCLC compounds form columnar phases. We studied the columnar phase confined within spherical drops and discovered and understood configurations of the LC that sometimes led to non-spherical droplet shapes. The second experiments with SSY LCLCs confined in hollow cylinders uncovered director configurations which were driven in large measure by an exotic elastic modulus known as saddle-splay. We measured this saddle-splay modulus in a LCLC for the first time and found it to be more than 50 times greater than the twist elastic modulus. This large relative value of the saddle-splay modulus violates a theoretical result/assumption known as the Ericksen inequality. A third group of experiments on LCLCs explored the drying process of sessile drops containing SSY solutions, including evaporation dynamics, morphology, and deposition patterns. These drops differ from typical, well-studied evaporating colloidal drops primarily due to the LCLC's concentration-dependent isotropic, nematic, and columnar phases. Phase separation occurs during evaporation, creating surface tension gradients and significant density and viscosity variation within the droplet. Thus, the drying multiphase drops exhibit new convective currents, drop morphologies, deposition patterns, as well as a novel ordered crystalline phase. Finally, experiments in colloidal glasses and super-cooled liquids were initiated to probe the relationship between structure and dynamics in their constituent particles. The displacements of individual particles in the colloids can be decomposed into small cage fluctuations and large rearrangements into new cages. We found a correlation between the rate of rearrangement and the local cage structure associated with each particle. Particle trajectories of a two-dimensional binary mixture of soft colloids are captured by video microscopy. We use a machine learning method to calculate particle "softness'', which indicates the likelihood of rearrangement based on many radial structural features for each particle. We measured the residence time between consecutive rearrangements and related probability distribution functions (PDFs). The softness-dependent conditional PDF is well fit by an exponential with decay time decreasing monotonically with increasing softness. Using these data and a simple thermal activation model, we determined activation energies for rearrangements.

Equilibrium state of a cylindrical particle with flat ends in nematic liquid crystals.

PubMed

Hashemi, S Masoomeh; Ejtehadi, Mohammad Reza

2015-01-01

A continuum theory is employed to numerically study the equilibrium orientation and defect structures of a circular cylindrical particle with flat ends under a homeotropic anchoring condition in a uniform nematic medium. Different aspect ratios of this colloidal geometry from thin discotic to long rodlike shapes and several colloidal length scales ranging from mesoscale to nanoscale are investigated. We show that the equilibrium state of this colloidal geometry is sensitive to the two geometrical parameters: aspect ratio and length scale of the particle. For a large enough mesoscopic particle, there is a specific asymptotic equilibrium angle associated to each aspect ratio. Upon reducing the particle size to nanoscale, the equilibrium angle follows a descending or ascending trend in such a way that the equilibrium angle of a particle with the aspect ratio bigger than 1:1 (a discotic particle) goes to a parallel alignment with respect to the far-field nematic, whereas the equilibrium angle for a particle with the aspect ratio 1:1 and smaller (a rodlike particle) tends toward a perpendicular alignment to the uniform nematic direction. The discrepancy between the equilibrium angles of the mesoscopic and nanoscopic particles originates from the significant differences between their defect structures. The possible defect structures related to mesoscopic and nanoscopic colloidal particles of this geometry are also introduced.

Effect of fluid-colloid interactions on the mobility of a thermophoretic microswimmer in non-ideal fluids.

PubMed

Fedosov, Dmitry A; Sengupta, Ankush; Gompper, Gerhard

2015-09-07

Janus colloids propelled by light, e.g., thermophoretic particles, offer promising prospects as artificial microswimmers. However, their swimming behavior and its dependence on fluid properties and fluid-colloid interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the behavior of a thermophoretic Janus colloid in its own temperature gradient using numerical simulations. The dissipative particle dynamics method with energy conservation is used to investigate the behavior in non-ideal and ideal-gas like fluids for different fluid-colloid interactions, boundary conditions, and temperature-controlling strategies. The fluid-colloid interactions appear to have a strong effect on the colloid behavior, since they directly affect heat exchange between the colloid surface and the fluid. The simulation results show that a reduction of the heat exchange at the fluid-colloid interface leads to an enhancement of colloid's thermophoretic mobility. The colloid behavior is found to be different in non-ideal and ideal fluids, suggesting that fluid compressibility plays a significant role. The flow field around the colloid surface is found to be dominated by a source-dipole, in agreement with the recent theoretical and simulation predictions. Finally, different temperature-control strategies do not appear to have a strong effect on the colloid's swimming velocity.

Foam capacity and stability of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) on the presence of contaminant coffee and Cd ions in solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haryanto, B.; Chang, C. H.; Kuo, A. T.; Siswarni, M. Z.; Sinaga, T. M. A.

2018-02-01

In this study, the effect of the coffee colloidal particle and Cd ion contaminant on the foam capacity and stability of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution was investigated. The foam was generated by using a foam generator. The foam capacity of SDS was first evaluated at different concentrations. After the foam capacity reaching a constant value, the foam stability was then measured by flowing to a column. The results showed that the presence the coffee colloidal particles or Cd ions in the solution would decrease the foam capacity and stability of SDS. In addition, the decreased foam capacity and stability was more pronounced in the presence of coffee colloidal particles than Cd ions. The colloidal particles may have stronger interaction with SDS and thus reduce the formation of the foam.

Thermal Motion and Forced Migration of Colloidal Particles Generate Hydrostatic Pressure in Solvent

PubMed Central

Hammel, H. T.; Scholander, P. F.

1973-01-01

A colloidal solution of ferrite particles in an osmometer has been used to demonstrate that the property that propels water across the semipermeable membrane is the decrease in hydrostatic pressure in the water of the solution. A magnetic field gradient directed so as to force the ferrite particles away from the semipermeable membrane of the osmometer and toward the free surface of the solution enhanced the colloidal osmotic pressure. The enhancement of this pressure was always exactly equal to the augmentation of the pressure as measured by the outward force of the particles, against the area of the free surface. Contrariwise, directing the magnetic field gradient so as to force the ferrite particles away from the free surface and toward the semipermeable membrane diminished the colloidal osmotic pressure of the solution. For a sufficiently forceful field gradient, the initial colloidal osmotic pressure could be negative, followed by an equilibrium pressure approaching zero regardless of the force of the particles against the membrane. Thus, the osmotic pressure of a solution is to be attributed to the pressure in the solvent generated in opposition to the pressure of the solute particles caused by their interaction with the free surface (Brownian motion and/or an external field force), or by their viscous shear when they migrate through the solvent, or both. PMID:16592046

Demonstration of vessels in CNS and other organs by AMG silver enhancement of colloidal gold particles dispersed in gelatine.

PubMed

Danscher, G; Andreasen, A

1997-12-01

We present a new autometallographic technique for demonstrating vessels and other small cavities at light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM) levels. It is possible to obtain detailed knowledge of the 3-D appearance of the vascular system by exchanging blood with a 40 degrees C, 8% gelatine solution containing colloidal gold particles (gold gelatine solution, GGS) and ensuing silver enhancement of the gold particles by autometallography (AMG). The GGS-AMG technique demonstrates the vascular system as a dark web that can be studied in cryostat, vibratome, methacrylate, paraffin and Epon sections at all magnifications. The infused GGS becomes increasingly viscous and finally becomes rigid when the temperature falls below 20 degrees C. An additional advantage of this technique is the fact that none of the tested counterstains or immunotechniques interfere with this AMG approach. The GGS-AMG technique is demonstrated on rat brains but can be applied to any organ. We believe that the present technique is valuable for both experimental studies and routine pathology.

Unsteady sedimentation of flocculating non-Brownian suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinchenko, Alexander

2017-11-01

Microstructural evolution and temporal dynamics of the sedimentation rate U(t) are studied for a monodisperse suspension of non-Brownian spherical particles subject to van der Waals attraction and electrostatic repulsion in the realistic range of colloidal parameters (Hamaker constant, surface potential, double layer thickness etc.). A novel economical high-order multipole algorithm is used to fully resolve hydrodynamical interactions in the dynamical simulations with up to 500 spheres in a periodic box and O(106) time steps, combined with geometry perturbation to incorporate lubrication and extend the solution to arbitrarily small particle separations. The total colloidal force near the secondary minimum often greatly exceeds the effective gravity/buoyancy force, resulting in the formation of strong but flexible bonds and large clusters as the suspension evolves from an initial well-mixed state of non-aggregated spheres. Ensemble averaging over many initial configurations is used to predict U(t) for particle volume fractions between 0.1 and 0.25. The results are fully convergent, system-size independent and cover a 2-2.5 fold growth of U(t) after a latency time.

Bio-Inspired Bright Structurally Colored Colloidal Amorphous Array Enhanced by Controlling Thickness and Black Background.

PubMed

Iwata, Masanori; Teshima, Midori; Seki, Takahiro; Yoshioka, Shinya; Takeoka, Yukikazu

2017-07-01

Inspired by Steller's jay, which displays angle-independent structural colors, angle-independent structurally colored materials are created, which are composed of amorphous arrays of submicrometer-sized fine spherical silica colloidal particles. When the colloidal amorphous arrays are thick, they do not appear colorful but almost white. However, the saturation of the structural color can be increased by (i) appropriately controlling the thickness of the array and (ii) placing the black background substrate. This is similar in the case of the blue feather of Steller's jay. Based on the knowledge gained through the biomimicry of structural colored materials, colloidal amorphous arrays on the surface of a black particle as the core particle are also prepared as colorful photonic pigments. Moreover, a structural color on-off system is successfully built by controlling the background brightness of the colloidal amorphous arrays. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Active Approach to Colloidal Self-Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallory, Stewart A.; Valeriani, Chantal; Cacciuto, Angelo

2018-04-01

In this review, we discuss recent advances in the self-assembly of self-propelled colloidal particles and highlight some of the most exciting results in this field, with a specific focus on dry active matter. We explore this phenomenology through the lens of the complexity of the colloidal building blocks. We begin by considering the behavior of isotropic spherical particles. We then discuss the case of amphiphilic and dipolar Janus particles. Finally, we show how the geometry of the colloids and/or the directionality of their interactions can be used to control the physical properties of the assembled active aggregates, and we suggest possible strategies for how to exploit activity as a tunable driving force for self-assembly. The unique properties of active colloids lend promise to the design of the next generation of functional, environment-sensing microstructures able to perform specific tasks in an autonomous and targeted manner.

A multifunctional role of trialkylbenzenes for the preparation of aqueous colloidal mesostructured/mesoporous silica nanoparticles with controlled pore size, particle diameter, and morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Hironori; Ujiie, Hiroto; Urata, Chihiro; Yamamoto, Eisuke; Yamauchi, Yusuke; Kuroda, Kazuyuki

2015-11-01

Both the pore size and particle diameter of aqueous colloidal mesostructured/mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CMSS/CMPS) derived from tetrapropoxysilane were effectively and easily controlled by the addition of trialkylbenzenes (TAB). Aqueous highly dispersed CMPS with large pores were successfully obtained through removal of surfactants and TAB by a dialysis process. The pore size (from 4 nm to 8 nm) and particle diameter (from 50 nm to 380 nm) were more effectively enlarged by the addition of 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) than 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB), and the enlargement did not cause the variation of the mesostructure and particle morphology. The larger molecular size and higher hydrophobicity of TIPB than TMB induce the incorporation of TIPB into micelles without the structural change. When TMB was used as TAB, the pore size of CMSS was also enlarged while the mesostructure and particle morphology were varied. Interestingly, when tetramethoxysilane and TIPB were used, CMSS with a very small particle diameter (20 nm) with concave surfaces and large mesopores were obtained, which may strongly be related to the initial nucleation of CMSS. A judicious choice of TAB and Si sources is quite important to control the mesostructure, size of mesopores, particle diameter, and morphology.Both the pore size and particle diameter of aqueous colloidal mesostructured/mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CMSS/CMPS) derived from tetrapropoxysilane were effectively and easily controlled by the addition of trialkylbenzenes (TAB). Aqueous highly dispersed CMPS with large pores were successfully obtained through removal of surfactants and TAB by a dialysis process. The pore size (from 4 nm to 8 nm) and particle diameter (from 50 nm to 380 nm) were more effectively enlarged by the addition of 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) than 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB), and the enlargement did not cause the variation of the mesostructure and particle morphology. The larger molecular size and higher hydrophobicity of TIPB than TMB induce the incorporation of TIPB into micelles without the structural change. When TMB was used as TAB, the pore size of CMSS was also enlarged while the mesostructure and particle morphology were varied. Interestingly, when tetramethoxysilane and TIPB were used, CMSS with a very small particle diameter (20 nm) with concave surfaces and large mesopores were obtained, which may strongly be related to the initial nucleation of CMSS. A judicious choice of TAB and Si sources is quite important to control the mesostructure, size of mesopores, particle diameter, and morphology. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04465k

Enzymatic Inverse Opal Hydrogel Particles for Biocatalyst.

PubMed

Wang, Huan; Gu, Hongcheng; Chen, Zhuoyue; Shang, Luoran; Zhao, Ze; Gu, Zhongze; Zhao, Yuanjin

2017-04-19

Enzymatic carriers have a demonstrated value for chemical reactions and industrial applications. Here, we present a novel kind of inverse opal hydrogel particles as the enzymatic carriers. The particles were negatively replicated from spherical colloidal crystal templates by using magnetic nanoparticles tagged acrylamide hydrogel. Thus, they were endowed with the features of monodispersity, small volume, complete penetrating structure, and controllable motion, which are all beneficial for improving the efficiency of biocatalysis. In addition, due to the ordered porous nanostructure, the inverse opal hydrogel particles were imparted with unique photonic band gaps (PBGs) and vivid structural colors for encoding varieties of immobilized enzymes and for constructing a multienzymes biocatalysis system. These features of the inverse opal hydrogel particles indicate that they are ideal enzymatic carriers for biocatalysis.

Bead-Based Microfluidic Sediment Analogues: Fabrication and Colloid Transport.

PubMed

Guo, Yang; Huang, Jingwei; Xiao, Feng; Yin, Xiaolong; Chun, Jaehun; Um, Wooyong; Neeves, Keith B; Wu, Ning

2016-09-13

Mobile colloids can act as carriers for low-solubility contaminants in the environment. However, the dominant mechanism for this colloid-facilitated transport of chemicals is unclear. Therefore, we developed a bead-based microfluidic platform of sediment analogues and measured both single and population transport of model colloids. The porous medium is assembled through a bead-by-bead injection method. This approach has the versatility to build both electrostatically homogeneous and heterogeneous media at the pore scale. A T-junction at the exit also allowed for encapsulation and enumeration of colloids effluent at single particle resolution to give population dynamics. Tortuosity calculated from pore-scale trajectory analysis and its comparison with lattice Boltzmann simulations revealed that transport of colloids was influenced by the size exclusion effect. The porous media packed by positively and negatively charged beads into two layers showed distinctive colloidal particle retention and significant remobilization and re-adsorption of particles during water flushing. We demonstrated the potential of our method to fabricate porous media with surface heterogeneities at the pore scale. With both single and population dynamics measurement, our platform has the potential to connect pore-scale and macroscale colloid transport on a lab scale and to quantify the impact of grain surface heterogeneities that are natural in the subsurface environment.

[Automobile tyre colloidal particle induced allergic damage of respiratory system in traffic policemen and its allergenicity].

PubMed

Zhang, Yong-xing; Wei, Qing-yu; Wang, Juan; Qiao, Ting-hui; Bai, Hong-bing; Cai, Li-na

2007-06-01

To explore the damage of respiratory system in the traffic policemen induced by automobile tyre colloidal particle and its allergenicity. The respiratory system symptoms in 445 traffic policemen working outside their offices and 243 controls were investigated and their pulmonary ventilation function index such as FVC, FEV(1.0), MMF and V(50) were determined. The specific IgE antibody of automobile tyre colloidal particle of their serum was determined and the skin-prick test of automobile tyre colloidal particle antigen was performed. Sixty-six traffic policemen working outside their offices and 5 controls with the positive of IgE antibody among them were detected by nasal mucosa provocation test. Sixty-six traffic policemen working outside their offices with the positive of IgE antibody were determined by Terbutaline inhalation test. The positive rate of respiratory system symptoms of traffic policemen such as cough, stethocatharsis, short breath, nasal obstruction, sneeze and nose running was 38.02%, 27.03%, 20.00%, 23.08%, 27.47%, 32.09% and 34.95% respectively and significantly higher than those of the control with significant difference (P < 0.01) or (P < 0.05). The positive rate of specific IgE antibody of automobile tyre colloidal particle, skin- prick test and nasal mucosa provocation test was 14.51%, 23.73% and 54.55% respectively with significant difference (P < 0.01) and (P < 0.05). The percentage, the actual figure compared with the prediction figure, of the index of pulmonary ventilation function (FVC, FEV(1.0) MMF and V(50)) of traffic policemen were significantly lower than those of the control. Terbutaline inhalation test in 66 positive subjects of specific IgE antibody of automobile tyre colloidal particle was positive in 44 subjects, accounting for 9.67% in all policemen investigated. The automobile tyre colloidal particle is one of etiological factors that induce pulmonary ventilation function damage and could result in allergic asthma of traffic police.

Estimating Colloidal Contact Model Parameters Using Quasi-Static Compression Simulations.

PubMed

Bürger, Vincent; Briesen, Heiko

2016-10-05

For colloidal particles interacting in suspensions, clusters, or gels, contact models should attempt to include all physical phenomena experimentally observed. One critical point when formulating a contact model is to ensure that the interaction parameters can be easily obtained from experiments. Experimental determinations of contact parameters for particles either are based on bulk measurements for simulations on the macroscopic scale or require elaborate setups for obtaining tangential parameters such as using atomic force microscopy. However, on the colloidal scale, a simple method is required to obtain all interaction parameters simultaneously. This work demonstrates that quasi-static compression of a fractal-like particle network provides all the necessary information to obtain particle interaction parameters using a simple spring-based contact model. These springs provide resistances against all degrees of freedom associated with two-particle interactions, and include critical forces or moments where such springs break, indicating a bond-breakage event. A position-based cost function is introduced to show the identifiability of the two-particle contact parameters, and a discrete, nonlinear, and non-gradient-based global optimization method (simplex with simulated annealing, SIMPSA) is used to minimize the cost function calculated from deviations of particle positions. Results show that, in principle, all necessary contact parameters for an arbitrary particle network can be identified, although numerical efficiency as well as experimental noise must be addressed when applying this method. Such an approach lays the groundwork for identifying particle-contact parameters from a position-based particle analysis for a colloidal system using just one experiment. Spring constants also directly influence the time step of the discrete-element method, and a detailed knowledge of all necessary interaction parameters will help to improve the efficiency of colloidal particle simulations.

Liquid crystalline phases in suspensions of pigments in non-polar solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Susanne; Richardson, Robert M.; Eremin, Alexey

We will discuss colloid suspensions of pigments and compare their electro-optic properties with those of traditional dyed low molecular weight liquid crystal systems. There are several potential advantages of colloidal suspensions over low molecular weight liquid crystal systems: a very high contrast because of the high orientational order parameter of suspensions of rod shaped nano-particles, the excellent light fastness of pigments as compared to dyes and high colour saturations resulting from the high loading of the colour stuff. Although a weak `single-particle' electro-optic response can be observed in dilute suspensions, the response is very much enhanced when the concentration of the particles is sufficient to lead to a nematic phase. Excellent stability of suspensions is beneficial for experimental observation and reproducibility, but it is a fundamental necessity for display applications. We therefore discuss a method to achieve long term stability of dispersed pigments and the reasons for its success. Small angle X-ray scattering was used to determine the orientational order parameter of the suspensions as a function of concentration and the dynamic response to an applied electric field. Optical properties were investigated for a wide range of pigment concentrations. Electro-optical phenomena, such as field-induced birefringence and switching, were characterised. In addition, mixtures of pigment suspensions with small amounts of ferrofluids show promise as future magneto-optical materials.

Transport of Particle Swarms Through Fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boomsma, E.; Pyrak-Nolte, L. J.

2011-12-01

The transport of engineered micro- and nano-scale particles through fractured rock is often assumed to occur as dispersions or emulsions. Another potential transport mechanism is the release of particle swarms from natural or industrial processes where small liquid drops, containing thousands to millions of colloidal-size particles, are released over time from seepage or leaks. Swarms have higher velocities than any individual colloid because the interactions among the particles maintain the cohesiveness of the swarm as it falls under gravity. Thus particle swarms give rise to the possibility that engineered particles may be transported farther and faster in fractures than predicted by traditional dispersion models. In this study, the effect of fractures on colloidal swarm cohesiveness and evolution was studied as a swarm falls under gravity and interacts with fracture walls. Transparent acrylic was used to fabricate synthetic fracture samples with either (1) a uniform aperture or (2) a converging aperture followed by a uniform aperture (funnel-shaped). The samples consisted of two blocks that measured 100 x 100 x 50 mm. The separation between these blocks determined the aperture (0.5 mm to 50 mm). During experiments, a fracture was fully submerged in water and swarms were released into it. The swarms consisted of dilute suspensions of either 25 micron soda-lime glass beads (2% by mass) or 3 micron polystyrene fluorescent beads (1% by mass) with an initial volume of 5μL. The swarms were illuminated with a green (525 nm) LED array and imaged optically with a CCD camera. In the uniform aperture fracture, the speed of the swarm prior to bifurcation increased with aperture up to a maximum at a fracture width of approximately 10 mm. For apertures greater than ~15 mm, the velocity was essentially constant with fracture width (but less than at 10 mm). This peak suggests that two competing mechanisms affect swarm velocity in fractures. The wall provides both drag, which slows the swarm, and a cohesive force that prevents swarm expansion and the corresponding decrease in particle density. For apertures >15mm, though the drag force is small, the loss of swarm cohesion dominates. In small apertures (<5mm), the drag from the wall dominates causing a loss in speed even though there is strong confinement. From a force-based particle interaction approach, the initial simulation did not capture the observed experimental behavior, i.e., the distinct peak in swarm velocities was not observed. For the funnel shaped aperture, the swarm was observed to bifurcate immediately upon reaching the intersection between the converging aperture and the uniform aperture portions of the fracture. Furthermore, converging apertures resulted in the deceleration of a swarm. Thus, the rate of transport of particle swarms is strongly affected by fracture aperture. Acknowledgment: The authors wish to acknowledge support of this work by the Geosciences Research Program, Office of Basic Energy Sciences US Department of Energy (DE-FG02-09ER16022).

Functionalized patchy particles using colloidal lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middleton, Christine

2014-03-01

Colloidal assembly had been limited by the isotropic, nonspecific nature of interactions between spherical colloidal particles. By giving particles patches functionalized with single stranded DNA, these interactions can be made both directional and specific. We create patchy particles by adding patches to spherical emulsion droplets using the depletion interaction. First we make polystyrene particles in the shape of contact lenses to be the patches. The lenses are functionalized with single stranded DNA on their convex side. Then we put the lenses on the surface of oil emulsion droplets using the depletion interaction, creating a patch (or multiple patches) on the surface of each emulsion droplet. The emulsion droplets can now interact with each other in a specific, directional way through DNA functionalized patches.

Effect of barrier properties of zein colloidal particles and oil-in-water emulsions on oxidative stability of encapsulated bioactive compounds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oxidation of encapsulated bioactive compounds is a key challenge that limits shelf-life of bioactive containing products. The objectives of this study were to compare differences between the oxidative barrier properties of biopolymer particle based encapsulation system (zein colloidal particles) and...

Quercetin loaded biopolymeric colloidal particles prepared by simultaneous precipitation of quercetin with hydrophobic protein in aqueous medium.

PubMed

Patel, Ashok R; Heussen, Patricia C M; Hazekamp, Johan; Drost, Ellen; Velikov, Krassimir P

2012-07-15

Quercetin loaded biopolymeric colloidal particles were prepared by precipitating quercetin (water insoluble polyphenol) and zein (hydrophobic protein), simultaneously, by adding their hydro-alcoholic solution to aqueous solution in presence of sodium caseinate as an electrosteric stabiliser. The presence of protein resulted in altering the shape of quercetin precipitates from needle-like to spherical shape at higher zein proportions, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The average particle size of zein:quercetin composite particles was below 200 nm (130-161 nm) with negative surface charge (-30 to -41 mV), as confirmed by dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility data. Solid state characterisation (X-ray diffraction) and spectroscopic measurements (UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy) confirmed characteristic changes in quercetin due to the entrapment in the biopolymeric matrix of colloidal particles. Results from anti-oxidant study demonstrated the advantage of entrapping quercetin in the colloidal particles in terms of the chemical stability in the alkaline pH and against photodegradation under UV-light irradiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical theory of polymer-network-mediated interaction between colloidal particles

PubMed Central

Di Michele, Lorenzo; Zaccone, Alessio; Eiser, Erika

2012-01-01

Nanostructured materials based on colloidal particles embedded in a polymer network are used in a variety of applications ranging from nanocomposite rubbers to organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Further, polymer-network-mediated colloidal interactions are highly relevant to biological studies whereby polymer hydrogels are commonly employed to probe the mechanical response of living cells, which can determine their biological function in physiological environments. The performance of nanomaterials crucially relies upon the spatial organization of the colloidal particles within the polymer network that depends, in turn, on the effective interactions between the particles in the medium. Existing models based on nonlocal equilibrium thermodynamics fail to clarify the nature of these interactions, precluding the way toward the rational design of polymer-composite materials. In this article, we present a predictive analytical theory of these interactions based on a coarse-grained model for polymer networks. We apply the theory to the case of colloids partially embedded in cross-linked polymer substrates and clarify the origin of attractive interactions recently observed experimentally. Monte Carlo simulation results that quantitatively confirm the theoretical predictions are also presented. PMID:22679289

Sensing aggregation in highly turbid plasmonic and non-plasmonic colloidal suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducay, Rey Nann Mark; Philip, Nathan; Boivin, Jordan; Judge, Patrick; Berberich, Jason; Scaffidi, Jonathan; Bali, Lalit; Bali, Samir

2015-05-01

We demonstrate a method for sensing the presence of aggregation in highly turbid aqueous suspensions of polystyrene and gold nanospheres. Aggregation is induced either by changing the pH or the ionic strength, by adding small, controlled amounts of an acid or base solution. The particle concentrations used are at least two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first observation of aggregation in highly dense colloidal suspensions without any sample dilution or special sample preparation. We gratefully acknowledge support from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund and Miami University's Interdisciplinary Roundtable Fund. We also gratefully acknowledge experimental help from the Miami University Instrumentation Laboratory.

Einstein's osmotic equilibrium of colloidal suspensions in conservative force fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Jinxin; Ou-Yang, H. Daniel

2014-09-01

Predicted by Einstein in his 1905 paper on Brownian motion, colloidal particles in suspension reach osmotic equilibrium under gravity. The idea was demonstrated by J.B. Perrin to win Nobel Prize in Physics in 1926. We show Einstein's equation for osmotic equilibrium can be applied to colloids in a conservative force field generated by optical gradient forces. We measure the osmotic equation of state of 100nm Polystyrene latex particles in the presence of KCl salt and PEG polymer. We also obtain the osmotic compressibility, which is important for determining colloidal stability and the internal chemical potential, which is useful for predicting the phase transition of colloidal systems. This generalization allows for the use of any conservative force fields for systems ranging from colloidal systems to macromolecular solutions.

Interactions in charged colloidal suspensions: A molecular dynamics simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padidela, Uday Kumar; Behera, Raghu Nath

2017-07-01

Colloidal suspensions are extensively used in everyday life and find several applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food industries, etc. We present the classical molecular dynamics simulation results of the structural and transport properties of charged colloidal suspensions as a function of its size, charge and concentration. The system is viewed as a two-component (colloids and counterions) primitive model consisting of spherical colloid particle (macroion) and the counterions (micro-particles), which are treated explicitly. The solvent is treated as dielectric continuum. A systematic trend in the radial distribution functions g(r), potential of mean force W(r), different thermodynamic properties and diffusion coefficients is obtained as a function of colloid charge, size and concentration. An attractive minimum in W(r) is obtained at short interparticle distance.

Synthesis of a colloid solution of silica-coated gold nanoparticles for X-ray imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Nagasu, Ryoko; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Nakagawa, Tomohiko; Kubota, Yohsuke; Gonda, Kohsuke; Ohuchi, Noriaki

2014-08-01

This work proposes a method for fabricating silica-coated gold (Au) nanoparticles, surface modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Au/SiO2/PEG), with a particle size of 54.8 nm. X-ray imaging of a mouse is performed with the colloid solution. A colloid solution of 17.9 nm Au nanoparticles was prepared by reducing Au ions (III) with sodium citrate in water at 80 °C. The method used for silica-coating the Au nanoparticles was composed of surface-modification of the Au nanoparticles with (3-aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane (APMS) and a sol-gel process. The sol-gel process was performed in the presence of the surface-modified Au nanoparticles using tetraethylorthosilicate, APMS, water, and sodium hydroxide, in which the formation of silica shells and the introduction of amino groups to the silica-coated particles took place simultaneously (Au/SiO2-NH2). Surface modification of the Au/SiO2-NH2 particles with PEG, or PEGylation of the particle surface, was performed by adding PEG with a functional group that reacted with an amino group in the Au/SiO2-NH2 particle colloid solution. A computed tomography (CT) value of the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles with an actual Au concentration of 0.112 M was as high as 922 ± 12 Hounsfield units, which was higher than that of a commercial X-ray contrast agent with the same iodine concentration. Injecting the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles into a mouse increased the light contrast of tissues. A CT value of the heart rose immediately after the injection, and this rise was confirmed for up to 6 h.

Sorption of vanadium (V) onto natural soil colloids under various solution pH and ionic strength conditions.

PubMed

Luo, Xiuhua; Yu, Lin; Wang, Changzhao; Yin, Xianqiang; Mosa, Ahmed; Lv, Jialong; Sun, Huimin

2017-02-01

Batch sorption kinetics and isothermal characteristics of V(V) were investigated on three natural soil colloids (manual loessial soil colloid (MSC), aeolian sandy soil colloid (ASC), and cultivated loessial soil colloid (CSC)) under various solution pH and ionic strength (IS) conditions. Colloids were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). AFM micrographs showed CSC with an aggregated shape with larger particle diameter as compared with ASC and MSC. XRD spectra revealed the presence of different minerals in natural soil colloids including biotite, kaolinite, calcite and quartz, which might contribute to sorption process. The sorption ability decreased with increase of colloidal particle size. The sorption was mainly attributed to complexation by active carboxylate and alcohol groups of colloidal components. Sorption kinetics and isotherms of V(V) onto natural soil colloids were best fitted with Pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models. Langmuir model indicated that sorption capacity of MSC and ASC was comparable (285.7 and 238.1 mg g -1 ); however, CSC exhibited the lowest sorption capacity (41.5 mg g -1 ) due to its larger particle diameter and aggregated shape. The maximum V(V) sorption capacity reached plateau values at a solution pH ranged between 5.0 and 9.0 for MSC and ASC, and 6.0-8.0 for CSC. Sorption capacity of V(V) onto natural soil colloids decreased with increasing IS. Based on result of this study we can conclude that sorption of V(V) onto natural soil colloids is pH- and IS-dependent. These findings provide insights on the remediation of vanadium-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crystallization of DNA-coated colloids

PubMed Central

Wang, Yu; Wang, Yufeng; Zheng, Xiaolong; Ducrot, Étienne; Yodh, Jeremy S.; Weck, Marcus; Pine, David J.

2015-01-01

DNA-coated colloids hold great promise for self-assembly of programmed heterogeneous microstructures, provided they not only bind when cooled below their melting temperature, but also rearrange so that aggregated particles can anneal into the structure that minimizes the free energy. Unfortunately, DNA-coated colloids generally collide and stick forming kinetically arrested random aggregates when the thickness of the DNA coating is much smaller than the particles. Here we report DNA-coated colloids that can rearrange and anneal, thus enabling the growth of large colloidal crystals from a wide range of micrometre-sized DNA-coated colloids for the first time. The kinetics of aggregation, crystallization and defect formation are followed in real time. The crystallization rate exhibits the familiar maximum for intermediate temperature quenches observed in metallic alloys, but over a temperature range smaller by two orders of magnitude, owing to the highly temperature-sensitive diffusion between aggregated DNA-coated colloids. PMID:26078020

Tunable plasmon resonances in anisotropic metal nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penninkhof, J. J.

2006-09-01

Coherent oscillations of free electrons in a metal, localized in a small volume or at an interface between a metal and a dielectric medium, have attracted a lot of attention in the past decades. These so-called surface plasmons have special optical properties that can be used in many applications ranging from optoelectronics to sensing of small quantities of molecules. One of the key issues is that electromagnetic energy can be confined to a relatively small volume close to the metal surface. This field enhancement and the resonance frequency strongly depend on the shape and size of the metal structures. In this thesis, several fabrication methods to create these metal structures on the nanometer to micrometer scale are presented. The optical properties are studied with a special emphasis on the effect of shape anisotropy. Self-assembled 2D colloidal crystals are used as mask to fabricate arrays of metal triangles on a substrate. One of the limitations of this nanosphere lithography technique is that the size of the holes in the colloidal mask (through which the metal is evaporated) is determined by the size of the colloids in the mask. The masks, however, can be modified by use of MeV ion beams and/or wet-chemical growth of a thin layer of silica, resulting in a reduced hole size. Arbitrary symmetry and spacing can be obtained by use of optical tweezers and angle-resolved metal deposition. In contrast to pure metals, amorphous materials like silica are known to show anisotropic plastic deformation at constant volume when subject to MeV ion irradiation. Gold cores embedded in a silica matrix, however, show an elongation along the direction of the ion beam, whereas silver cores rather disintegrate. Silver nanocrystals in an ion-exchanged soda-lime glass redistribute themselves in arrays along the ion beam direction. The optical extinction becomes polarization-dependent, with red- and blue-shifts of the plasmon resonances for polarizations longitudinal and transverse to the arrays, respectively. The band splitting is attributed to near-field electromagnetic plasmon coupling within the arrays. Finite difference time domain simulations indicate that the combination of particle center-to-center spacing and diameter, rather than inter-particle spacing alone, is the key parameter determining the coupling strength. The resonant electric field is concentrated in the very small gaps between the particles in the array. With the MeV ion beam technique, it is possible to fabricate large substrates with relatively monodisperse oblate ellipsoidal silica-core/metal-shell colloids, with the short axis aligned in the direction of the ion beam. The optical extinction of these particles, is a complex function of the core radius and the shell thickness, due to a competition between phase retardation effects and the coupling between the surface plasmons at the inner and outer surfaces of the shell. After deformation, the extinction is angle- and polarization-dependent. Calculations indicate that large Au-shell particles can sustain cavity modes, for which the electric field is enhanced in almost the full volume of the dielectric core. The resonance frequency is sensitive to the size, shape and dielectric constant of the core, and the polarization direction.

Structure and Symmetry of Ground States of Colloidal Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Ellen D.; Rogers, W. Benjamin; Manoharan, Vinothan N.

We experimentally study colloidal clusters consisting of 6 to 100 spherical particles bound together with short range, DNA-mediated attractions. These clusters are a model system for understanding colloidal self-assembly and dynamics, since the positions and motion of all particles can be observed in real space. For 10 particles and fewer, the ground states are degenerate, and, as shown in previous work, the probabilities of observing specific clusters depend primarily on their rotational entropy, which is determined by symmetry. Thus less symmetric structures are more frequently observed. However, for larger numbers of particles the ground states appear to be subsets of close-packed lattices, which tend to have higher symmetry. To understand how this transition occurs as a function of the number of particles, we coat colloidal particles with complementary DNA strands that induce a short-range, temperature-dependent interparticle attraction. We then assemble and anneal an ensemble of clusters with 10 or more particles. We characterize the number of apparent ground states, their symmetries, and their probabilities as a function of the size of the cluster using confocal microscopy. This work is supported by NSF DMR-1306410. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Precise colloids with tunable interactions for confocal microscopy

PubMed Central

Kodger, Thomas E.; Guerra, Rodrigo E.; Sprakel, Joris

2015-01-01

Model colloidal systems studied with confocal microscopy have led to numerous insights into the physics of condensed matter. Though confocal microscopy is an extremely powerful tool, it requires a careful choice and preparation of the colloid. Uncontrolled or unknown variations in the size, density, and composition of the individual particles and interactions between particles, often influenced by the synthetic route taken to form them, lead to difficulties in interpreting the behavior of the dispersion. Here we describe the straightforward synthesis of copolymer particles which can be refractive index- and density-matched simultaneously to a non-plasticizing mixture of high dielectric solvents. The interactions between particles are accurately tuned by surface grafting of polymer brushes using Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), from hard-sphere-like to long-ranged electrostatic repulsion or mixed charge attraction. We also modify the buoyant density of the particles by altering the copolymer ratio while maintaining their refractive index match to the suspending solution resulting in well controlled sedimentation. The tunability of the inter-particle interactions, the low volatility of the solvents, and the capacity to simultaneously match both the refractive index and density of the particles to the fluid opens up new possibilities for exploring the physics of colloidal systems. PMID:26420044

Characterization of Nano-scale Aluminum Oxide Transport through Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norwood, S.; Reynolds, M.; Miao, Z.; Brusseau, M. L.; Johnson, G. R.

2011-12-01

Colloidal material (including that in the nanoparticle size range) is naturally present in most subsurface environments. Mobilization of these colloidal materials via particle disaggregation may occur through abrupt changes in flow rate and/or via chemical perturbations, such as rapid changes in ionic strength or solution pH. While concentrations of natural colloidal materials in the subsurface are typically small, those concentrations may be greatly increased at contaminated sites such as following the application of metal oxides for groundwater remediation efforts. Additionally, while land application of biosolids has become common practice in the United States as an alternative to industrial fertilizers, biosolids have been shown to contain a significant fraction of organic and inorganic nano-scale colloidal materials such as oxides of iron, titanium, and aluminum. Given their reactivity and small size, there are many questions concerning the potential migration of nano-scale colloidal materials through the soil column and their potential participation in the facilitated transport of contaminants, such as heavy metals and emerging pollutants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the transport behavior of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles through porous media. The impacts of pH, ionic strength, pore-water velocity (i.e., residence time), and aqueous-phase concentration on transport was investigated. All experiments were conducted with large injection pulses to fully characterize the impact of long-term retention and transport behavior relevant for natural systems wherein multiple retention processes may be operative. The results indicate that the observed nonideal transport behavior of the nano-scale colloids is influenced by multiple retention mechanisms/processes. Given the ubiquitous nature of these nano-scale colloids in the environment, a clear understanding of their transport and fate is necessary in further resolving the potential for facilitated transport of toxins through the subsurface and into our surface and groundwater bodies.

Structure and stability of charged colloid-nanoparticle mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weight, Braden M.; Denton, Alan R.

2018-03-01

Physical properties of colloidal materials can be modified by addition of nanoparticles. Within a model of like-charged mixtures of particles governed by effective electrostatic interactions, we explore the influence of charged nanoparticles on the structure and thermodynamic phase stability of charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions. Focusing on salt-free mixtures of particles of high size and charge asymmetry, interacting via repulsive Yukawa effective pair potentials, we perform molecular dynamics simulations and compute radial distribution functions and static structure factors. Analysis of these structural properties indicates that increasing the charge and concentration of nanoparticles progressively weakens correlations between charged colloids. We show that addition of charged nanoparticles to a suspension of like-charged colloids can induce a colloidal crystal to melt and can facilitate aggregation of a fluid suspension due to attractive van der Waals interactions. We attribute the destabilizing influence of charged nanoparticles to enhanced screening of electrostatic interactions, which weakens repulsion between charged colloids. This interpretation is consistent with recent predictions of an effective interaction theory of charged colloid-nanoparticle mixtures.

Entropically Driven Self-Assembly of Colloidal Crystals on Templates in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yodh, Arjun G.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2002-01-01

These experiments aim to create new colloidal crystalline materials, to study the assembly and thermodynamics of these materials, to measure the optical properties of these materials. and to fix the resulting structures so that they can be brought back and studied on earth. In microgravity, the elimination of particle sedimentation effects creates a purely "thermodynamic" environment for colloidal suspensions wherein particle size, volume fraction, and interparticle interactions are the primary determinants of the assembled structures. We will control the colloidal assembly process using attractive, entropic particle interactions brought about by the depletion effect. By using attractive interactions for colloidal assembly we create conditions for growth that resemble those associated with "conventional" microscopic systems such as atoms and molecules. This approach differs qualitatively from the more common "space-filling" mode of colloidal crystal growth that is driven purely by packing constraints. It is anticipated that at least some of the solidified structures will survive reentry to earth's gravitational field, and that their optical, magnetic, and electrical properties can then be studied in detail upon return.

Magneto-capillary dynamics of amphiphilic Janus particles at curved liquid interfaces.

PubMed

Fei, Wenjie; Driscoll, Michelle M; Chaikin, Paul M; Bishop, Kyle J M

2018-05-11

A homogeneous magnetic field can exert no net force on a colloidal particle. However, by coupling the particle's orientation to its position on a curved interface, even static homogeneous fields can be used to drive rapid particle motions. Here, we demonstrate this effect using magnetic Janus particles with amphiphilic surface chemistry adsorbed at the spherical interface of a water drop in decane. Application of a static homogeneous field drives particle motion to the drop equator where the particle's magnetic moment can align parallel to the field. As explained quantitatively by a simple model, the effective magnetic force on the particle scales linearly with the curvature of the interface. For particles adsorbed on small droplets such as those found in emulsions, these magneto-capillary forces can far exceed those due to magnetic field gradients in both magnitude and range. This mechanism may be useful in creating highly responsive emulsions and foams stabilized by magnetic particles.

Metastable and unstable cellular solidification of colloidal suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deville, Sylvain; Maire, Eric; Bernard-Granger, Guillaume; Lasalle, Audrey; Bogner, Agnès; Gauthier, Catherine; Leloup, Jérôme; Guizard, Christian

2009-12-01

Colloidal particles are often seen as big atoms that can be directly observed in real space. They are therefore becoming increasingly important as model systems to study processes of interest in condensed-matter physics such as melting, freezing and glass transitions. The solidification of colloidal suspensions has long been a puzzling phenomenon with many unexplained features. Here, we demonstrate and rationalize the existence of instability and metastability domains in cellular solidification of colloidal suspensions, by direct in situ high-resolution X-ray radiography and tomography observations. We explain such interface instabilities by a partial Brownian diffusion of the particles leading to constitutional supercooling situations. Processing under unstable conditions leads to localized and global kinetic instabilities of the solid/liquid interface, affecting the crystal morphology and particle redistribution behaviour.

Surfactant-free Colloidal Particles with Specific Binding Affinity

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Colloidal particles with specific binding affinity are essential for in vivo and in vitro biosensing, targeted drug delivery, and micrometer-scale self-assembly. Key to these techniques are surface functionalizations that provide high affinities to specific target molecules. For stabilization in physiological environments, current particle coating methods rely on adsorbed surfactants. However, spontaneous desorption of these surfactants typically has an undesirable influence on lipid membranes. To address this issue and create particles for targeting molecules in lipid membranes, we present here a surfactant-free coating method that combines high binding affinity with stability at physiological conditions. After activating charge-stabilized polystyrene microparticles with EDC/Sulfo-NHS, we first coat the particles with a specific protein and subsequently covalently attach a dense layer of poly(ethyelene) glycol. This polymer layer provides colloidal stability at physiological conditions as well as antiadhesive properties, while the protein coating provides the specific affinity to the targeted molecule. We show that NeutrAvidin-functionalized particles bind specifically to biotinylated membranes and that Concanavalin A-functionalized particles bind specifically to the glycocortex of Dictyostelium discoideum cells. The affinity of the particles changes with protein density, which can be tuned during the coating procedure. The generic and surfactant-free coating method reported here transfers the high affinity and specificity of a protein onto colloidal polystyrene microparticles. PMID:28847149

Building micro-soccer-balls with evaporating colloidal fakir drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelderblom, Hanneke; Marín, Álvaro G.; Susarrey-Arce, Arturo; van Housselt, Arie; Lefferts, Leon; Gardeniers, Han; Lohse, Detlef; Snoeijer, Jacco H.

2013-11-01

Drop evaporation can be used to self-assemble particles into three-dimensional microstructures on a scale where direct manipulation is impossible. We present a unique method to create highly-ordered colloidal microstructures in which we can control the amount of particles and their packing fraction. To this end, we evaporate colloidal dispersion drops from a special type of superhydrophobic microstructured surface, on which the drop remains in Cassie-Baxter state during the entire evaporative process. The remainders of the drop consist of a massive spherical cluster of the microspheres, with diameters ranging from a few tens up to several hundreds of microns. We present scaling arguments to show how the final particle packing fraction of these balls depends on the drop evaporation dynamics, particle size, and number of particles in the system.

The Role of Citric Acid in the Stabilization of Nanoparticles and Colloidal Particles in the Environment: Measurement of Surface Forces between Hafnium Oxide Surfaces in the Presence of Citric Acid.

PubMed

Shinohara, Shuhei; Eom, Namsoon; Teh, E-Jen; Tamada, Kaoru; Parsons, Drew; Craig, Vincent S J

2018-02-27

The interactions between colloidal particles and nanoparticles determine solution stability and the structures formed when the particles are unstable to flocculation. Therefore, knowledge of the interparticle interactions is important for understanding the transport, dissolution, and fate of particles in the environment. The interactions between particles are governed by the surface properties of the particles, which are altered when species adsorb to the surface. The important interactions in the environment are almost never those between the bare particles but rather those between particles that have been modified by the adsorption of natural organic materials. Citric acid is important in this regard not only because it is present in soil but also as a model of humic and fulvic acids. Here we have studied the surface forces between the model metal oxide surface hafnia in the presence of citric acid in order to understand the stability of colloidal particles and nanoparticles. We find that citric acid stabilizes the particles over a wide range of pH at low to moderate ionic strength. At high ionic strength, colloidal particles will flocculate due to a secondary minimum, resulting in aggregates that are dense and easily redispersed. In contrast, nanoparticles stabilized by citric acid remain stable at high ionic strengths and therefore exist in solution as individual particles; this will contribute to their dispersion in the environment and the uptake of nanoparticles by mammalian cells.

Magnetic Assisted Colloidal Pattern Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ye

Pattern formation is a mysterious phenomenon occurring at all scales in nature. The beauty of the resulting structures and myriad of resulting properties occurring in naturally forming patterns have attracted great interest from scientists and engineers. One of the most convenient experimental models for studying pattern formation are colloidal particle suspensions, which can be used both to explore condensed matter phenomena and as a powerful fabrication technique for forming advanced materials. In my thesis, I have focused on the study of colloidal patterns, which can be conveniently tracked in an optical microscope yet can also be thermally equilibrated on experimentally relevant time scales, allowing for ground states and transitions between them to be studied with optical tracking algorithms. In particular, I have focused on systems that spontaneously organize due to particle-surface and particle-particle interactions, paying close attention to systems that can be dynamically adjusted with an externally applied magnetic or acoustic field. In the early stages of my doctoral studies, I developed a magnetic field manipulation technique to quantify the adhesion force between particles and surfaces. This manipulation technique is based on the magnetic dipolar interactions between colloidal particles and their "image dipoles" that appear within planar substrate. Since the particles interact with their own images, this system enables massively parallel surface force measurements (>100 measurements) in a single experiment, and allows statistical properties of particle-surface adhesion energies to be extracted as a function of loading rate. With this approach, I was able to probe sub-picoNewton surface interactions between colloidal particles and several substrates at the lowest force loading rates ever achieved. In the later stages of my doctoral studies, I focused on studying patterns formed from particle-particle interaction, which serve as an experimental model of phase transitions in condensed matter systems that can be tracked with single particle resolution. Compared with other research on colloidal crystal formation, my research has focused on multi-component colloidal systems of magnetic and non-magnetic colloids immersed in a ferrofluid. Initially, I studied the types of patterns that form as a function of the concentrations of the different particles and ferrofluid, and I discovered a wide variety of chains, rings and crystals forming in bi-component and tri-component systems. Based on these results, I narrowed my focus to one specific crystal structure (checkerboard lattice) as a model of phase transformations in alloy. Liquid/solid phase transitions were studied by slowly adjusting the magnetic field strength, which serves to control particle-particle interactions in a manner similar to controlling the physical temperature of the fluid. These studies were used to determine the optimal conditions for forming large single crystal structures, and paved the way for my later work on solid/solid phase transitions when the angle of the external field was shifted away from the normal direction. The magnetostriction coefficient of these crystals was measured in low tilt angle of the applied field. At high tilt angles, I observed a variety of martensitic transformations, which followed different pathways depending on the crystal direction relative to the in-plane field. In the last part of my doctoral studies, I investigated colloidal patterns formed in a superimposed acoustic and magnetic field. In this approach, the magnetic field mimics "temperature", while the acoustic field mimics "pressure". The ability to simultaneously tune both temperature and pressure allows for more efficient exploration of phase space. With this technique I demonstrated a large class of particle structures ranging from discrete molecule-like clusters to well ordered crystal phases. Additionally, I demonstrated a crosslinking strategy based on photoacids, which stabilized the structures after the external field was removed. This approach has potential applications in the fabrication of advanced materials. My thesis is arranged as follows. In Chapter 1, I present a brief background of general pattern formation and why I chose to investigate patterns formed in colloidal systems. I also provide a brief review of field-assisted manipulation techniques in order to motivate why I selected magnetic and acoustic field to study colloidal patterns. In chapter 2, I present the theoretical background of magnetic manipulation, which is the main technique used in my research. In this chapter, I will introduce the basic knowledge on magnetic materials and theories behind magnetic manipulation. The underlining thermodynamic mechanisms and theoretical/computational approaches in colloidal pattern formation are also briefly reviewed. In Chapter 3, I focus on using these concepts to study adhesion forces between particle and surfaces. In Chapter 4, I focus on exploring the ground states of colloidal patterns formed from the anti-ferromagnetic interactions of mixtures of particles, as a function of the particle volume fractions. In Chapter 5, I discuss my research on phase transformations of the well-ordered checkerboard phase formed from the equimolar mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic beads in ferrofluid, and I focus mainly on phase transformations in a slowly varying magnetic field. In Chapter 6, I discuss my work on the superimposed magnetic and acoustic field to study patterns formed from monocomponent colloidal suspensions under vertical confinement. Finally, I conclude my thesis in Chapter 7 and discuss future directions and open questions that can be explored in magnetic field directed self-organization in colloidal systems.

In house development of (99m)Tc-Rhenium sulfide colloidal nanoparticles for sentinel lymph node detection.

PubMed

Dar, Ume-Kalsoom; Khan, Irfanullah; Javed, Muhammad; Ali, Muhammad; Hyder, Syed Waqar; Murad, Sohail; Anwar, Jamil

2013-03-01

In this study, rhenium sulfide colloidal nanoparticles were developed as radiopharmaceutical for sentinel lymph node detection. We directly used rhenium sulfide as a starting material for the preparation of colloidal nanoparticles. UV-visible spectrophotometry was used for characterization of in house developed colloidal particles. The size distribution of radioactive particles was studied by using membrane filtration method. The percentage of radiolabeled colloidal nanoparticles was determined by paper chromatography (PC). The study also includes in vitro stability, protein binding in human blood and bioevaluation in a rabbit model. The results indicate that 77.27 ± 3.26 % particles of size less than 20nm (suitable for lymphoscintigraphy) were radiolabeled. (99m)Tc labeled rhenium sulfide labeling efficacy with the radiometal is 98.5 ± 0.5%, which remains considerably stable beyond 5h at room temperature. Furthermore, it was observed that 70.2 ± 1.3% radiolabeled colloid complex showed binding with the blood protein. Bioevaluation results show the remarkable achievement of our radiopharmaceutical. The in house prepared (99m)Tc labeled rhenium sulfide colloidal nanoparticles reached the sentinel node within 15 min of post injection. These results indicate that (99m)Tc labeled rhenium sulfide colloid nanoparticles kit produced by a novel procedure seems of significant potential as a feasible candidate for further development to be used in clinical practice.

Synthesis of u-channelled spherical Fex(CoyNi1-y)100-x Janus colloidal particles with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Cao, Zhenming; Lin, Jiayao; Zhao, Hui; Jiang, Qiaorong; Jiang, Zhiyuan; Liao, Honggang; Kuang, Qin; Xie, Zhaoxiong

2018-01-25

Due to their distinctive structure, inherently anisotropic properties and broad applications, Janus colloidal particles have attracted tremendous attention and it is significant to synthesize high yield Janus colloidal particles in a cost-effective and reliable way. On the other hand, due to the expanded electromagnetic interference problems, it is highly desired to develop excellent electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with an ultra-wide absorption bandwidth for practical application. Herein, a confined liquid-solid redox reaction strategy has been developed to fabricate a series of Fe x (Co y Ni 1-y ) 100-x ternary alloy particles. The as-prepared particles are in the form of u-channelled noncentrosymmetric spheres, one kind of Janus colloidal particles which have been rarely observed. Due to the combination and synergy effects of multi-magnetic metals, the polycrystalline structure and their specific morphology, the as-prepared particles possess multiple magnetic resonance and multiple dielectric relaxation processes, and therefore show excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performances. In particular, the strongest reflection loss (RL) of the Fe 15 (Co 0.2 Ni 0.8 ) 85 Janus colloidal particles is up to -36.9 dB with a thickness of 2.5 mm, and the effective absorption (RL < -10 dB) bandwidth can reach 9.2 GHz (8-17.2 GHz) with a thickness of 2 mm. Such a wide bandwidth has barely been reported for magnetic metal alloys under a single thickness. These results suggest that the Fe x (Co y Ni 1-y ) 100-x Janus particles could be a promising candidate for highly efficient electromagnetic wave absorbing materials for practical application.

Colloid particle formulations for antimicrobial applications.

PubMed

Halbus, Ahmed F; Horozov, Tommy S; Paunov, Vesselin N

2017-11-01

Colloidal particles are being extensively studied in various antimicrobial applications due to their small size to volume ratio and ability to exhibit a wide spectrum of antibacterial, antifungal, antialgal and antiviral action. The present review focuses on various nanoparticles (NPs) of inorganic, organic and hybrid materials, and discusses some of the methods for their preparation as well as mechanisms of their antimicrobial action. We consider the antimicrobial applications of metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO, MgO, CuO, Cu 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , CeO 2 and Y 2 O 3 ), metal nanoparticles (NPs), such as copper, silver and gold, metal hydroxide NPs such as Mg(OH) 2 as well as hybrid NPs made from biodegradable materials, such as chitosan, lignin and dextran, loaded with other antimicrobial agents. Recent developments for targeted delivery of antimicrobials by using colloid antibodies for microbial cell shape and surface recognition are also discussed. We also consider recent advances in the functionalization of nanoparticles and their potential antimicrobial applications as a viable alternative of conventional antibiotics and antiseptic agents which can help to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The review also covers the recently developed environmentally benign NPs (EbNPs) as a "safer-by-design" green chemistry solution of the post use fate of antimicrobial nanomaterials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Encapsulation, protection, and delivery of bioactive proteins and peptides using nanoparticle and microparticle systems: A review.

PubMed

McClements, David Julian

2018-03-01

There are many examples of bioactive proteins and peptides that would benefit from oral delivery through functional foods, supplements, or medical foods, including hormones, enzymes, antimicrobials, vaccines, and ACE inhibitors. However, many of these bioactive proteins are highly susceptible to denaturation, aggregation or hydrolysis within commercial products or inside the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Moreover, many bioactive proteins have poor absorption characteristics within the GIT. Colloidal systems, which contain nanoparticles or microparticles, can be designed to encapsulate, retain, protect, and deliver bioactive proteins. For instance, a bioactive protein may have to remain encapsulated and stable during storage and passage through the mouth and stomach, but then be released within the small intestine where it can be absorbed. This article reviews the application of food-grade colloidal systems for oral delivery of bioactive proteins, including microemulsions, emulsions, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, multiple emulsions, liposomes, and microgels. It also provides a critical assessment of the characteristics of colloidal particles that impact the effectiveness of protein delivery systems, such as particle composition, size, permeability, interfacial properties, and stability. This information should be useful for the rational design of medical foods, functional foods, and supplements for effective oral delivery of bioactive proteins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial effects on colloidal agglomeration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hersman, L.

1995-11-01

Colloidal particles are known to enhance the transport of radioactive metals through soil and rock systems. This study was performed to determine if a soil microorganism, isolated from the surface samples collected at Yucca Mountain, NV, could affect the colloidal properties of day particles. The agglomeration of a Wyoming bentonite clay in a sterile uninoculated microbial growth medium was compared to the agglomeration in the medium inoculated with a Pseudomonas sp. In a second experiment, microorganisms were cultured in the succinate medium for 50 h and removed by centrifugation. The agglomeration of the clay in this spent was compared tomore » sterile uninoculated medium. In both experiments, the agglomeration of the clay was greater than that of the sterile, uninoculated control. Based on these results, which indicate that this microorganism enhanced the agglomeration of the bentonite clay, it is possible to say that in the presence of microorganisms colloidal movement through a rock matrix could be reduced because of an overall increase in the size of colloidal particle agglomerates. 32 refs.« less

Anisotropic magnetic particles in a magnetic field

PubMed Central

Martchenko, Ilya; Mihut, Adriana M.; Bialik, Erik; Hirt, Ann M.; Rufier, Chantal; Menzel, Andreas; Dietsch, Hervé; Linse, Per

2016-01-01

We characterize the structural properties of magnetic ellipsoidal hematite colloids with an aspect ratio ρ ≈ 2.3 using a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and computer simulations. The evolution of the phase diagram with packing fraction φ and the strength of an applied magnetic field B is described, and the coupling between orientational order of magnetic ellipsoids and the bulk magnetic behavior of their suspension addressed. We establish quantitative structural criteria for the different phase and arrest transitions and map distinct isotropic, polarized non-nematic, and nematic phases over an extended range in the φ–B coordinates. We show that upon a rotational arrest of the ellipsoids around φ = 0.59, the bulk magnetic behavior of their suspension switches from superparamagnetic to ordered weakly ferromagnetic. If densely packed and arrested, these magnetic particles thus provide persisting remanent magnetization of the suspension. By exploring structural and magnetic properties together, we extend the often used colloid-atom analogy to the case of magnetic spins. PMID:27722439

Two-color beam improvement of the colloidal particle lens array assisted surface nanostructuring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasiev, Andrei; Bredikhin, Vladimir; Pikulin, Alexander; Ilyakov, Igor; Shishkin, Boris; Akhmedzhanov, Rinat; Bityurin, Nikita

2015-05-01

We consider laser nanostructuring of the material surface by means of a colloidal particle lens array. Here, the monolayer of dielectric micro- or nanospheres placed on the surface acts as an array of near-field lenses that focus the laser radiation into the multitude of distinct spots, allowing the formation of many structures in a single stage. We show that conversion of a small part of the energy of the femtosecond beam into the second harmonic (SH) is an efficient way to increase the surface density of obtained nanostructures. By combining the fundamental frequency and the SH, one benefits both from the power of the former and from the focusing ability of the latter. This combination provides an efficient nanostructuring with sphere diameter close to the wavelength of the second harmonic. The possibility to create arrays of nanostructures with surface density above 5 × 10 8 cm - 2 with femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser operating at 800 nm was demonstrated by employing 0.45 μm spheres.

Topological Interaction by Entanglement of DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Lang; Sha, Ruojie; Seeman, Nadrian; Chaikin, Paul

2012-02-01

We find and study a new type of interaction between colloids, Topological Interaction by Entanglement of DNA (TIED), due to concatenation of loops formed by palindromic DNA. Consider a particle coated with palindromic DNA of sequence ``P1.'' Below the DNA hybridization temperature (Tm), loops of the self-complementary DNA form on the particle surface. Direct hybridization with similar particle covered with a different sequence P2 do not occur. However when particles are held together at T > Tm, then cooled to T < Tm, some of the loops entangle and link, similar to a Olympic Gel. We quantitatively observe and measure this topological interaction between colloids in a ˜5^o C temperature window, ˜6^o C lower than direct binding of complementary DNA with similar strength and introduce the concept of entanglement binding free energy. To prove our interaction to be topological, we unknot the purely entangled binding sites between colloids by adding Topoisomerase I which unconcatenates our loops. This research suggests novel history dependent ways of binding particles and serves as a new design tool in colloidal self-assembly.

Accumulation of Colloidal Particles in Flow Junctions Induced by Fluid Flow and Diffusiophoresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Sangwoo; Ault, Jesse T.; Warren, Patrick B.; Stone, Howard A.

2017-10-01

The flow of solutions containing solutes and colloidal particles in porous media is widely found in systems including underground aquifers, hydraulic fractures, estuarine or coastal habitats, water filtration systems, etc. In such systems, solute gradients occur when there is a local change in the solute concentration. While the effects of solute gradients have been found to be important for many applications, we observe an unexpected colloidal behavior in porous media driven by the combination of solute gradients and the fluid flow. When two flows with different solute concentrations are in contact near a junction, a sharp solute gradient is formed at the interface, which may allow strong diffusiophoresis of the particles directed against the flow. Consequently, the particles accumulate near the pore entrance, rapidly approaching the packing limit. These colloidal dynamics have important implications for the clogging of a porous medium, where particles that are orders of magnitude smaller than the pore width can accumulate and block the pores within a short period of time. We also show that this effect can be exploited as a useful tool for preconcentrating biomolecules for rapid bioassays.

Simulation of the self-assembly of colloidal droplets in a micro-channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Zhouyang; Brandt, Luca

2016-11-01

In colloidal sciences, much progress has been made on the synthesis of complex building blocks mimicking molecular structures to elaborate innovative materials. The basic elements of such colloidal molecules are particles or droplets less than one millimeter in size. Their self-assembly relies on either lengthy brownian motion or careful microfludic designs, on top of typical colloidal interactions, e.g. depletion attraction. Regardless of the approach, however, questions remain why the colloids undergo certain path to organize themselves and how such process can be optimized. Here, we perform direct numerical simulations using a Navier-Stokes solver at low Reynolds number, combined with either the immersed boundary method (IBM) or a newly-proposed level set (LS) method for interface description. In the IBM simulations, the colloids are treated as rigid, spherical particles under a Lennard-Jones-like potential, reproducing attractive depletion force. Results show that, for four particles, a planar diamond is formed under a weak potential while a 3D tetrahedron is formed under a strong potential, which agree qualitatively with experiments. In the next step, LS simulation of colloidal droplets will be performed to investigate the roles of surface tension in the self-assembly. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement No 664823.

Formulation and characterization of lutetium-177-labeled stannous (tin) colloid for radiosynovectomy.

PubMed

Arora, Geetanjali; Singh, Manoranjan; Jha, Pragati; Tripathy, Sarthak; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Mukherjee, Anirban; Shamim, Shamim A

2017-07-01

Easy large-scale production, easy availability, cost-effectiveness, long half-life, and favorable radiation characteristics have made lutetium-177 (Lu) a preferred radionuclide for use in therapy. Lutetium-177-labeled stannous (Lu-Sn) colloid particles were formulated for application in radiosynovectomy, followed by in-vitro and in-vivo characterization. Stannous chloride (SnCl2) solution and Lu were heated together, the pH was adjusted, and the particles were recovered by centrifugation. The heating time and amount of SnCl2 were varied to optimize the labeling protocol. The labeling efficiency (LE) and radiochemical purity (RCP) of the product were determined. The size and shape of the particles were determined by means of electron microscopy. In-vitro stability was tested in PBS and synovial fluid, and in-vivo stability was tested in humans. LE and RCP were greater than 95% and ∼99% (Rf=0-0.1), respectively. Aggregated colloidal particles were spherical (mean size: 241±47 nm). The product was stable in vitro for up to 7 days in PBS as well as in synovial fluid. Injection of the product into the infected knee joint of a patient resulted in its homogenous distribution in the intra-articular space, as seen on the scan. No leakage of activity was seen outside the knee joint even 7 days after injection, indicating good tracer binding and in-vivo stability. Lu-Sn colloid was successfully prepared with a high LE (>95%) and high RCP (99%) under optimized reaction conditions. Because of the numerous benefits of Lu and the ease of preparation of tin colloid particles, Lu-Sn colloid particles are significantly superior to its currently available counterparts for use in radiosynovectomy.

Light-activated self-propelled colloids

PubMed Central

Palacci, J.; Sacanna, S.; Kim, S.-H.; Yi, G.-R.; Pine, D. J.; Chaikin, P. M.

2014-01-01

Light-activated self-propelled colloids are synthesized and their active motion is studied using optical microscopy. We propose a versatile route using different photoactive materials, and demonstrate a multiwavelength activation and propulsion. Thanks to the photoelectrochemical properties of two semiconductor materials (α-Fe2O3 and TiO2), a light with an energy higher than the bandgap triggers the reaction of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and produces a chemical cloud around the particle. It induces a phoretic attraction with neighbouring colloids as well as an osmotic self-propulsion of the particle on the substrate. We use these mechanisms to form colloidal cargos as well as self-propelled particles where the light-activated component is embedded into a dielectric sphere. The particles are self-propelled along a direction otherwise randomized by thermal fluctuations, and exhibit a persistent random walk. For sufficient surface density, the particles spontaneously form ‘living crystals’ which are mobile, break apart and reform. Steering the particle with an external magnetic field, we show that the formation of the dense phase results from the collisions heads-on of the particles. This effect is intrinsically non-equilibrium and a novel principle of organization for systems without detailed balance. Engineering families of particles self-propelled by different wavelength demonstrate a good understanding of both the physics and the chemistry behind the system and points to a general route for designing new families of self-propelled particles. PMID:25332383

Physics in ordered and disordered colloidal matter composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel particles.

PubMed

Yunker, Peter J; Chen, Ke; Gratale, Matthew D; Lohr, Matthew A; Still, Tim; Yodh, A G

2014-05-01

This review collects and describes experiments that employ colloidal suspensions to probe physics in ordered and disordered solids and related complex fluids. The unifying feature of this body of work is its clever usage of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel particles. These temperature-sensitive colloidal particles provide experimenters with a 'knob' for in situ control of particle size, particle interaction and particle packing fraction that, in turn, influence the structural and dynamical behavior of the complex fluids and solids. A brief summary of PNIPAM particle synthesis and properties is given, followed by a synopsis of current activity in the field. The latter discussion describes a variety of soft matter investigations including those that explore formation and melting of crystals and clusters, and those that probe structure, rearrangement and rheology of disordered (jammed/glassy) and partially ordered matter. The review, therefore, provides a snapshot of a broad range of physics phenomenology which benefits from the unique properties of responsive microgel particles.

Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Shengtao; Liu, Fang; Xing, Bengang; Yeow, Edwin K. L.

2015-12-01

A monolayer of swarming B. subtilis on semisolid agar is shown to display enhanced resistance against antibacterial drugs due to their collective behavior and motility. The dynamics of swarming motion, visualized in real time using time-lapse microscopy, prevents the bacteria from prolonged exposure to lethal drug concentrations. The elevated drug resistance is significantly reduced when the collective motion of bacteria is judiciously disrupted using nontoxic polystyrene colloidal particles immobilized on the agar surface. The colloidal particles block and hinder the motion of the cells, and force large swarming rafts to break up into smaller packs in order to maneuver across narrow spaces between densely packed particles. In this manner, cohesive rafts rapidly lose their collectivity, speed, and group dynamics, and the cells become vulnerable to the drugs. The antibiotic resistance capability of swarming B. subtilis is experimentally observed to be negatively correlated with the number density of colloidal particles on the engineered surface. This relationship is further tested using an improved self-propelled particle model that takes into account interparticle alignment and hard-core repulsion. This work has pertinent implications on the design of optimal methods to treat drug resistant bacteria commonly found in swarming colonies.

Fast Evaporation of Spreading Droplets of Colloidal Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maki, Kara; Kumar, Satish

2011-11-01

When a coffee droplet dries on a countertop, a dark ring of coffee solute is left behind, a phenomenon often referred to as ``the coffee-ring effect.'' A closely related yet less-well-explored phenomenon is the formation of a layer of particles, or skin, at the surface of the droplet. In this work, we explore the behavior of a mathematical model that can qualitatively describe both phenomena. We consider a thin axisymmetric droplet of a colloidal suspension on a horizontal substrate undergoing spreading and rapid evaporation. The lubrication approximation is applied to simplify the mass and momentum conservation equations, and the colloidal particles are allowed to influence droplet rheology through their effect on the viscosity. By describing the transport of the colloidal particles with the full convection-diffusion equation, we are able to capture depthwise gradients in particle concentration and thus describe skin formation, a feature neglected in prior models of droplet evaporation. Whereas capillarity creates a flow that drives particles to the contact line to produce a coffee-ring, Marangoni flows can compete with this and promote skin formation. Increases in viscosity due to particle concentration slow down droplet dynamics, and can lead to a significant reduction in the spreading rate.

Large-Scale Noniridescent Structural Color Printing Enabled by Infiltration-Driven Nonequilibrium Colloidal Assembly.

PubMed

Bai, Ling; Mai, Van Cuong; Lim, Yun; Hou, Shuai; Möhwald, Helmuth; Duan, Hongwei

2018-03-01

Structural colors originating from interaction of light with intricately arranged micro-/nanostructures have stimulated considerable interest because of their inherent photostability and energy efficiency. In particular, noniridescent structural color with wide viewing angle has been receiving increasing attention recently. However, no method is yet available for rapid and large-scale fabrication of full-spectrum structural color patterns with wide viewing angles. Here, infiltration-driven nonequilibrium assembly of colloidal particles on liquid-permeable and particle-excluding substrates is demonstrated to direct the particles to form amorphous colloidal arrays (ACAs) within milliseconds. The infiltration-assisted (IFAST) colloidal assembly opens new possibilities for rapid manufacture of noniridescent structural colors of ACAs and straightforward structural color mixing. Full-spectrum noniridescent structural colors are successfully produced by mixing primary structural colors of red, blue, and yellow using a commercial office inkjet printer. Rapid fabrication of large-scale structural color patterns with sophisticated color combination/layout by IFAST printing is realized. The IFAST technology is versatile for developing structural color patterns with wide viewing angles, as colloidal particles, inks, and substrates are flexibly designable for diverse applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Orbitals for classical arbitrary anisotropic colloidal potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, Martin; Nguyen, Trung Dac; de la Cruz, Monica Olvera

2017-11-01

Coarse-grained potentials are ubiquitous in mesoscale simulations. While various methods to compute effective interactions for spherically symmetric particles exist, anisotropic interactions are seldom used, due to their complexity. Here we describe a general formulation, based on a spatial decomposition of the density fields around the particles, akin to atomic orbitals. We show that anisotropic potentials can be efficiently computed in numerical simulations using Fourier-based methods. We validate the field formulation and characterize its computational efficiency with a system of colloids that have Gaussian surface charge distributions. We also investigate the phase behavior of charged Janus colloids immersed in screened media, with screening lengths comparable to the colloid size. The system shows rich behaviors, exhibiting vapor, liquid, gel, and crystalline morphologies, depending on temperature and screening length. The crystalline phase only appears for symmetric Janus particles. For very short screening lengths, the system undergoes a direct transition from a vapor to a crystal on cooling; while, for longer screening lengths, a vapor-liquid-crystal transition is observed. The proposed formulation can be extended to model force fields that are time or orientation dependent, such as those in systems of polymer-grafted particles and magnetic colloids.

Colloid Surface Chemistry Critically Affects Multiple Particle Tracking Measurements of Biomaterials

PubMed Central

Valentine, M. T.; Perlman, Z. E.; Gardel, M. L.; Shin, J. H.; Matsudaira, P.; Mitchison, T. J.; Weitz, D. A.

2004-01-01

Characterization of the properties of complex biomaterials using microrheological techniques has the promise of providing fundamental insights into their biomechanical functions; however, precise interpretations of such measurements are hindered by inadequate characterization of the interactions between tracers and the networks they probe. We here show that colloid surface chemistry can profoundly affect multiple particle tracking measurements of networks of fibrin, entangled F-actin solutions, and networks of cross-linked F-actin. We present a simple protocol to render the surface of colloidal probe particles protein-resistant by grafting short amine-terminated methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) to the surface of carboxylated microspheres. We demonstrate that these poly(ethylene glycol)-coated tracers adsorb significantly less protein than particles coated with bovine serum albumin or unmodified probe particles. We establish that varying particle surface chemistry selectively tunes the sensitivity of the particles to different physical properties of their microenvironments. Specifically, particles that are weakly bound to a heterogeneous network are sensitive to changes in network stiffness, whereas protein-resistant tracers measure changes in the viscosity of the fluid and in the network microstructure. We demonstrate experimentally that two-particle microrheology analysis significantly reduces differences arising from tracer surface chemistry, indicating that modifications of network properties near the particle do not introduce large-scale heterogeneities. Our results establish that controlling colloid-protein interactions is crucial to the successful application of multiple particle tracking techniques to reconstituted protein networks, cytoplasm, and cells. PMID:15189896

A universal approach to fabricate ordered colloidal crystals arrays based on electrostatic self-assembly.

PubMed

Zhang, Xun; Zhang, Junhu; Zhu, Difu; Li, Xiao; Zhang, Xuemin; Wang, Tieqiang; Yang, Bai

2010-12-07

We present a novel and simple method to fabricate two-dimensional (2D) poly(styrene sulfate) (PSS, negatively charged) colloidal crystals on a positively charged substrate. Our strategy contains two separate steps: one is the three-dimensional (3D) assembly of PSS particles in ethanol, and the other is electrostatic adsorption in water. First, 3D assembly in ethanol phase eliminates electrostatic attractions between colloids and the substrate. As a result, high-quality colloidal crystals are easily generated, for electrostatic attractions are unfavorable for the movement of colloidal particles during convective self-assembly. Subsequently, top layers of colloidal spheres are washed away in the water phase, whereas well-packed PSS colloids that are in contact with the substrate are tightly linked due to electrostatic interactions, resulting in the formation of ordered arrays of 2D colloidal spheres. Cycling these processes leads to the layer-by-layer assembly of 3D colloidal crystals with controllable layers. In addition, this strategy can be extended to the fabrication of patterned 2D colloidal crystals on patterned polyelectrolyte surfaces, not only on planar substrates but also on nonplanar substrates. This straightforward method may open up new possibilities for practical use of colloidal crystals of excellent quality, various patterns, and controllable fashions.

Synthetic control of the size, shape, and polydispersity of anisotropic silica colloids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murphy, Ryan P.; Hong, Kunlun; Wagner, Norman J.

The particle size and shape determine the microstructure and rheological properties of colloidal suspensions. This work aims to further control the size, shape, and polydispersity of anisotropic silica colloids, to reduce particle size, and to provide additional mechanistic insights on a prevalent, water-in-oil emulsion synthesis method. Key findings show that the dimensions of anisotropic silica particles can be systematically varied by approximately fivefold, with a limiting minimum particle size (D ≈ 60 nm, L ≈ 300 nm) obtained from emulsions with excess polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium citrate. The synthesis conditions are identified and discussed for which the emulsion composition, temperature,more » sonication, polymer entanglements, mixing, and other perturbations may induce or mitigate emulsion instabilities, citrate precipitation, a competing mechanism of templated growth, termination of anisotropic growth, irregular silica structures, and fiber formation. An improved mechanistic understanding will expand the roadmap for rational design and synthetic control of anisotropic colloids using sol-gel silica chemistry confined within water-in-oil emulsions.« less

Synthetic control of the size, shape, and polydispersity of anisotropic silica colloids

DOE PAGES

Murphy, Ryan P.; Hong, Kunlun; Wagner, Norman J.

2017-09-01

The particle size and shape determine the microstructure and rheological properties of colloidal suspensions. This work aims to further control the size, shape, and polydispersity of anisotropic silica colloids, to reduce particle size, and to provide additional mechanistic insights on a prevalent, water-in-oil emulsion synthesis method. Key findings show that the dimensions of anisotropic silica particles can be systematically varied by approximately fivefold, with a limiting minimum particle size (D ≈ 60 nm, L ≈ 300 nm) obtained from emulsions with excess polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium citrate. The synthesis conditions are identified and discussed for which the emulsion composition, temperature,more » sonication, polymer entanglements, mixing, and other perturbations may induce or mitigate emulsion instabilities, citrate precipitation, a competing mechanism of templated growth, termination of anisotropic growth, irregular silica structures, and fiber formation. An improved mechanistic understanding will expand the roadmap for rational design and synthetic control of anisotropic colloids using sol-gel silica chemistry confined within water-in-oil emulsions.« less

Engineered disorder and light propagation in a planar photonic glass

PubMed Central

Romanov, Sergei G.; Orlov, Sergej; Ploss, Daniel; Weiss, Clemens K.; Vogel, Nicolas; Peschel, Ulf

2016-01-01

The interaction of light with matter strongly depends on the structure of the latter at wavelength scale. Ordered systems interact with light via collective modes, giving rise to diffraction. In contrast, completely disordered systems are dominated by Mie resonances of individual particles and random scattering. However, less clear is the transition regime in between these two extremes, where diffraction, Mie resonances and near-field interaction between individual scatterers interplay. Here, we probe this transitional regime by creating colloidal crystals with controlled disorder from two-dimensional self-assembly of bidisperse spheres. Choosing the particle size in a way that the small particles are transparent in the spectral region of interest enables us to probe in detail the effect of increasing positional disorder on the optical properties of the large spheres. With increasing disorder a transition from a collective optical response characterized by diffractive resonances to single particles scattering represented by Mie resonances occurs. In between these extremes, we identify an intermediate, hopping-like light transport regime mediated by resonant interactions between individual spheres. These results suggest that different levels of disorder, characterized not only by absence of long range order but also by differences in short-range correlation and interparticle distance, exist in colloidal glasses. PMID:27277521

Sizing of colloidal particle and protein molecules in a hanging fluid drop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ansari, Rafat R.; Suh, Kwang I.

1995-01-01

We report non-invasive particle size measurements of polystyrene latex colloidal particles and bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein molecules suspended in tiny hanging fluid drops of 30 micro-Liter volume using a newly designed fiber optic probe. The probe is based upon the principles of the technique of dynamic light scattering (DLS). The motivation for this work comes from growing protein crystals in outer space. Protein crystals have been grown previously in hanging drops in microgravity experiments on-board the space shuttle orbiter. However, obtaining quantitative information on nucleation and growth of the protein crystals in real time has always been a desired goal, but hitherto not achieved. Several protein researchers have shown interest in using DLS to monitor crystal growth process in a droplet, but elaborate instrumentation and optical alignment problems have made in-situ applications difficult. We demonstrate that such an experiment is now possible. Our system offers fast (5 seconds) determination of particle size, utilize safe levels of very low laser power (less than or equal to 0.2 mW), a small scattering volume (approximately 2 x 10(exp -5) cu mm) and high spatial coherence (Beta) values. This is a major step forward when compared to currently available DLS systems.

Manipulating semiconductor colloidal stability through doping.

PubMed

Fleharty, Mark E; van Swol, Frank; Petsev, Dimiter N

2014-10-10

The interface between a doped semiconductor material and electrolyte solution is of considerable fundamental interest, and is relevant to systems of practical importance. Both adjacent domains contain mobile charges, which respond to potential variations. This is exploited to design electronic and optoelectronic sensors, and other enabling semiconductor colloidal materials. We show that the charge mobility in both phases leads to a new type of interaction between semiconductor colloids suspended in aqueous electrolyte solutions. This interaction is due to the electrostatic response of the semiconductor interior to disturbances in the external field upon the approach of two particles. The electrostatic repulsion between two charged colloids is reduced from the one governed by the charged groups present at the particles surfaces. This type of interaction is unique to semiconductor particles and may have a substantial effect on the suspension dynamics and stability.

Oppositely charged colloids out of equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vissers, T.

2010-11-01

Colloids are particles with a size in the range of a few nanometers up to several micrometers. Similar to atomic and molecular systems, they can form gases, liquids, solids, gels and glasses. Colloids can be used as model systems because, unlike molecules, they are sufficiently large to be studied directly with light microscopy and move sufficiently slow to study their dynamics. In this thesis, we study binary systems of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) colloidal particles suspended in low-polar solvent mixtures. Since the ions can still partially dissociate, a surface charge builds up which causes electrostatic interactions between the colloids. By carefully tuning the conditions inside the suspension, we make two kinds of particles oppositely charged. To study our samples, we use Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). The positively and negatively charged particles can be distinguished by a different fluorescent dye. Colloids constantly experience a random motion resulting from random kicks of surrounding solvent molecules. When the attractions between the oppositely charged particles are weak, the particles can attach and detach many times and explore a lot of possible configurations and the system can reach thermodynamic equilibrium. For example, colloidal ‘ionic’ crystals consisting of thousands to millions of particles can form under the right conditions. When the attractions are strong, the system can become kinetically trapped inside a gel-like state. We observe that when the interactions change again, crystals can even emerge again from this gel-like phase. By using local order parameters, we quantitatively study the crystallization of colloidal particles and identify growth defects inside the crystals. We also study the effect of gravity on the growth of ionic crystals by using a rotating stage. We find that sedimentation can completely inhibit crystal growth and plays an important role in crystallization from the gel-like state. The surface potential and charge are studied by electrophoresis. Here, the velocity of the particles is measured while they are moving in an electric field. Using our real-space CLSM setup, we find that for a single-component system, the charge on the particles decreases with increasing volume fraction. Apart from structures that oppositely charged particles form close to thermodynamic equilibrium, we also study pattern formation when the system is driven out of equilibrium by an electric field. When oppositely charged particles are driven in opposite directions, the collisions between them cause particle of the same kind to form lanes. By combining our CLSM experiments with Brownian dynamics computer simulations, we study the structure and the dynamics of the suspension on the single-particle level. We find that the number of particles in a lane increases continuously with the field strength. By studying the dynamics and fluctuations parallel and perpendicular to the electric field direction, we identify the key mechanism of lane-formation. We show that pattern formation can easily become more complicated when we introduce alternating current (AC) fields. In addition to the formation of lanes parallel to the field-axis, bands of like-charged particles can form perpendicular to it. When the particles are sufficiently mobile, the system can be remixed again by changing the frequency. When AC-fields with higher field strengths are used, we show that complex patterns, including rotating instabilities, can emerge. The results in this thesis yield fundamental insight in electrophoresis, crystallization and pattern formation when systems are driven out of equilibrium. The results on lane- and band-formation can be relevant for the design of electronic ink (e-ink), where electrically driven oppositely charged particles are used to change the image on a piece of electronic paper.

Patterned assembly of colloidal particles by confined dewetting lithography.

PubMed

Celio, Hugo; Barton, Emily; Stevenson, Keith J

2006-12-19

We report the assembly of colloidal particles into confined arrangements and patterns on various cleaned and chemically modified solid substrates using a method which we term "confined dewetting lithography" or CDL for short. The experimental setup for CDL is a simple deposition cell where an aqueous suspension of colloidal particles (e.g., polystyrene spheres) is placed between a floating deposition template (i.e., metal microgrid) and the solid substrate. The voids of the deposition template serve as an array of micrometer-sized reservoirs where several hydrodynamic processes are confined. These processes include water evaporation, meniscus formation, convective flow, rupturing, dewetting, and capillary-bridge formation. We discuss the optimal conditions where the CDL has a high efficiency to deposit intricate patterns of colloidal particles using polystyrene spheres (PS; 4.5, 2.0, 1.7, 0.11, 0.064 microm diameter) and square and hexagonal deposition templates as model systems. We find that the optimization conditions of the CDL method, when using submicrometer, sulfate-functionalized PS particles, are primarily dependent on minimizing attractive particle-substrate interactions. The CDL methodology described herein presents a relatively simple and rapid method to assemble virtually any geometric pattern, including more complex patterns assembled using PS particles with different diameters, from aqueous suspensions by choosing suitable conditions and materials.

Colloidal layers in magnetic fields and under shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwen, H.; Messina, R.; Hoffmann, N.; Likos, C. N.; Eisenmann, C.; Keim, P.; Gasser, U.; Maret, G.; Goldberg, R.; Palberg, T.

2005-11-01

The behaviour of colloidal mono- and bilayers in external magnetic fields and under shear is discussed and recent progress is summarized. Superparamagnetic colloidal particles form monolayers when they are confined to a air-water interface in a hanging water droplet. An external magnetic field allows us to tune the strength of the mutual dipole-dipole interaction between the colloids and the anisotropy of the interaction can be controlled by the tilt angle of the magnetic field relative to the surface normal of the air-water interface. For sufficiently large magnetic field strength crystalline monolayers are found. The role of fluctuations in these two-dimensional crystals is discussed. Furthermore, clustering phenomena in binary mixtures of superparamagnetic particles forming fluid monolayers are predicted. Finally, we address sheared colloidal bilayers and find that the orientation of confined colloidal crystals can be tailored by a previously applied shear direction.

Effective Forces Between Colloidal Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tehver, Riina; Banavar, Jayanth R.; Koplik, Joel

1999-01-01

Colloidal suspensions have proven to be excellent model systems for the study of condensed matter and its phase behavior. Many of the properties of colloidal suspensions can be investigated with a systematic variation of the characteristics of the systems and, in addition, the energy, length and time scales associated with them allow for experimental probing of otherwise inaccessible regimes. The latter property also makes colloidal systems vulnerable to external influences such as gravity. Experiments performed in micro-ravity by Chaikin and Russell have been invaluable in extracting the true behavior of the systems without an external field. Weitz and Pusey intend to use mixtures of colloidal particles with additives such as polymers to induce aggregation and form weak, tenuous, highly disordered fractal structures that would be stable in the absence of gravitational forces. When dispersed in a polarizable medium, colloidal particles can ionize, emitting counterions into the solution. The standard interaction potential in these charged colloidal suspensions was first obtained by Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek. The DLVO potential is obtained in the mean-field linearized Poisson-Boltzmann approximation and thus has limited applicability. For more precise calculations, we have used ab initio density functional theory. In our model, colloidal particles are charged hard spheres, the counterions are described by a continuum density field and the solvent is treated as a homogeneous medium with a specified dielectric constant. We calculate the effective forces between charged colloidal particles by integrating over the solvent and counterion degrees of freedom, taking into account the direct interactions between the particles as well as particle-counterion, counterion-counterion Coulomb, counterion entropic and correlation contributions. We obtain the effective interaction potential between charged colloidal particles in different configurations. We evaluate two- and three-body forces in the bulk as well as study the influence of soft walls. We qualitatively explain the effects of the walls on the forces and demonstrate that many-body effects are negligible in our system. With adjustments in the parameters, the DLVO pair-potential can describe the results quantitatively. Besides electrostatic interactions, entropic depletion effects that arise from (hard-core) exclusion play an important role in determining the behavior of multi-component colloidal suspensions. A standard theory for depletion forces is due to Asakura and Oosawa and is based on the ideal gas approximation. To go beyond this approximation, we have studied entropic forces in molecular dynamics simulations of systems of hard spheres (the effects of the solvent have been ignored). The effective depletion forces for these systems can be found either from equilibrium distribution functions or from direct momentum transfer calculations. Our results obtained by either method show qualitative differences from the Asakura-Oosawa forces, indicating a longer range, higher value at contact and most importantly a more complicated structure, comprising of several maxima and minima. Our calculations include the determination of effective forces between two spheres, a hard sphere and a wall, and the behavior of a hard sphere near a step-edge and a corner. We also demonstrate that such entropic forces do not necessarily satisfy pairwise additivity.

Thermally Induced Depolarization of the Photoluminescence of Carbon Nanodots in a Colloidal Matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starukhin, A. N.; Nelson, D. K.; Kurdyukov, D. A.; Eurov, D. A.; Stovpiaga, E. Yu.; Golubev, V. G.

2018-02-01

The effect of temperature on fluorescence polarization in a colloidal system of carbon nanodots in glycerol under linearly polarized excitation is investigated for the first time. It is found that the experimentally obtained temperature dependence of the degree of linear polarization of fluorescence can be described by the Levshin-Perrin equation, taking into account the rotational diffusion of luminescent particles (fluorophores) in the liquid matrix. The fluorophore size determined in the context of the Levshin-Perrin model is significantly smaller than the size of carbon nanodots. This discrepancy gives evidence that small atomic groups responsible for nanodot luminescence are characterized by high segmental mobility with a large amplitude of motion with respect to the nanodot core.

Moderating effect of ammonia on particle growth and stability of quasi-monodisperse silver nanoparticles synthesized by the Turkevich method.

PubMed

Gorup, Luiz F; Longo, Elson; Leite, Edson R; Camargo, Emerson R

2011-08-15

A new method to stabilize silver nanoparticles by the addition of ammonia is proposed. Colloidal dispersions of silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the Turkevich method using sodium citrate to reduce silver nitrate at high pH and at 90 °C. After approximately 12 min, a diluted ammonia solution was added to the reaction flask to form soluble diamine silver (I) complexes that played an important growth moderating role, making it possible to stabilize metallic silver nanoparticles with sizes as small as 1.6 nm after 17 min of reaction. Colloidal dispersions were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electronic microscopy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of internal viscoelastic modes on the Brownian motion of a λ-DNA coated colloid.

PubMed

Yanagishima, Taiki; Laohakunakorn, Nadanai; Keyser, Ulrich F; Eiser, Erika; Tanaka, Hajime

2014-03-21

We study the influence of grafted polymers on the diffusive behaviour of a colloidal particle. Our work demonstrates how such additional degrees of freedom influence the Brownian motion of the particle, focusing on internal viscoelastic coupling between the polymer and colloid. Specifically, we study the mean-squared displacements (MSDs) of λ-DNA grafted colloids using Brownian dynamics simulation. Our simulations reveal the non-trivial effect of internal modes, which gives rise to a crossover from the short-time viscoelastic to long-time diffusional behaviour. We also show that basic features can be captured by a simple theoretical model considering the relative motion of a colloid to a part of the polymer corona. This model describes well a MSD calculated from an extremely long trajectory of a single λ-DNA coated colloid from experiment and allows characterisation of the λ-DNA hairs. Our study suggests that the access to the internal relaxation modes via the colloid trajectory offers a novel method for the characterisation of soft attachments to a colloid.

Structural evolution of Colloidal Gels under Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boromand, Arman; Maia, Joao; Jamali, Safa

Colloidal suspensions are ubiquitous in different industrial applications ranging from cosmetic and food industries to soft robotics and aerospace. Owing to the fact that mechanical properties of colloidal gels are controlled by its microstructure and network topology, we trace the particles in the networks formed under different attraction potentials and try to find a universal behavior in yielding of colloidal gels. Many authors have implemented different simulation techniques such as molecular dynamics (MD) and Brownian dynamics (BD) to capture better picture during phase separation and yielding mechanism in colloidal system with short-ranged attractive force. However, BD neglects multi-body hydrodynamic interactions (HI) which are believed to be responsible for the second yielding of colloidal gels. We envision using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) with modified depletion potential and hydrodynamic interactions, as a coarse-grain model, can provide a robust simulation package to address the gel formation process and yielding in short ranged-attractive colloidal systems. The behavior of colloidal gels with different attraction potentials under flow is examined and structural fingerprints of yielding in these systems will be discussed.

Radiative decay engineering 5: metal-enhanced fluorescence and plasmon emission

PubMed Central

Lakowicz, Joseph R.

2009-01-01

Metallic particles and surfaces display diverse and complex optical properties. Examples include the intense colors of noble metal colloids, surface plasmon resonance absorption by thin metal films, and quenching of excited fluorophores near the metal surfaces. Recently, the interactions of fluorophores with metallic particles and surfaces (metals) have been used to obtain increased fluorescence intensities, to develop assays based on fluorescence quenching by gold colloids, and to obtain directional radiation from fluorophores near thin metal films. For metal-enhanced fluorescence it is difficult to predict whether a particular metal structure, such as a colloid, fractal, or continuous surface, will quench or enhance fluorescence. In the present report we suggest how the effects of metals on fluorescence can be explained using a simple concept, based on radiating plasmons (RPs). The underlying physics may be complex but the concept is simple to understand. According to the RP model, the emission or quenching of a fluorophore near the metal can be predicted from the optical properties of the metal structures as calculated from electrodynamics, Mie theory, and/or Maxwell’s equations. For example, according to Mie theory and the size and shape of the particle, the extinction of metal colloids can be due to either absorption or scattering. Incident energy is dissipated by absorption. Far-field radiation is created by scattering. Based on our model small colloids are expected to quench fluorescence because absorption is dominant over scattering. Larger colloids are expected to enhance fluorescence because the scattering component is dominant over absorption. The ability of a metal’s surface to absorb or reflect light is due to wavenumber matching requirements at the metal–sample interface. Wavenumber matching considerations can also be used to predict whether fluorophores at a given distance from a continuous planar surface will be emitted or quenched. These considerations suggest that the so called “lossy surface waves” which quench fluorescence are due to induced electron oscillations which cannot radiate to the far-field because wavevector matching is not possible. We suggest that the energy from the fluorophores thought to be lost by lossy surface waves can be recovered as emission by adjustment of the sample to allow wavevector matching. The RP model provides a rational approach for designing fluorophore–metal configurations with the desired emissive properties and a basis for nanophotonic fluorophore technology. PMID:15691498

Efficient Parameter Searches for Colloidal Materials Design with Digital Alchemy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodd, Paul, M.; Geng, Yina; van Anders, Greg; Glotzer, Sharon C.

Optimal colloidal materials design is challenging, even for high-throughput or genomic approaches, because the design space provided by modern colloid synthesis techniques can easily have dozens of dimensions. In this talk we present the methodology of an inverse approach we term ''digital alchemy'' to perform rapid searches of design-paramenter spaces with up to 188 dimensions that yield thermodynamically optimal colloid parameters for target crystal structures with up to 20 particles in a unit cell. The method relies only on fundamental principles of statistical mechanics and Metropolis Monte Carlo techniques, and yields particle attribute tolerances via analogues of familiar stress-strain relationships.

Transition Behaviors of Configurations of Colloidal Particles at a Curved Oil-Water Interface

PubMed Central

Lee, Mina; Xia, Ming; Park, Bum Jun

2016-01-01

We studied the transition behaviors of colloidal arrangements confined at a centro-symmetrically curved oil-water interface. We found that assemblies composed of several colloidal particles at the curved interface exhibit at least two unique patterns that can be attributed to two factors: heterogeneity of single-colloid self-potential and assembly kinetics. The presence of the two assembly structures indicates that an essential energy barrier between the two structures exists and that one of the structures is kinetically stable. This energy barrier can be overcome via external stimuli (e.g., convection and an optical force), leading to dynamic transitions of the assembly patterns. PMID:28773263

Tunable photonic crystals with partial bandgaps from blue phase colloidal crystals and dielectric-doped blue phases.

PubMed

Stimulak, Mitja; Ravnik, Miha

2014-09-07

Blue phase colloidal crystals and dielectric nanoparticle/polymer doped blue phases are demonstrated to combine multiple components with different symmetries in one photonic material, creating a photonic crystal with variable and micro-controllable photonic band structure. In this composite photonic material, one contribution to the band structure is determined by the 3D periodic birefringent orientational profile of the blue phases, whereas the second contribution emerges from the regular array of the colloidal particles or from the dielectric/nanoparticle-doped defect network. Using the planewave expansion method, optical photonic bands of the blue phase I and II colloidal crystals and related nanoparticle/polymer doped blue phases are calculated, and then compared to blue phases with no particles and to face-centred-cubic and body-centred-cubic colloidal crystals in isotropic background. We find opening of local band gaps at particular points of Brillouin zone for blue phase colloidal crystals, where there were none in blue phases without particles or dopants. Particle size and filling fraction of the blue phase defect network are demonstrated as parameters that can directly tune the optical bands and local band gaps. In the blue phase I colloidal crystal with an additionally doped defect network, interestingly, we find an indirect total band gap (with the exception of one point) at the entire edge of SC irreducible zone. Finally, this work demonstrates the role of combining multiple - by symmetry - differently organised components in one photonic crystal material, which offers a novel approach towards tunable soft matter photonic materials.

Control and formation mechanism of extended nanochannel geometry in colloidal mesoporous silica particles.

PubMed

Sokolov, I; Kalaparthi, V; Volkov, D O; Palantavida, S; Mordvinova, N E; Lebedev, O I; Owens, J

2017-01-04

A large class of colloidal multi-micron mesoporous silica particles have well-defined cylindrical nanopores, nanochannels which self-assembled in the templated sol-gel process. These particles are of broad interest in photonics, for timed drug release, enzyme stabilization, separation and filtration technologies, catalysis, etc. Although the pore geometry and mechanism of pore formation of such particles has been widely investigated at the nanoscale, their pore geometry and its formation mechanism at a larger (extended) scale is still under debate. The extended geometry of nanochannels is paramount for all aforementioned applications because it defines accessibility of nanochannels, and subsequently, kinetics of interaction of the nanochannel content with the particle surrounding. Here we present both experimental and theoretical investigation of the extended geometry and its formation mechanism in colloidal multi-micron mesoporous silica particles. We demonstrate that disordered (and consequently, well accessible) nanochannels in the initially formed colloidal particles gradually align and form extended self-sealed channels. This knowledge allows to control the percentage of disordered versus self-sealed nanochannels, which defines accessibility of nanochannels in such particles. We further show that the observed aligning the channels is in agreement with theory; it is thermodynamically favored as it decreases the Gibbs free energy of the particles. Besides the practical use of the obtained results, developing a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of morphogenesis of complex geometry of nanopores will open doors to efficient and controllable synthesis that will, in turn, further fuel the practical utilization of these particles.

Adsorption, immobilization, and activity of beta-glucosidase on different soil colloids.

PubMed

Yan, Jinlong; Pan, Genxing; Li, Lianqing; Quan, Guixiang; Ding, Cheng; Luo, Ailan

2010-08-15

For a better understanding of enzyme stabilization and the subsequent catalytic process in a soil environment, the adsorption, immobilization, and activity of beta-glucosidase on various soil colloids from a paddy soil were studied. The calculated parameters maximum adsorption capacity (q(0)) for fine soil colloids ranged from 169.6 to 203.7 microg mg(-1), which was higher than coarse soil colloids in the range of 81.0-94.6 microg mg(-1), but the lower adsorption affinity (K(L)) was found on fine soil colloids. The percentages of beta-glucosidase desorbed from external surfaces of the coarse soil colloids (27.6-28.5%) were higher than those from the fine soil colloids (17.5-20.2%). Beta-glucosidase immobilized on the coarse inorganic and organic soil colloids retained 72.4% and 69.8% of activity, respectively, which indicated the facilitated effect of soil organic matter in the inhibition of enzyme activity. The residual activity for the fine soil clay is 79-81%. After 30 days of storage at 40 degrees C the free beta-glucosidase retained 66.2% of its initial activity, whereas the soil colloidal particle-immobilized enzyme retained 77.1-82.4% of its activity. The half-lives of free beta-glucosidase appeared to be 95.9 and 50.4 days at 25 and 40 degrees C. Immobilization of beta-glucosidase on various soil colloids enhanced the thermal stability at all temperatures, and the thermal stability was greatly affected by the affinity between the beta-glucosidase molecules and the surface of soil colloidal particles. Due to the protective effect of supports, soil colloidal particle-immobilized enzymes were less sensitive to pH and temperature changes than free enzymes. Data obtained in this study are helpful for further research on the enzymatic mechanisms in carbon cycling and soil carbon storage. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-assembly of skyrmion-dressed chiral nematic colloids with tangential anchoring.

PubMed

Pandey, M B; Porenta, T; Brewer, J; Burkart, A; Copar, S; Zumer, S; Smalyukh, Ivan I

2014-06-01

We describe dipolar nematic colloids comprising mutually bound solid microspheres, three-dimensional skyrmions, and point defects in a molecular alignment field of chiral nematic liquid crystals. Nonlinear optical imaging and numerical modeling based on minimization of Landau-de Gennes free energy reveal that the particle-induced skyrmions resemble torons and hopfions, while matching surface boundary conditions at the interfaces of liquid crystal and colloidal spheres. Laser tweezers and videomicroscopy reveal that the skyrmion-colloidal hybrids exhibit purely repulsive elastic pair interactions in the case of parallel dipoles and an unexpected reversal of interaction forces from repulsive to attractive as the center-to-center distance decreases for antiparallel dipoles. The ensuing elastic self-assembly gives rise to colloidal chains of antiparallel dipoles with particles entangled by skyrmions.

Lock and Key Colloids through Polymerization-Induced Buckling of Monodispersed Silicon Oil Droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacanna, Stefano; Irvine, William T. M.; Chaikin, Paul M.; Pine, David J.

2010-03-01

Colloidal particles can spontaneously associate into larger structured aggregates when driven by selective and directional interactions. Colloidal organization can be programmed by engineering shapes and interactions of basic building blocks in a manner similar to molecular self-assembly. Examples of successful strategies that allow non-trivial assembly of particles include template-directed patterning, capillary forces and, most commonly, the functionalization of the particle surfaces with ``sticky patches'' of biological or synthetic molecules. The level of complexity of the realizable assemblies, increases when particles with well defined shape anisotropies are used. In particular depletion forces and specific surface treatments in combination with non spherical particles have proven to be powerful tools to self-assembly complex microstructures. We describe a simple, high yield, synthetic pathway to fabricate monodisperse hybrid silica spheres with well defined cavities. Because the particle morphologies are reproducible and tunable with precision, the resulting particles can be used as basic building blocks in the assembly of larger monodisperse clusters. This is demonstrated using depletion to drive the self-assembly.

Colloid formation during waste form reaction: Implications for nuclear waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bates, J. K.; Bradley, J.; Teetsov, A.; Bradley, C. R.; Buchholtz ten Brink, Marilyn R.

1992-01-01

Insoluble plutonium- and americium-bearing colloidal particles formed during simulated weathering of a high-level nuclear waste glass. Nearly 100 percent of the total plutonium and americium in test ground water was concentrated in these submicrometer particles. These results indicate that models of actinide mobility and repository integrity, which assume complete solubility of actinides in ground water, underestimate the potential for radionuclide release into the environment. A colloid-trapping mechanism may be necessary for a waste repository to meet long-term performance specifications.

Multidentate-Protected Colloidal Gold Nanocrystals: pH Control of Cooperative Precipitation and Surface Layer Shedding

PubMed Central

Kairdolf, Brad A.; Nie, Shuming

2011-01-01

Colloidal gold nanocrystals with broad size tunability and unusual pH-sensitive properties have been synthesized by using multidentate polymer ligands. Containing both carboxylic functional groups and sterically hindered aliphatic chains, the multidentate ligands are able to both reduce gold precursors and to stabilize gold nanoclusters during nucleation and growth. The “as-synthesized” nanocrystals are protected by an inner coordinating layer and an outer polymer layer, and are soluble in water and polar solvents. When the solution pH is lowered by just 0.6 units (from pH 4.85 to 4.25), the particles undergo a dramatic cooperative transition from being soluble to insoluble, allowing rapid isolation, purification, and redispersion of the multidentate-protected nanocrystals. A surprise finding is that when a portion of the surface carboxylate groups is neutralized by protonation, the particles irreversibly shed their outer polymer layer and become soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Further, the multidentate polymer coatings are permeable to small organic molecules, in contrast to tightly packed self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on gold. These insights are important towards the design of “smart” imaging and therapeutic nanoparticles that are activated by small pH changes in the tumor interstitial space or endocytic organelles. PMID:21510704

Study on effect of the surface variation of colloidal silica abrasive during chemical mechanical polishing of sapphire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bun-Athuek, Natthaphon; Yoshimoto, Yutaka; Sakai, Koya; Khajornrungruang, Panart; Suzuki, Keisuke

2017-07-01

The surface and diameter size variations of colloidal silica particles during the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of sapphire substrates were investigated using different particle diameters of 20 and 55 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results show that the silica particles became larger after CMP under both conditions. The increase in particle size in the slurry was proportional to the material removal amount (MRA) as a function of the removed volume of sapphire substrates by CMP and affected the material removal rate (MRR). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed an increase in the size of the fine particles and a change in their surface shape in the slurry. The colloidal silica was coated with the material removed from the substrate during CMP. In this case, the increase in the size of 55 nm diameter particles is larger than that of 20 nm diameter particles. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) results indicate that the aluminum element from polished sapphire substrates adhered to the surfaces of silica particles. Therefore, MRR decreases with increasing of polishing time owing to the degradation of particles in the slurry.

Electrohydrodynamic controlled assembly and fracturing of thin colloidal particle films confined at drop interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozynek, Z.; Dommersnes, P.; Mikkelsen, A.; Michels, L.; Fossum, J. O.

2014-09-01

Particles can adsorb strongly at liquid interfaces due to capillary forces, which in practice can confine the particles to the interface. Here we investigate the electrohydrodynamic flow driven packing and deformation of colloidal particle layers confined at the surface of liquid drops. The electrohydrodynamic flow has a stagnation point at the drop equator, leading to assembly of particles in a ribbon shaped film. The flow is entirely controlled by the electric field, and we demonstrate that AC fields can be used to induce hydrodynamic "shaking" of the colloidal particle film. We find that the mechanical properties of the film is highly dependent on the particles: monodisperse polystyrene beads form packed granular monolayers which "liquefies" upon shaking, whereas clay mineral particles form cohesive films that fracture upon shaking. The results are expected to be relevant for understanding the mechanics and rheology of particle stabilized emulsions. Supplementary material in the form of a pdf file available from the Journal web page at http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2014-02231-x

Differentiation of colloidal and dissolved silica: Analytical separation using spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis-Russ, A.; Ranville, J.; Kashuba, A.T.

1991-01-01

A method is described that differentiates between solutions containing silica-dominated colloids and solutions that are essentially free of colloids. Suspensions of tuff particles were treated to remove colloids by centrifugation, filtration or both. Agreement of silica concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and by a spectrophotometric method was taken as an indication of colloid-free solutions. For two tuffs, centrifugation was effective for removing colloids. For the third, highly altered tuff, filtration was more effective for removing colloids.

Thermophoretic torque in colloidal particles with mass asymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olarte-Plata, Juan; Rubi, J. Miguel; Bresme, Fernando

2018-05-01

We investigate the response of anisotropic colloids suspended in a fluid under a thermal field. Using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics computer simulations and nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory, we show that an anisotropic mass distribution inside the colloid rectifies the rotational Brownian motion and the colloids experience transient torques that orient the colloid along the direction of the thermal field. This physical effect gives rise to distinctive changes in the dependence of the Soret coefficient with colloid mass, which features a maximum, unlike the monotonic increase of the thermophoretic force with mass observed in homogeneous colloids.

Physics of Colloids in Space (PCS): Microgravity Experiment Completed Operations on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doherty, Michael P.; Sankaran, Subramanian

2003-01-01

Immediately after mixing, the two-phase-like colloid-polymer critical point sample begins to phase separate, or de-mix, into two phases-one that resembles a gas and one that resembles a liquid, except that the particles are colloids and not atoms. The colloid-poor black regions (colloidal gas) grow bigger, and the colloid-rich white regions (colloidal liquid) become whiter as the domains further coarsen. Finally, complete phase separation is achieved, that is, just one region of each colloid-rich (white) and colloid-poor (black) phase. This process was studied over four decades of length scale, from 1 micrometer to 1 centimeter.

MICROSCOPIC USES OF NANOGOLD.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

HAINFELD,J.F.POWELL,R.D.FURUYA,F.R.

2003-04-17

Gold has been used for immunocytochemistry since 1971 when Faulk and Taylor discovered adsorption of antibodies to colloidal gold. It is an ideal label for electron microscopy (EM) due to its high atomic number, which scatters electrons efficiently, and the fact that preparative methods have been developed to make uniform particles in the appropriate size range of 5 to 30 nm. Use in light microscopy (LM) generally requires silver enhancement (autometallography; AMG) of these small gold particles. Significant advances in this field since that time have included a better understanding of the conditions for best antibody adsorption, more regular goldmore » size production, adsorption of other useful molecules, like protein A, and advances in silver enhancement. Many studies have also been accomplished showing the usefulness of these techniques to cell biology and biomedical research. A further advance in this field was the development of Nanogold{trademark}, a 1.4 nm gold cluster. A significant difference from colloidal gold is that Nanogold is actually a coordination compound containing a gold core covalently linked to surface organic groups. These in turn may be covalently attached to antibodies. This approach to immunolabeling has several advantages compared to colloidal gold such as vastly better penetration into tissues, generally greater sensitivity, and higher density of labeling. Since Nanogold is covalently coupled to antibodies, it may also be directly coupled to almost any protein, peptide, carbohydrate, or molecule of interest, including molecules which do not adsorb to colloidal gold. This increases the range of probes possible, and expands the applications of gold labeling.« less

Enhanced adhesion of bioinspired nanopatterned elastomers via colloidal surface assembly

PubMed Central

Akerboom, Sabine; Appel, Jeroen; Labonte, David; Federle, Walter; Sprakel, Joris; Kamperman, Marleen

2015-01-01

We describe a scalable method to fabricate nanopatterned bioinspired dry adhesives using colloidal lithography. Close-packed monolayers of polystyrene particles were formed at the air/water interface, on which polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was applied. The order of the colloidal monolayer and the immersion depth of the particles were tuned by altering the pH and ionic strength of the water. Initially, PDMS completely wetted the air/water interface outside the monolayer, thereby compressing the monolayer as in a Langmuir trough; further application of PDMS subsequently covered the colloidal monolayers. PDMS curing and particle extraction resulted in elastomers patterned with nanodimples. Adhesion and friction of these nanopatterned surfaces with varying dimple depth were studied using a spherical probe as a counter-surface. Compared with smooth surfaces, adhesion of nanopatterned surfaces was enhanced, which is attributed to an energy-dissipating mechanism during pull-off. All nanopatterned surfaces showed a significant decrease in friction compared with smooth surfaces. PMID:25392404

SURFACE CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON COLLOID STABILITY AND TRANSPORT THROUGH NATURAL POROUS MEDIA

EPA Science Inventory

Surface chemical effects on colloidal stability and transport through porous media were investigated using laboratory column techniques. Approximately 100 nm diameter, spherical, iron oxide particles were synthesized as the mobile colloidal phase. The column packing material was ...

Roles of Reversible and Irreversible Aggregation in Sugar Processing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Colloids (1-1000 nm particles) in sugar cane/beet juice originate from non-sucrose impurities (polyphenolic colorants, residual soil, polysaccharides) of the plant materials; additional colloids form during the high temperature processing. Colloids are reactive towards aggregation, sorption, desorp...

Dielectric resonator: cavity-enhanced optical manipulation in the near field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reece, Peter J.; Wright, Ewan; Garcés-Chávez, Veneranda; Dholakia, Kishan

2006-08-01

In the following paper we explore the dynamics of single colloidal particles and particle aggregates in a counterpropagating cavity-enhanced evanescent wave optical trap. For this study we make use of Fabry-Perot like cavity modes generated in a prism-coupled resonant dielectric waveguide. The advantage of using this type of optical structure is that there is an enhancement in the electric field of the evanescent at the sample surface that may be used to achieve greater coupling to colloidal particles for the purposes of optical micromanipulation. We demonstrate an order of magnitude increase in the optical forces acting on micrometer sized colloidal particles using cavity enhanced evanescent waves, compared with evanescent wave produced by conventional prism-coupling techniques. The combination of the enhanced optical interaction and the wide area illumination provided by the prism coupler makes it an ideal geometry for studying the collective dynamics of many particles over a large area. We study the different type of ordering observed when particles of different sizes are accumulated at the centre of this novel optical trap. We find that for large particles sizes (greater than 2μm), colloid dynamics are primarily driven by thermodynamics, whilst for smaller particles, in the range of 200-600nm, particles ordering is dictated by optical-matter interactions. We suggest a qualitative model for the observed optically induced ordering occurs and discuss how these results tie in with existing demonstrations of twodimensional optical binding.

Influence of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter, colloids, and cations on nanofiltration of pharmaceutically active and endocrine disrupting compounds.

PubMed

Sadmani, A H M Anwar; Andrews, Robert C; Bagley, David M

2014-12-01

This study examined the rejection of selected pharmaceutically active (PhAC) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) when using nanofiltration as a function of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM), colloidal particles, cations and their interactions. Lake Ontario water served as a source of natural DOM and colloidal particles. PhAC/EDC rejection experiments were conducted using raw Lake Ontario water and Lake Ontario water that was pre-treated with either ultrafiltration to remove colloidal particles, or fluidized ion exchange resins to remove DOM. Additionally, the concentration of cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+)) in the raw and pre-treated water matrices was varied. While ionic PhACs and EDCs exhibited high rejections from all the water matrices examined, neutral compounds were most effectively rejected in water containing DOM and no colloids, and least effectively rejected from colloid-containing water with increased cations but no DOM. The presence of DOM significantly improved compound rejection and the increase in cation concentration significantly decreased rejection. The presence of colloids had comparatively little effect except to mitigate the impact of increased cation concentration, apparently providing some cation-buffering capacity. The sequence in which constituents are removed from waters during treatment may significantly impact PhAC and EDC removal, especially of neutral compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generation and stability of bentonite colloids at the bentonite/granite interface of a deep geological radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Missana, Tiziana; Alonso, Ursula; Turrero, Maria Jesús

2003-03-01

The possible mechanisms of colloid generation at the near field/far field interface of a radioactive repository have been investigated by means of novel column experiments simulating the granite/bentonite boundary, both in dynamic and in quasi-static water flow conditions. It has been shown that solid particles and colloids can be detached from the bulk and mobilised by the water flow. The higher the flow rate, the higher the concentration of particles found in the water, according to an erosion process. However, the gel formation and the intrinsic tactoid structure of the clay play an important role in the submicron particle generation even in the compacted clay and in a confined system. In fact, once a bentonite gel is formed, in the regions where the clay is contacted with water, clay colloids can be formed even in quasi-static flow conditions. The potential relevance of these colloids in radionuclide transport has been studied by evaluating their stability in different chemical environments. The coagulation kinetics of natural bentonite colloids was experimentally studied as a function of the ionic strength and pH, by means of time-resolved light scattering techniques. It has been shown that these colloids are very stable in low saline (approximately 1 x 10(-3) M) and alkaline (pH > or = 8) waters. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Exploring how organic matter controls structural transformations in natural aquatic nanocolloidal dispersions.

PubMed

King, Stephen M; Jarvie, Helen P

2012-07-03

The response of the dispersion nanostructure of surface river bed sediment to the controlled removal and readdition of natural organic matter (NOM), in the absence and presence of background electrolyte, was examined using the technique of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Partial NOM removal induced aggregation of the mineral particles, but more extensive NOM removal restored colloidal stability. When peat humic acid (PHA) was added to a NOM-deficient sediment concentration-related structural transformations were observed: at 255 mg/L PHA aggregation of the nanocolloid was actually enhanced, but at 380 mg/L PHA disaggregation and colloidal stability were promoted. The addition of 2 mM CaCl(2) induced mild aggregation in the native sediment but not in sediments with added PHA, suggesting that the native NOM and the PHA respond differently to changes in ionic strength. A first attempt at using SANS to directly characterize the thickness and coverage of an adsorbed PHA layer in a natural nanocolloid is also presented. The results are discussed in the context of a hierarchical aquatic colloidal nanostructure, and the implications for contemporary studies of the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in sustaining the transport of colloidal iron in upland catchments.

The Interaction between Zein and Lecithin in Ethanol-Water Solution and Characterization of Zein-Lecithin Composite Colloidal Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Dai, Lei; Sun, Cuixia; Wang, Di; Gao, Yanxiang

2016-01-01

Lecithin, a naturally small molecular surfactant, which is widely used in the food industry, can delay aging, enhance memory, prevent and treat diabetes. The interaction between zein and soy lecithin with different mass ratios (20:1, 10:1, 5:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2) in ethanol-water solution and characterisation of zein and lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent co-precipitation method were investigated. The mean size of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles was firstly increased with the rise of lecithin concentration and then siginificantly decreased. The nanoparticles at the zein to lecithin mass ratio of 5:1 had the largest particle size (263 nm), indicating that zein and lecithin formed composite colloidal nanoparticles, which might aggregate due to the enhanced interaction at a higher proportion of lecithin. Continuing to increase lecithin concentration, the zein-lecithin nanoparticles possibly formed a reverse micelle-like or a vesicle-like structure with zein in the core, which prevented the formation of nanoparticle aggregates and decreased the size of composite nanoparticles. The presence of lecithin significantly reduced the ζ-potential of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles. The interaction between zein and lecithin enhanced the intensity of the fluorescence emission of zein in ethanol-water solution. The secondary structure of zein was also changed by the addition of lecithin. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms revealed that the thermal stability of zein-lecithin nanoparticles was enhanced with the rise of lecithin level. The composite nanoparticles were relatively stable to elevated ionic strengths. Possible interaction mechanism between zein and lecithin was proposed. These findings would help further understand the theory of the interaction between the alcohol soluble protein and the natural small molecular surfactant. The composite colloidal nanoparticles formed in this study can broaden the application of zein and be suitable for incorporating water-insoluble bioactive components in functional food and beverage products.

The Interaction between Zein and Lecithin in Ethanol-Water Solution and Characterization of Zein–Lecithin Composite Colloidal Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Dai, Lei; Sun, Cuixia; Wang, Di; Gao, Yanxiang

2016-01-01

Lecithin, a naturally small molecular surfactant, which is widely used in the food industry, can delay aging, enhance memory, prevent and treat diabetes. The interaction between zein and soy lecithin with different mass ratios (20:1, 10:1, 5:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2) in ethanol-water solution and characterisation of zein and lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent co-precipitation method were investigated. The mean size of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles was firstly increased with the rise of lecithin concentration and then siginificantly decreased. The nanoparticles at the zein to lecithin mass ratio of 5:1 had the largest particle size (263 nm), indicating that zein and lecithin formed composite colloidal nanoparticles, which might aggregate due to the enhanced interaction at a higher proportion of lecithin. Continuing to increase lecithin concentration, the zein-lecithin nanoparticles possibly formed a reverse micelle-like or a vesicle-like structure with zein in the core, which prevented the formation of nanoparticle aggregates and decreased the size of composite nanoparticles. The presence of lecithin significantly reduced the ζ-potential of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles. The interaction between zein and lecithin enhanced the intensity of the fluorescence emission of zein in ethanol-water solution. The secondary structure of zein was also changed by the addition of lecithin. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms revealed that the thermal stability of zein-lecithin nanoparticles was enhanced with the rise of lecithin level. The composite nanoparticles were relatively stable to elevated ionic strengths. Possible interaction mechanism between zein and lecithin was proposed. These findings would help further understand the theory of the interaction between the alcohol soluble protein and the natural small molecular surfactant. The composite colloidal nanoparticles formed in this study can broaden the application of zein and be suitable for incorporating water-insoluble bioactive components in functional food and beverage products. PMID:27893802

DNA Origami Patterned Colloids for Programmed Design and Chirality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Zion, Matan Yah; He, Xiaojin; Maass, Corinna; Sha, Ruojie; Seeman, Ned; Chaikin, Paul

Micron size colloidal particles are scientifically important as model systems for equilibrium and active systems in physics, chemistry and biology and for technologies ranging from catalysis to photonics. The past decade has seen development of new particles with directional patches, lock and key reactions and specific recognition that guide assembly of structures such as complex crystalline arrays. What remains lacking is the ability to self-assemble structures of arbitrary shape with specific chirality, placement and orientation of neighbors. Here we demonstrate the adaptation of DNA origami nanotechnology to the micron colloidal scale with designed control of neighbor type, placement and dihedral angle. We use DNA origami belts with programmed flexibility, and functionality to pattern colloidal surfaces and bind particles to specific sites at specific angles and make uniquely right handed or left handed structures. The hybrid DNA origami colloid technology should allow the synthesis of designed functional structural and active materials. This work was supported as part of the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award # DE-SC0000989.

pH-modulated self-assembly of colloidal nanoparticles in a dual-droplet inkjet printing process.

PubMed

Al-Milaji, Karam Nashwan; Radhakrishnan, Vinod; Kamerkar, Prajakta; Zhao, Hong

2018-06-05

Interfacial self-assembly has been demonstrated as a powerful driving mechanism for creating various nanostructured assemblies. In this work, we employed a dual-droplet printing process and interfacial self-assembly mechanism to produce deposits with controlled assembly structures of colloidal nanoparticles. We hypothesize that pH modulation of the droplet will influence the interfacial self-assembly through the multibody interactions, e.g. particle-particle, particle-interface, and particle-substrate interactions, correspondingly affecting the deposition morphology of the colloidal nanoparticles. During the dual-droplet printing, a wetting droplet, containing colloidal nanoparticles, was jetted over a supporting droplet that contains water only. pH modulation was carried out to the supporting droplet. The self-assembly of two kinds of functionalized polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (carboxyl-PS and sulfate-PS) was systematically investigated under various pH conditions. Depending on the pH level of the supporting droplet, deposits of carboxyl-PS particles ranging from clear ring-like patterns to nearly uniform monolayer depositions have been obtained. On the other hand, the sulfate-PS particles, even at extreme basic and acidic environments, successfully assemble into nearly monolayer depositions. The multibody interactions are discussed. Such findings can be harnessed in manufacturing high-performance optical and electronic devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-equilibrium steady-state distributions of colloids in a tilted periodic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaoguang; Lai, Pik-Yin; Ackerson, Bruce; Tong, Penger

A two-layer colloidal system is constructed to study the effects of the external force F on the non-equilibrium steady-state (NESS) dynamics of the diffusing particles over a tilted periodic potential, in which detailed balance is broken due to the presence of a steady particle flux. The periodic potential is provided by the bottom layer colloidal spheres forming a fixed crystalline pattern on a glass substrate. The corrugated surface of the bottom colloidal crystal provides a gravitational potential field for the top layer diffusing particles. By tilting the sample with respect to gravity, a tangential component F is applied to the diffusing particles. The measured NESS probability density function Pss (x , y) of the particles is found to deviate from the equilibrium distribution depending on the driving or distance from equilibrium. The experimental results are compared with the exact solution of the 1D Smoluchowski equation and the numerical results of the 2D Smoluchowski equation. Moreover, from the obtained exact 1D solution, we develop an analytical method to accurately extract the 1D potential U0 (x) from the measured Pss (x) . Work supported in part by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR.

Accumulation of Colloidal Particles in Flow Junctions Induced by Fluid Flow and Diffusiophoresis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shin, Sangwoo; Ault, Jesse T.; Warren, Patrick B.

The flow of solutions containing solutes and colloidal particles in porous media is widely found in systems including underground aquifers, hydraulic fractures, estuarine or coastal habitats, water filtration systems, etc. In such systems, solute gradients occur when there is a local change in the solute concentration. While the effects of solute gradients have been found to be important for many applications, we observe an unexpected colloidal behavior in porous media driven by the combination of solute gradients and the fluid flow. When two flows with different solute concentrations are in contact near a junction, a sharp solute gradient is formedmore » at the interface, which may allow strong diffusiophoresis of the particles directed against the flow. Consequently, the particles accumulate near the pore entrance, rapidly approaching the packing limit. These colloidal dynamics have important implications for the clogging of a porous medium, where particles that are orders of magnitude smaller than the pore width can accumulate and block the pores within a short period of time. As a result, we also show that this effect can be exploited as a useful tool for preconcentrating biomolecules for rapid bioassays.« less

Accumulation of Colloidal Particles in Flow Junctions Induced by Fluid Flow and Diffusiophoresis

DOE PAGES

Shin, Sangwoo; Ault, Jesse T.; Warren, Patrick B.; ...

2017-11-16

The flow of solutions containing solutes and colloidal particles in porous media is widely found in systems including underground aquifers, hydraulic fractures, estuarine or coastal habitats, water filtration systems, etc. In such systems, solute gradients occur when there is a local change in the solute concentration. While the effects of solute gradients have been found to be important for many applications, we observe an unexpected colloidal behavior in porous media driven by the combination of solute gradients and the fluid flow. When two flows with different solute concentrations are in contact near a junction, a sharp solute gradient is formedmore » at the interface, which may allow strong diffusiophoresis of the particles directed against the flow. Consequently, the particles accumulate near the pore entrance, rapidly approaching the packing limit. These colloidal dynamics have important implications for the clogging of a porous medium, where particles that are orders of magnitude smaller than the pore width can accumulate and block the pores within a short period of time. As a result, we also show that this effect can be exploited as a useful tool for preconcentrating biomolecules for rapid bioassays.« less

Discontinuous nature of the repulsive-to-attractive colloidal glass transition

PubMed Central

van de Laar, T.; Higler, R.; Schroën, K.; Sprakel, J.

2016-01-01

In purely repulsive colloidal systems a glass transition can be reached by increasing the particle volume fraction beyond a certain threshold. The resulting glassy state is governed by configurational cages which confine particles and restrict their motion. A colloidal glass may also be formed by inducing attractive interactions between the particles. When attraction is turned on in a repulsive colloidal glass a re-entrant solidification ensues. Initially, the repulsive glass melts as free volume in the system increases. As the attraction strength is increased further, this weakened configurational glass gives way to an attractive glass in which motion is hindered by the formation of physical bonds between neighboring particles. In this paper, we study the transition from repulsive-to-attractive glasses using three-dimensional imaging at the single-particle level. We show how the onset of cage weakening and bond formation is signalled by subtle changes in local structure. We then demonstrate the discontinuous nature of the solid-solid transition, which is marked by a critical onset at a threshold bonding energy. Finally, we highlight how the interplay between bonding and caging leads to complex and heterogeneous dynamics at the microscale. PMID:26940737

Discontinuous nature of the repulsive-to-attractive colloidal glass transition.

PubMed

van de Laar, T; Higler, R; Schroën, K; Sprakel, J

2016-03-04

In purely repulsive colloidal systems a glass transition can be reached by increasing the particle volume fraction beyond a certain threshold. The resulting glassy state is governed by configurational cages which confine particles and restrict their motion. A colloidal glass may also be formed by inducing attractive interactions between the particles. When attraction is turned on in a repulsive colloidal glass a re-entrant solidification ensues. Initially, the repulsive glass melts as free volume in the system increases. As the attraction strength is increased further, this weakened configurational glass gives way to an attractive glass in which motion is hindered by the formation of physical bonds between neighboring particles. In this paper, we study the transition from repulsive-to-attractive glasses using three-dimensional imaging at the single-particle level. We show how the onset of cage weakening and bond formation is signalled by subtle changes in local structure. We then demonstrate the discontinuous nature of the solid-solid transition, which is marked by a critical onset at a threshold bonding energy. Finally, we highlight how the interplay between bonding and caging leads to complex and heterogeneous dynamics at the microscale.

Magnetic assembly and annealing of colloidal lattices and superlattices.

PubMed

Tierno, Pietro

2014-07-08

The ability to assemble mesoscopic colloidal lattices above a surface is important for fundamental studies related with nucleation and crystallization but also for a variety of technological applications in photonics and microengineering. Current techniques based on particle sedimentation above a lithographic template are limited by a slow deposition process and by the use of static templates, which make difficult to implement fast annealing procedures. Here it is demonstrated a method to realize and anneal a series of colloidal lattices displaying triangular, honeycomb, or kagome-like symmetry above a structure magnetic substrate. By using a binary mixture of particles, superlattices can be realized increasing further the variety and complexity of the colloidal patterns which can be produced.

Weak correlations between local density and dynamics near the glass transition.

PubMed

Conrad, J C; Starr, F W; Weitz, D A

2005-11-17

We perform experiments on two different dense colloidal suspensions with confocal microscopy to probe the relationship between local structure and dynamics near the glass transition. We calculate the Voronoi volume for our particles and show that this quantity is not a universal probe of glassy structure for all colloidal suspensions. We correlate the Voronoi volume to displacement and find that these quantities are only weakly correlated. We observe qualitatively similar results in a simulation of a polymer melt. These results suggest that the Voronoi volume does not predict dynamical behavior in experimental colloidal suspensions; a purely structural approach based on local single particle volume likely cannot describe the colloidal glass transition.

Transport of colloidal silica in unsaturated sand: Effect of charging properties of sand and silica particles.

PubMed

Fujita, Yosuke; Kobayashi, Motoyoshi

2016-07-01

We have studied the transport of colloidal silica in various degrees of a water-saturated Toyoura sand column, because silica particles are widely used as catalyst carriers and abrasive agents, and their toxicity is reported recently. Since water-silica, water-sand, and air-water interfaces have pH-dependent negative charges, the magnitude of surface charge was controlled by changing the solution pH. The results show that, at high pH conditions (pH 7.4), the deposition of colloidal silica to the sand surface is interrupted and the silica concentration at the column outlet immediately reaches the input concentration in saturated conditions. In addition, the relative concentration of silica at the column outlet only slightly decreases to 0.9 with decreasing degrees of water saturation to 38%, because silica particles are trapped in straining regions in the soil pore and air-water interface. On the other hand, at pH 5 conditions (low pH), where sand and colloid have less charge, reduced repulsive forces result in colloidal silica attaching onto the sand in saturated conditions. The deposition amount of silica particles remarkably increases with decreasing degrees of water saturation to 37%, which is explained by more particles being retained in the sand column associated with the air-water interface. In conclusion, at higher pH, the mobility of silica particles is high, and the air-water interface is inactive for the deposition of silica. On the other hand, at low pH, the deposition amount increases with decreasing water saturation, and the particle transport is inhibited. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical evaluation of the limit of concentration of colloidal samples for their study with digital lensless holographic microscopy.

PubMed

Restrepo, John F; Garcia-Sucerquia, Jorge

2013-01-01

The number of colloidal particles per unit of volume that can be imaged correctly with digital lensless holographic microscopy (DLHM) is determined numerically. Typical in-line DLHM holograms with controlled concentration are modeled and reconstructed numerically. By quantifying the ratio of the retrieved particles from the reconstructed hologram to the number of the seeding particles in the modeled intensity, the limit of concentration of the colloidal suspensions up to which DLHM can operate successfully is found numerically. A new shadow density parameter for spherical illumination is defined. The limit of performance of DLHM is determined from a graph of the shadow density versus the efficiency of the microscope.

Mobility of Nanoscale and Microscale iron for groundwater remediation: experiments and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosco, T.; Gastone, F.; Sethi, R.

2012-12-01

Colloidal suspensions of zerovalent iron micro- and nanoparticles (MZVI and NZVI) have been studied in recent years for in-situ groundwater remediation. Thanks to their small size, MZVI and NZVI can be dispersed in aqueous suspensions and directly injected into the subsurface, for a targeted treatment of contamination plumes and even sources. However, colloidal dispersions of such particles are not stable in pure water, due to fast aggregation (for NZVI) and gravitational sedimentation (for MZVI). Viscous, environmentally friendly fluids (guar gum and xanthan gum solutions), which exhibit shear thinning rheological properties, were found to be effective in improving colloidal stability, thus greatly improving handling and injectability (1-3). The present work reports laboratory tests and numerical modelling concerning the mobility of MZVI and NZVI viscous suspensions in porous media. The efficacy of xanthan and guar gum was investigated in column transport tests, performed injecting highly concentrated iron suspensions (20 g/L), dispersed in xanthan gum (3g/L) and guar gum (3-6 g/l) solutions. Particle breakthrough curves and concentration profiles were monitored by magnetic susceptibility measurements. Pressure drop at column ends was also continuously monitored. The tests proved that green polymers can greatly improve both colloidal stability and mobility of the particles. Their use is fundamental in particular for MZVI, which cannot be transported nor even dispersed in pure water. A numerical model for NZVI and NZVI transport in porous media was then developed (E-MNM1D, Enhanced Micro-and Nanoparticle transport Model in porous media in 1D geometry) (4). Due to the high concentration of the particles and to the non-Newtonian rheology of the carrier fluid, hydrodynamic parameters, fluid properties and concentration of deposed and suspended particles are mutually influenced. The rheological properties of the suspensions are accounted for through a variable viscosity, function of flow rate and on polymer and particle concentrations. The particle-porous medium interactions are modelled with a dual-site approach, accounting for straining and physico-chemical deposition/release phenomena. A general formulation for reversible deposition is also proposed, that includes all commonly applied dynamics (linear attachment, blocking, ripening). The progressive clogging of the porous medium, due to deposition and filtration of particles and aggregates, is modelled by tying porosity and permeability to deposited iron particles. E-MNM1D can be downloaded at www.polito.itgroundwatersoftware. The software is designed as a tool for inverse modelling of laboratory transport tests, and as a support in the design of field-scale applications of MZVI and NZVI-based remediation, in particular for the estimate of the radius of influence of the slurry injection. The work was partly funded by the European Union project AQUAREHAB (FP7 - Grant Agreement Nr. 226565). References 1. Tiraferri, A.; Sethi, R. Journal of Nanoparticle Research 2009, 11(3), 635-645. 2. Tiraferri, A.; Chen, K.L.; Sethi, R.; Elimelech, M. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2008, 324(1-2), 71-79. 3. Dalla Vecchia, E.; Luna, M.; Sethi, R. Environmental Science & Technology 2009, 43(23), 8942-8947. 4. Tosco, T.; Sethi, R. Environmental Science and Technology 2010, 44(23), 9062-9068.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the colloidal stability of nanoparticles-a general interpretation based on stability maps.

PubMed

Segets, Doris; Marczak, Renata; Schäfer, Stefan; Paula, Carolin; Gnichwitz, Jan-Frederik; Hirsch, Andreas; Peukert, Wolfgang

2011-06-28

The current work addresses the understanding of the stabilization of nanoparticles in suspension. Specifically, we study ZnO in ethanol for which the influence of particle size and reactant ratio as well as surface coverage on colloidal stability in dependence of the purification progress was investigated. The results revealed that the well-known ζ-potential determines not only the colloidal stability but also the surface coverage of acetate groups bound to the particle surface. The acetate groups act as molecular spacers between the nanoparticles and prevent agglomeration. Next to DLVO calculations based on the theory of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek using a core-shell model we find that the stability is better understood in terms of dimensionless numbers which represent attractive forces as well as electrostatic repulsion, steric effects, transport properties, and particle concentration. Evaluating the colloidal stability in dependence of time by means of UV-vis absorption measurements a stability map for ZnO is derived. From this map it becomes clear that the dimensionless steric contribution to colloidal stability scales with a stability parameter including dimensionless repulsion and attraction as well as particle concentration and diffusivity of the particles according to a power law with an exponent of -0.5. Finally, we show that our approach is valid for other stabilizing molecules like cationic dendrons and is generally applicable for a wide range of other material systems within the limitations of vanishing van der Waals forces in refractive index matched situations, vanishing ζ-potential and systems without a stabilizing shell around the particle surface.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-01-24

Close-up view of the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test during an experiment run aboard the Russian Mir space station. BCAT is part of an extensive series of experiments plarned to investigate the fundamental properties of colloids so that scientists can make colloids more useful for technological applications. Some of the colloids studied in BCAT are made of two different sized particles (binary colloidal alloys) that are very tiny, uniform plastic spheres. Under the proper conditions, these colloids can arrange themselves in a pattern to form crystals, which may have many unique properties that may form the basis of new classes of light switches, displays, and optical devices that can fuel the evolution of the next generation of computer and communication technologies. This Slow Growth hardware consisted of a 35-mm camera aimed toward a module which contained 10 separate colloid samples. To begin the experiment, one of the astronauts would mix the samples to disperse the colloidal particles. Then the hardware operated autonomously, taking photos of the colloidal samples over a 90-day period. The investigation proved that gravity plays a central role in the formation and stability of these types of colloidal crystal structures. The investigation also helped identify the optimum conditions for the formation of colloidal crystals, which will be used for optimizing future microgravity experiments in the study of colloidal physics. Dr. David Weitz of the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Peter Pusey of the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, are the principal investigators.

Cathodic electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic materials. Fundamental aspects.

PubMed

Zhitomirsky, I

2002-03-29

Electrodeposition of ceramic materials can be performed by electrophoretic (EPD) or electrolytic (ELD) deposition. Electrophoretic deposition is achieved via motion of charged particles towards an electrode under an applied electric field. Electrolytic deposition produces colloidal particles in cathodic reactions for subsequent deposition. Various electrochemical strategies and deposition mechanisms have been developed for electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic films, and are discussed in the present article. Electrode-position of ceramic and organoceramic materials includes mass transport, accumulation of particles near the electrode and their coagulation to form a cathodic deposit. Various types of interparticle forces that govern colloidal stability in the absence and presence of processing additives are discussed. Novel theoretical contributions towards an interpretation of particle coagulation near the electrode surface are reviewed. Background information is given on the methods of particle charging, stabilization of colloids in aqueous and non-aqueous media, electrophoretic mobility of ceramic particles and polyelectrolytes, and electrode reactions. This review also covers recent developments in the electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic materials.

Charge Stabilized Crystalline Colloidal Arrays As Templates For Fabrication of Non-Close-Packed Inverted Photonic Crystals

PubMed Central

Bohn, Justin J.; Ben-Moshe, Matti; Tikhonov, Alexander; Qu, Dan; Lamont, Daniel N.

2010-01-01

We developed a straightforward method to form non close-packed highly ordered fcc direct and inverse opal silica photonic crystals. We utilize an electrostatically self assembled crystalline colloidal array (CCA) template formed by monodisperse, highly charged polystyrene particles. We then polymerize a hydrogel around the CCA (PCCA) and condense the silica to form a highly ordered silica impregnated (siPCCA) photonic crystal. Heating at 450 °C removes the organic polymer leaving a silica inverse opal structure. By altering the colloidal particle concentration we independently control the particle spacing and the wall thickness of the inverse opal photonic crystals. This allows us to control the optical dielectric constant modulation in order to optimize the diffraction; the dielectric constant modulation is controlled independently of the photonic crystal periodicity. These fcc photonic crystals are better ordered than typical close-packed photonic crystals because their self assembly utilizes soft electrostatic repulsive potentials. We show that colloidal particle size and charge polydispersity has modest impact on ordering, in contrast to that for close-packed crystals. PMID:20163800

Colloid-colloid hydrodynamic interaction around a bend in a quasi-one-dimensional channel.

PubMed

Liepold, Christopher; Zarcone, Ryan; Heumann, Tibor; Rice, Stuart A; Lin, Binhua

2017-07-01

We report a study of how a bend in a quasi-one-dimensional (q1D) channel containing a colloid suspension at equilibrium that exhibits single-file particle motion affects the hydrodynamic coupling between colloid particles. We observe both structural and dynamical responses as the bend angle becomes more acute. The structural response is an increasing depletion of particles in the vicinity of the bend and an increase in the nearest-neighbor separation in the pair correlation function for particles on opposite sides of the bend. The dynamical response monitored by the change in the self-diffusion [D_{11}(x)] and coupling [D_{12}(x)] terms of the pair diffusion tensor reveals that the pair separation dependence of D_{12} mimics that of the pair correlation function just as in a straight q1D channel. We show that the observed behavior is a consequence of the boundary conditions imposed on the q1D channel: both the single-file motion and the hydrodynamic flow must follow the channel around the bend.

Colloids with high-definition surface structures

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsien-Yeh; Rouillard, Jean-Marie; Gulari, Erdogan; Lahann, Joerg

2007-01-01

Compared with the well equipped arsenal of surface modification methods for flat surfaces, techniques that are applicable to curved, colloidal surfaces are still in their infancy. This technological gap exists because spin-coating techniques used in traditional photolithographic processes are not applicable to the curved surfaces of spherical objects. By replacing spin-coated photoresist with a vapor-deposited, photodefinable polymer coating, we have now fabricated microstructured colloids with a wide range of surface patterns, including asymmetric and chiral surface structures, that so far were typically reserved for flat substrates. This high-throughput method can yield surface-structured colloidal particles at a rate of ≈107 to 108 particles per operator per day. Equipped with spatially defined binding pockets, microstructured colloids can engage in programmable interactions, which can lead to directed self-assembly. The ability to create a wide range of colloids with both simple and complex surface patterns may contribute to the genesis of previously unknown colloidal structures and may have important technological implications in a range of different applications, including photonic and phononic materials or chemical sensors. PMID:17592149

Crystallization of micrometer-sized particles with molecular contours.

PubMed

Song, Pengcheng; Olmsted, Brian K; Chaikin, Paul; Ward, Michael D

2013-11-12

The crystallization of micrometer-sized particles with shapes mimicking those of tetrabenzoheptacene (TBH) and 1,2:5,6-dibenzanthracene (DBT), both flat polyacenes, in an electric field results in the formation of ordered 2D packings that mimic the plane group symmetries in their respective molecular crystal equivalents. Whereas the particles packed in low-density disordered arrangements under a gravitational gradient, dielectrophoresis (under an ac electric field) produced ordered high-density packings with readily identifiable plane group symmetry. The ordered colloidal assemblies were stable for hours, with the packing density decreasing slowly but with recognizable symmetry for up to 12 h for the TBH-shaped particles and up to 4 h for the DBT-shaped particles. This unexpected stability is attributed to jamming behavior associated with interlocking of the dogbone-shaped (TBH) and Z-block (DBT) particles, contrasting with the more rapid reduction of packing density and loss of hexagonal symmetry for disk-shaped particles upon removal of the electric field. The TBH-shaped and DBT-shaped particles assemble into the p2 plane group, which corresponds to the densest particle packing among the possible close-packed plane groups for these particle symmetries. The p2 symmetry observed for the TBH-shaped and DBT-shaped colloid crystal emulates the p2 symmetry of the (010) layers in their respective molecular crystals, which crystallize in monoclinic lattices. Notably, DBT-shaped particles also form ordered domains with pgg symmetry, replicating the plane group symmetry of the (100) layer in the orthorhombic polymorph of DBT. These observations illustrate that the 2D ordering of colloid particles can mimic the packing of molecules with similar shapes, demonstrating that packing can transcend length scales from the molecular to the colloidal.

Chemical colloids versus biological colloids: a comparative study for the elucidation of the mechanism of protein fiber formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Shaohua; Wu, David; Arnsdorf, Morton; Johnson, Robert; Getz, Godfrey S.; Cabana, Veneracion G.

2005-01-01

Fiber formation from murine serum amyloid A1 (SAA) was compared to the linear aggregation and fiber formation of colloidal gold particles. Here we report the similarities of these processes. Upon incubation with acetic acid, SAA misfolds and adopts a new conformation, which we termed saa. saa apparently is less soluble than SAA in aqueous solution; it aggregates and forms nucleation units and then fibers. The fibers appear as a string of the nucleation units. Additionally, an external electric field promotes saa fiber formation. These properties of saa are reminiscent of colloidal gold formation from gold ions and one-dimensional aggregation of the gold colloids. Colloidal gold particles were also found to be capable of aggregating one-dimensionally under an electric field or in the presence of polylysine. These gold fibers resembled in structure that of saa fibers. In summary, protein aggregation and formation of fibers appear to follow the generalized principles derived in colloidal science for the aggregation of atoms and molecules, including polymers such as polypeptides. The analysis of colloidal gold formation and of one-dimensional aggregation provides a simple model system for the elucidation of some aspects of protein fiber formation.

Gelled oil particles: a new approach to encapsulate a hydrophobic metallophthalocyanine.

PubMed

Siqueira-Moura, Marigilson P; Franceschi-Messant, Sophie; Blanzat, Muriel; Ré, Maria Inês; Perez, Emile; Rico-Lattes, Isabelle; Lattes, Armand; Tedesco, Antonio C

2013-07-01

Chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) is a promising sensitizer molecule for photodynamic therapy, but its hydrophobicity makes it difficult to formulate. In this study, we have efficiently encapsulated ClAlPc into gelled soybean oil particles dispersed in water. 12-Hydroxystearic acid (HSA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were the gelling and stabilizing agents, respectively. The preparation process involved hot emulsification above the gelation temperature (Tgel), followed by cooling to room temperature, which gave a colloidal dispersion of gelled particles of oil in aqueous medium. The gelled particles containing ClAlPc had a medium diameter of 280 nm, homogeneous size distribution (polydispersity index ≈0.3) and large positive zeta potential (about +50 mV) and showed a spherical morphology. The gelled oil particle formulations exhibited good physical stability over a 6-month period. ClAlPc interfered with the HSA self-assembly only slightly, and decreased the gelation temperature to a small extent; however it did not affect gelation process of the oil droplets. The amounts of PEI and HSA employed during the preparation allowed us to control particle size and the dispersion stability, a phenomenon that results from complex electrostatic interactions between the positively charged PEI and the negatively charged HSA fibers present on the gelled particles surface. In summary, by using the right ClAlPc, HSA, and PEI proportions, we prepared very stable dispersions of gelled soybean oil particles with excellent ClAlPc encapsulation efficiency. The obtained colloidal formulation of gelled oil particles loaded with ClAlPc shall be very useful for photodynamic therapy protocols. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Natural Abiotic Colloids on the Transport of Lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) through Saturated Porous Media: Laboratory Experiments and Model-Based Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngueleu Kamangou, S.; Cirpka, O. A.; Grathwohl, P.

2012-04-01

In many developing countries, the hygienic situation has improved by changing from surface-water bodies to groundwater as drinking water resource. However, failures have frequently been reported, presumably caused by wrong design of groundwater extraction (e.g., wells too close to open-water bodies, landfill leachates or agricultural areas). Moreover threat to groundwater pollution is enhanced when colloidal particles in the subsurface can act as carriers for adsorbing contaminants such as hydrophobic chlorinated organic contaminants. In this study, the main objective was to investigate the influence of particles in the size range of colloids on the subsurface transport of pesticides which are known to cause severe health problems. The model pesticide was gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, a representative hydrophobic insecticide which is still used mainly in tropical countries. Colloid-facilitated transport was carried out by considering a first case where the adsorption of the contaminant to the particles is at equilibrium before getting simultaneously transported, and a second case where this equilibrium was not reached before their transport. Another focus besides colloid-facilitated transport was placed on the release of the contaminant from trapped colloids. Data analysis was done with the help of numerical modeling and the minimum model complexity needed to simulate such transports was examined.

Biosynthesis of silver fine particles and particles decorated with nanoparticles using the extract of Illicium verum (star anise) seeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luna, Carlos; Chávez, V. H. G.; Barriga-Castro, Enrique Díaz; Núñez, Nuria O.; Mendoza-Reséndez, Raquel

2015-04-01

Given the upsurge of new technologies based on nanomaterials, the development of sustainable methods to obtain functional nanostructures has become an imperative task. In this matter, several recent researches have shown that the biodegradable natural antioxidants of several plant extracts can be used simultaneously as reducing and stabilizing agents in the wet chemical synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, opening new opportunities to design greener synthesis. However, the challenge of these new techniques is to produce stable colloidal nanoparticles with controlled particle uniformity, size, shape and aggregation state, in similar manner than the well-established synthetic methods. In the present work, colloidal metallic silver nanoparticles have been synthesized using silver nitrate and extracts of Illicium verum (star anise) seeds at room temperature in a facile one-step procedure. The resulting products were colloidal suspensions of two populations of silver nanoparticles, one of them with particle sizes of few nanometers and the other with particles of tens of nm. Strikingly, the variation of the AgNO3/extract weight ratio in the reaction medium yielded to the variation of the spatial distribution of the nanoparticles: high AgNO3/extract concentration ratios yielded to randomly dispersed particles, whereas for lower AgNO3/extract ratios, the biggest particles appeared coated with the finest nanoparticles. This biosynthesized colloidal system, with controlled particle aggregation states, presents plasmonic and SERS properties with potential applications in molecular sensors and nanophotonic devices.

Biosynthesis of silver fine particles and particles decorated with nanoparticles using the extract of Illicium verum (star anise) seeds.

PubMed

Luna, Carlos; Chávez, V H G; Barriga-Castro, Enrique Díaz; Núñez, Nuria O; Mendoza-Reséndez, Raquel

2015-04-15

Given the upsurge of new technologies based on nanomaterials, the development of sustainable methods to obtain functional nanostructures has become an imperative task. In this matter, several recent researches have shown that the biodegradable natural antioxidants of several plant extracts can be used simultaneously as reducing and stabilizing agents in the wet chemical synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, opening new opportunities to design greener synthesis. However, the challenge of these new techniques is to produce stable colloidal nanoparticles with controlled particle uniformity, size, shape and aggregation state, in similar manner than the well-established synthetic methods. In the present work, colloidal metallic silver nanoparticles have been synthesized using silver nitrate and extracts of Illicium verum (star anise) seeds at room temperature in a facile one-step procedure. The resulting products were colloidal suspensions of two populations of silver nanoparticles, one of them with particle sizes of few nanometers and the other with particles of tens of nm. Strikingly, the variation of the AgNO3/extract weight ratio in the reaction medium yielded to the variation of the spatial distribution of the nanoparticles: high AgNO3/extract concentration ratios yielded to randomly dispersed particles, whereas for lower AgNO3/extract ratios, the biggest particles appeared coated with the finest nanoparticles. This biosynthesized colloidal system, with controlled particle aggregation states, presents plasmonic and SERS properties with potential applications in molecular sensors and nanophotonic devices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rheological State Diagrams for Rough Colloids in Shear Flow.

PubMed

Hsiao, Lilian C; Jamali, Safa; Glynos, Emmanouil; Green, Peter F; Larson, Ronald G; Solomon, Michael J

2017-10-13

To assess the role of particle roughness in the rheological phenomena of concentrated colloidal suspensions, we develop model colloids with varying surface roughness length scales up to 10% of the particle radius. Increasing surface roughness shifts the onset of both shear thickening and dilatancy towards lower volume fractions and critical stresses. Experimental data are supported by computer simulations of spherical colloids with adjustable friction coefficients, demonstrating that a reduction in the onset stress of thickening and a sign change in the first normal stresses occur when friction competes with lubrication. In the quasi-Newtonian flow regime, roughness increases the effective packing fraction of colloids. As the shear stress increases and suspensions of rough colloids approach jamming, the first normal stresses switch signs and the critical force required to generate contacts is drastically reduced. This is likely a signature of the lubrication films giving way to roughness-induced tangential interactions that bring about load-bearing contacts in the compression axis of flow.

Rheological State Diagrams for Rough Colloids in Shear Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiao, Lilian C.; Jamali, Safa; Glynos, Emmanouil; Green, Peter F.; Larson, Ronald G.; Solomon, Michael J.

2017-10-01

To assess the role of particle roughness in the rheological phenomena of concentrated colloidal suspensions, we develop model colloids with varying surface roughness length scales up to 10% of the particle radius. Increasing surface roughness shifts the onset of both shear thickening and dilatancy towards lower volume fractions and critical stresses. Experimental data are supported by computer simulations of spherical colloids with adjustable friction coefficients, demonstrating that a reduction in the onset stress of thickening and a sign change in the first normal stresses occur when friction competes with lubrication. In the quasi-Newtonian flow regime, roughness increases the effective packing fraction of colloids. As the shear stress increases and suspensions of rough colloids approach jamming, the first normal stresses switch signs and the critical force required to generate contacts is drastically reduced. This is likely a signature of the lubrication films giving way to roughness-induced tangential interactions that bring about load-bearing contacts in the compression axis of flow.

Inducing Propulsion of Colloidal Dimers by Breaking the Symmetry in Electrohydrodynamic Flow.

PubMed

Ma, Fuduo; Yang, Xingfu; Zhao, Hui; Wu, Ning

2015-11-13

We show that dielectric colloidal dimers with broken symmetry in geometry, composition, or interfacial charges can all propel in directions that are perpendicular to the applied ac electric field. The asymmetry in particle properties ultimately results in an unbalanced electrohydrodynamic flow on two sides of the particles. Consistent with scaling laws, the propulsion direction, speed, and orientation of dimers can be conveniently tuned by frequency. The new propulsion mechanism revealed here is important for building colloidal motors and studying collective behavior of active matter.

Taylor dispersion of colloidal particles in narrow channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sané, Jimaan; Padding, Johan T.; Louis, Ard A.

2015-09-01

We use a mesoscopic particle-based simulation technique to study the classic convection-diffusion problem of Taylor dispersion for colloidal discs in confined flow. When the disc diameter becomes non-negligible compared to the diameter of the pipe, there are important corrections to the original Taylor picture. For example, the colloids can flow more rapidly than the underlying fluid, and their Taylor dispersion coefficient is decreased. For narrow pipes, there are also further hydrodynamic wall effects. The long-time tails in the velocity autocorrelation functions are altered by the Poiseuille flow.

Melting of anisotropic colloidal crystals in two dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenmann, C.; Keim, P.; Gasser, U.; Maret, G.

2004-09-01

The crystal structure and melting transition of two-dimensional colloids interacting via an anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole potential are studied. Anisotropy is achieved by tilting the external magnetic field inducing the dipole moments of the colloidal particles away from the direction perpendicular to the particle plane. We find a centred rectangular lattice and a two-step melting similar to the phase transitions of the corresponding isotropic crystals via a quasi-hexatic phase. The latter is broadened compared to the hexatic phase for isotropic interaction potential due to strengthening of orientational order.

Removal of dissolved and colloidal silica

DOEpatents

Midkiff, William S.

2002-01-01

Small amorphous silica particles are used to provide a relatively large surface area upon which silica will preferentially adsorb, thereby preventing or substantially reducing scaling caused by deposition of silica on evaporative cooling tower components, especially heat exchange surfaces. The silica spheres are contacted by the cooling tower water in a sidestream reactor, then separated using gravity separation, microfiltration, vacuum filtration, or other suitable separation technology. Cooling tower modifications for implementing the invention process have been designed.

Thin Metallic Films From Solvated Metal Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trivino, Galo C.; Klabunde, Kenneth J.; Dale, Brock

1988-02-01

Metals were evaporated under vacuum and the metal atoms solvated by excess organic solvents at low temperature. Upon warming stable colloidal metal particles were formed by controlled metal atom clustering. The particles were stabilized toward flocculation by solvation and electrostatic effects. Upon solvent removal the colloidal particles grew to form thin films that were metallic in appearance, but showed higher resistivities than pure metallic films. Gold, palladium, platinium, and especially indium are discussed.

DNA-controlled dynamic colloidal nanoparticle systems for mediating cellular interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohta, Seiichi; Glancy, Dylan; Chan, Warren C. W.

2016-02-01

Precise control of biosystems requires development of materials that can dynamically change physicochemical properties. Inspired by the ability of proteins to alter their conformation to mediate function, we explored the use of DNA as molecular keys to assemble and transform colloidal nanoparticle systems. The systems consist of a core nanoparticle surrounded by small satellites, the conformation of which can be transformed in response to DNA via a toe-hold displacement mechanism. The conformational changes can alter the optical properties and biological interactions of the assembled nanosystem. Photoluminescent signal is altered by changes in fluorophore-modified particle distance, whereas cellular targeting efficiency is increased 2.5 times by changing the surface display of targeting ligands. These concepts provide strategies for engineering dynamic nanotechnology systems for navigating complex biological environments.

Eye patches: Protein assembly of index-gradient squid lenses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, J.; Townsend, J. P.; Dodson, T. C.

A parabolic relationship between lens radius and refractive index allows spherical lenses to avoid spherical aberration. We show that in squid, patchy colloidal physics resulted from an evolutionary radiation of globular S-crystallin proteins. Small-angle x-ray scattering experiments on lens tissue show colloidal gels of S-crystallins at all radial positions. Sparse lens materials form via low-valence linkages between disordered loops protruding from the protein surface. The loops are polydisperse and bind via a set of hydrogen bonds between disordered side chains. Peripheral lens regions with low particle valence form stable, volume-spanning gels at low density, whereas central regions with higher averagemore » valence gel at higher densities. The proteins demonstrate an evolved set of linkers for self-assembly of nanoparticles into volumetric materials.« less

Determining Quiescent Colloidal Suspension Viscosities Using the Green-Kubo Relation and Image-Based Stress Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Neil Y. C.; Bierbaum, Matthew; Cohen, Itai

2017-09-01

By combining confocal microscopy and stress assessment from local structural anisotropy, we directly measure stresses in 3D quiescent colloidal liquids. Our noninvasive and nonperturbative method allows us to measure forces ≲50 fN with a small and tunable probing volume, enabling us to resolve the stress fluctuations arising from particle thermal motions. We use the Green-Kubo relation to relate these measured stress fluctuations to the bulk Brownian viscosity at different volume fractions, comparing against simulations and conventional rheometry measurements. We find that the Green-Kubo analysis gives excellent agreement with these prior results, suggesting that similar methods could be applied to investigations of local flow properties in many poorly understood far-from-equilibrium systems, including suspensions that are glassy, strongly sheared, or highly confined.

Compact and highly stable quantum dots through optimized aqueous phase transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamang, Sudarsan; Beaune, Grégory; Poillot, Cathy; De Waard, Michel; Texier-Nogues, Isabelle; Reiss, Peter

2011-03-01

A large number of different approaches for the aqueous phase transfer of quantum dots have been proposed. Surface ligand exchange with small hydrophilic thiols, such as L-cysteine, yields the lowest particle hydrodynamic diameter. However, cysteine is prone to dimer formation, which limits colloidal stability. We demonstrate that precise pH control during aqueous phase transfer dramatically increases the colloidal stability of InP/ZnS quantum dots. Various bifunctional thiols have been applied. The formation of disulfides, strongly diminishing the fluorescence QY has been prevented through addition of appropriate reducing agents. Bright InP/ZnS quantum dots with a hydrodynamic diameter <10 nm and long-term stability have been obtained. Finally we present in vitro studies of the quantum dots functionalized with the cell-penetrating peptide maurocalcine.

Active colloidal molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwen, Hartmut

2018-03-01

Like ordinary molecules are composed of atoms, colloidal molecules consist of several species of colloidal particles tightly bound together. If one of these components is self-propelled or swimming, novel “active colloidal molecules” emerge. Active colloidal molecules exist on various levels such as “homonuclear”, “heteronuclear” and “polymeric” and possess a dynamical function moving as propellers, spinners or rotors. Self-assembly of such active complexes has been studied a lot recently and this perspective article summarizes recent progress and gives an outlook to future developments in the rapidly expanding field of active colloidal molecules.

Electrorotation and levitation of cells and colloidal particles

PubMed Central

Foster, Kenneth R.; Sauer, Friedrich A.; Schwan, Herman P.

1992-01-01

We review dielectrophoretic forces on cells and colloidal particles, emphasizing their use for manipulating and characterizing the electrical properties of suspended particles. Compared with dielectric spectroscopy, these methods offer a measure of independence from electrode artifacts and mixture theory. On the assumption that the particles can be modeled as uniform dielectric objects with effective dielectric properties, a simple theory can be developed for the frequency variation in the field-induced forces. For particles exhibiting counterion polarization, dielectrophoretic forces differ considerably from predictions of this theory at low frequencies, apparently because of double layer phenomena. PMID:19431839

Dynamics and mechanisms of asbestos-fiber aggregate growth in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, L.; Ortiz, C. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2015-12-01

Most colloidal particles including asbestos fibers form aggregates in water, when solution chemistry provides favorable conditions. To date, the growth of colloidal aggregates has been observed in many model systems under optical and scanning electron microscopy; however, all of these studies have used near-spherical particles. The highly elongated nature of asbestos fibers may cause anomalous aggregate growth and morphology, but this has never been examined. Although the exposure pathway of concern for asbestos is through the air, asbestos particles typically reside in soil that is at least partially saturated, and aggregates formed in the aqueous phase may influence the mobility of particles in the environment. Here we study solution-phase aggregation kinetics of asbestos fibers using a liquid-cell by in situ microscopy, over micron to centimeter length scales and from a tenth of a second to hours. We employ an elliptical particle tracking technique to determine particle trajectories and to quantify diffusivity. Experiments reveal that diffusing fibers join by cross linking, but that such linking is sometimes reversible. The resulting aggregates are very sparse and non-compact, with a fractal dimension that is lower than any previously reported value. Their morphology, growth rate and particle size distribution exhibit non-classical behavior that deviates significantly from observations of aggregates composed of near-spherical particles. We also perform experiments using synthetic colloidal particles, and compare these to asbestos in order to separate the controls of particle shape vs. material properties. This direct method for quantitatively observing aggregate growth is a first step toward predicting asbestos fiber aggregate size distributions in the environment. Moreover, many emerging environmental contaminants - such as carbon nanotubes - are elongated colloids, and our work suggests that theories for aggregate growth may need to be modified in order to model these particles.

Crossover from the coffee-ring effect to the uniform deposit caused by irreversible cluster-cluster aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crivoi, A.; Zhong, X.; Duan, Fei

2015-09-01

The coffee-ring effect for particle deposition near the three-phase line after drying a pinned sessile colloidal droplet has been suppressed or attenuated in many recent studies. However, there have been few attempts to simulate the mitigation of the effect in the presence of strong particle-particle attraction forces. We develop a three-dimensional stochastic model to investigate the drying process of a pinned colloidal sessile droplet by considering the sticking between particles, which was observed in the experiments. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that by solely promoting the particle-particle attraction in the model, the final deposit shape is transformed from the coffee ring to the uniform film deposition. This phenomenon is modeled using the colloidal aggregation technique and explained by the "Tetris principle," meaning that unevenly shaped or branched particle clusters rapidly build up a sparse structure spanning throughout the entire domain in the drying process. The influence of the controlled parameters is analyzed as well. The simulation is reflected by the drying patterns of the nanofluid droplets through the surfactant control in the experiments.

Colloidal particle electrorotation in a nonuniform electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yi; Vlahovska, Petia M.; Miksis, Michael J.

2018-01-01

A model to study the dynamics of colloidal particles in nonuniform electric fields is proposed. For an isolated sphere, the conditions and threshold for sustained (Quincke) rotation in a linear direct current (dc) field are determined. Particle dynamics becomes more complex with increasing electric field strength, changing from steady spinning around the particle center to time-dependent orbiting motion around the minimum field location. Pairs of particles exhibit intricate trajectories, which are a combination of translation, due to dielectrophoresis, and rotation, due to the Quincke effect. Our model provides a basis to study the collective dynamics of many particles in a general electric field.

Colloidal particle electrorotation in a nonuniform electric field.

PubMed

Hu, Yi; Vlahovska, Petia M; Miksis, Michael J

2018-01-01

A model to study the dynamics of colloidal particles in nonuniform electric fields is proposed. For an isolated sphere, the conditions and threshold for sustained (Quincke) rotation in a linear direct current (dc) field are determined. Particle dynamics becomes more complex with increasing electric field strength, changing from steady spinning around the particle center to time-dependent orbiting motion around the minimum field location. Pairs of particles exhibit intricate trajectories, which are a combination of translation, due to dielectrophoresis, and rotation, due to the Quincke effect. Our model provides a basis to study the collective dynamics of many particles in a general electric field.

Determination of the hydrodynamic friction matrix for various anisotropic particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Daniela; Wittkowksi, Raphael; Löwen, Hartmut; Pine, David

2013-03-01

The relationship between the shape of a colloidal particle and its Brownian motion can be captured by the hydrodynamic friction matrix. It fully describes the translational and rotational diffusion along the particle's main axes as well as the coupling between rotational and translational diffusion. We observed a wide variety of anisotropic colloidal particles with confocal microscopy and calculated the hydrodynamic friction matrix from the particle trajectories. We find that symmetries in the particle shape are reflected in the entries of the friction matrix. We compare our experimentally obtained results with numerical simulations and theoretical predictions. Financial support through a Rubicon grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.

Colloidal polymer particles as catalyst carriers and phase transfer agents in multiphasic hydroformylation reactions.

PubMed

Peral, D; Stehl, D; Bibouche, B; Yu, H; Mardoukh, J; Schomäcker, R; Klitzing, R von; Vogt, D

2018-03-01

Colloidal particles have been used to covalently bind ligands for the heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts. The replacement of the covalent bonds by electrostatic interactions between particles and the catalyst could preserve the selectivity of a truly homogeneous catalytic process. Functionalized polymer particles with trimethylammonium moieties, dispersed in water, with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell have been synthesized by emulsion polymerization and have been thoroughly characterized. The ability of the particles with different monomer compositions to act as catalyst carriers has been studied. Finally, the colloidal dispersions have been applied as phase transfer agents in the multiphasic rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene. The hydrodynamic radius of the particles has been shown to be around 100 nm, and a core-shell structure could be observed by atomic force microscopy. The polymer particles were proven to act as carriers for the water-soluble hydroformylation catalyst, due to electrostatic interaction between the functionalized particles bearing ammonium groups and the sulfonated ligands of the catalyst. The particles were stable under the hydroformylation conditions and the aqueous catalyst phase could be recycled three times. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrorotation of colloidal particles in liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, G.; Smalyukh, I. I.; Kelly, J. R.; Lavrentovich, O. D.; Jákli, A.

2005-09-01

We present the first observations of dc electric-field-induced rotational motion of finite particles in liquid crystals. We show that the electrorotation is essentially identical to the well-known Quincke rotation, which in liquid crystals triggers an additional translational motion at higher fields. In the smectic phase the translational motion is confined to the two-dimensional geometry of smectic layers, in contrast to the isotropic and nematic phases, where the particles can move in all three dimensions. We demonstrate that by a proper analysis of the electrorotation, one can determine the in-plane viscosity of smectic liquid crystals. This method needs only a small amount of material, does not require uniform alignment over large areas, and enables probing rheological properties locally.

Arrays of size and distance controlled platinum nanoparticles fabricated by a colloidal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzke, Achim; Vogel, Nicolas; Weiss, Clemens K.; Ziener, Ulrich; Plettl, Alfred; Landfester, Katharina; Ziemann, Paul

2011-06-01

Based on emulsion polymerization in the presence of a Pt complex, polystyrene (PS) particles were prepared exhibiting a well defined average diameter with narrow size-distribution. Furthermore, the colloids contain a controlled concentration of the Pt precursor complex. Optimized coating of Si substrates with such colloids leads to extended areas of hexagonally ordered close-packed PS particles. Subsequent application of plasma etching and annealing steps allows complete removal of the PS carriers and in parallel nucleation and growth of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) which are located at the original center of the PS colloids. In this way, hexagonally arranged spherical Pt NPs are obtained with controlled size and interparticle distances demonstrating variability and precision with so far unknown parameter scalability. This control is demonstrated by the fabrication of Pt NP arrays at a fixed particle distance of 185 nm while systematically varying the diameters between 8 and 15 nm. Further progress could be achieved by seeded emulsion polymerization. Here, Pt loaded PS colloids of 130 nm were used as seeds for a subsequent additional emulsion polymerization, systematically enlarging the diameter of the PS particles. Applying the plasma and annealing steps as above, in this way hexagonally ordered arrays of 9 nm Pt NPs could be obtained at distances up to 260 nm. To demonstrate their stability, such Pt particles were used as etching masks during reactive ion etching thereby transferring their hexagonal pattern into the Si substrate resulting in corresponding arrays of nanopillars.Based on emulsion polymerization in the presence of a Pt complex, polystyrene (PS) particles were prepared exhibiting a well defined average diameter with narrow size-distribution. Furthermore, the colloids contain a controlled concentration of the Pt precursor complex. Optimized coating of Si substrates with such colloids leads to extended areas of hexagonally ordered close-packed PS particles. Subsequent application of plasma etching and annealing steps allows complete removal of the PS carriers and in parallel nucleation and growth of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) which are located at the original center of the PS colloids. In this way, hexagonally arranged spherical Pt NPs are obtained with controlled size and interparticle distances demonstrating variability and precision with so far unknown parameter scalability. This control is demonstrated by the fabrication of Pt NP arrays at a fixed particle distance of 185 nm while systematically varying the diameters between 8 and 15 nm. Further progress could be achieved by seeded emulsion polymerization. Here, Pt loaded PS colloids of 130 nm were used as seeds for a subsequent additional emulsion polymerization, systematically enlarging the diameter of the PS particles. Applying the plasma and annealing steps as above, in this way hexagonally ordered arrays of 9 nm Pt NPs could be obtained at distances up to 260 nm. To demonstrate their stability, such Pt particles were used as etching masks during reactive ion etching thereby transferring their hexagonal pattern into the Si substrate resulting in corresponding arrays of nanopillars. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed description of the experimental part (S1-S4) platinum concentration inside the polymer particles synthesized by a seeded polymerization from the same seed particles measured by ICP-OES (Fig. S1 and S5); SEM image of Pt complex containing PS particles after oxygen plasma treatment (Fig. S2 and S6); effect of hydrofluoric acid treatment on silicon oxide elevation under Pt NPs (Fig. S3 and S6); SEM images demonstrating the variability of Pt NP distance while keeping the diameter constant (Fig. S4 and S8); results of experimental determination of Pt content by ICP-OES (Tables S1 and S9); diameter of the particles at different fabrication states (Tables S2 and S10). See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10169b

Liquid crystals and their interactions with colloidal particles and phospholipid membranes: Molecular simulation studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Evelina B.

Experimentally, liquid crystals (LC) can be used as the basis for optical biomolecular sensors that rely on LC ordering. Recently, the use of LC as a reporting medium has been extended to investigations of molecular scale processes at lipid laden aqueous-LC interfaces and at biological cell membranes. In this thesis, we present two related studies where liquid crystals are modelled at different length scales. We examine (a) the behavior of nanoscopic colloidal particles in LC systems, using Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulations and a mesoscopic dynamic field theory (DyFT); and (b) specific interactions of two types of mesogens with a model phospholipid bilayer, using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) at the A-nm scale. In (a), we consider colloidal particles suspended in a LC, confined between two walls. We calculate the colloid-substrate and colloid-colloid potentials of mean force (PMF). For the MC simulations, we developed a new technique (ExEDOS or Expanded Ensemble Density Of States) that ensures good sampling of phase space without prior knowledge of the energy landscape of the system. Both results, simulation and DyFT, indicate a repulsive force acting between a colloid and a wall. In contrast, both techniques indicate an overall colloid-colloid attraction and predict a new topology of the disclination lines that arises when the particles approach each other. In (b), we find that mesogens (pentylcyanobiphenyl [5CB] or difluorophenyl-pentylbicyclohexyl [5CF]) preferentially partition from the aqueous phase into a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer. We find highly favorable free energy differences for partitioning (-18kBT for 5CB, -26k BT for 5CF). We also simulated fully hydrated bilayers with embedded 5CB or 5CF at concentrations used in recent experiments (6 mol% and 20 mol%). The presence of mesogens in the bilayer enhances the order of lipid acyl tails and changes the spatial and orientational arrangement of lipid headgroup atoms. A stronger spatial correlation and larger ranges of molecular orientations and positions are observed for 5CB molecules compared to 5CF. At the same time, 5CF molecules were found to bind more strongly to lipid headgroups, thereby slowing the lateral motion of lipid molecules.

Controlled assembly of jammed colloidal shells on fluid droplets.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Anand Bala; Abkarian, Manouk; Stone, Howard A

2005-07-01

Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique for synthesizing two-dimensional microcrystalline materials useful in fields as diverse as biomedicine, materials science, mineral flotation and food processing. Current approaches rely on bulk emulsification methods, require further chemical and thermal treatments, and are restrictive with respect to the materials used. The development of methods that exploit the great potential of interfacial assembly for producing tailored materials have been hampered by the lack of understanding of the assembly process. Here we report a microfluidic method that allows direct visualization and understanding of the dynamics of colloidal crystal growth on curved interfaces. The crystals are periodically ejected to form stable jammed shells, which we refer to as colloidal armour. We propose that the energetic barriers to interfacial crystal growth and organization can be overcome by targeted delivery of colloidal particles through hydrodynamic flows. Our method allows an unprecedented degree of control over armour composition, size and stability.

Controlled assembly of jammed colloidal shells on fluid droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramaniam, Anand Bala; Abkarian, Manouk; Stone, Howard A.

2005-07-01

Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique for synthesizing two-dimensional microcrystalline materials useful in fields as diverse as biomedicine, materials science, mineral flotation and food processing. Current approaches rely on bulk emulsification methods, require further chemical and thermal treatments, and are restrictive with respect to the materials used. The development of methods that exploit the great potential of interfacial assembly for producing tailored materials have been hampered by the lack of understanding of the assembly process. Here we report a microfluidic method that allows direct visualization and understanding of the dynamics of colloidal crystal growth on curved interfaces. The crystals are periodically ejected to form stable jammed shells, which we refer to as colloidal armour. We propose that the energetic barriers to interfacial crystal growth and organization can be overcome by targeted delivery of colloidal particles through hydrodynamic flows. Our method allows an unprecedented degree of control over armour composition, size and stability.

Structural and magnetic properties of multi-core nanoparticles analysed using a generalised numerical inversion method

PubMed Central

Bender, P.; Bogart, L. K.; Posth, O.; Szczerba, W.; Rogers, S. E.; Castro, A.; Nilsson, L.; Zeng, L. J.; Sugunan, A.; Sommertune, J.; Fornara, A.; González-Alonso, D.; Barquín, L. Fernández; Johansson, C.

2017-01-01

The structural and magnetic properties of magnetic multi-core particles were determined by numerical inversion of small angle scattering and isothermal magnetisation data. The investigated particles consist of iron oxide nanoparticle cores (9 nm) embedded in poly(styrene) spheres (160 nm). A thorough physical characterisation of the particles included transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation. Their structure was ultimately disclosed by an indirect Fourier transform of static light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering and small angle neutron scattering data of the colloidal dispersion. The extracted pair distance distribution functions clearly indicated that the cores were mostly accumulated in the outer surface layers of the poly(styrene) spheres. To investigate the magnetic properties, the isothermal magnetisation curves of the multi-core particles (immobilised and dispersed in water) were analysed. The study stands out by applying the same numerical approach to extract the apparent moment distributions of the particles as for the indirect Fourier transform. It could be shown that the main peak of the apparent moment distributions correlated to the expected intrinsic moment distribution of the cores. Additional peaks were observed which signaled deviations of the isothermal magnetisation behavior from the non-interacting case, indicating weak dipolar interactions. PMID:28397851

Yielding in colloidal gels due to nonlinear microstructure bending mechanics.

PubMed

Furst, Eric M; Pantina, John P

2007-05-01

We report measurements of the nonlinear micromechanics of strongly flocculated model colloidal aggregates. Linear aggregates directly assembled using laser tweezers are subjected to bending loads until a critical bending moment is reached, which is identified by a stictionlike rearrangement of a single colloidal bond. This nanoscale phenomenon provides a quantitative basis for understanding the macroscopic shear yield stresses of strongly flocculated polystyrene latex gels, based on the maximum bending moment exceeding the critical moment of the constituent colloidal bonds of the gel microstructure. These mechanics are consistent with the local bending moment overcoming the static friction force between neighboring adhesive particles. This results in a direct relationship between the rheology of these gels and the boundary friction between Brownian particles.

Microrheology close to an equilibrium phase transition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reinhardt, J.; Scacchi, A.; Brader, J. M., E-mail: joseph.brader@unifr.ch

2014-04-14

We investigate the microstructural and microrheological response to a tracer particle of a two-dimensional colloidal suspension under thermodynamic conditions close to a liquid-gas phase boundary. On the liquid side of the binodal, increasing the velocity of the (repulsive) tracer leads to the development of a pronounced cavitation bubble, within which the concentration of colloidal particles is strongly depleted. The tendency of the liquid to cavitate is characterized by a dimensionless “colloidal cavitation” number. On the gas side of the binodal, a pulled (attractive) tracer leaves behind it an extended trail of colloidal liquid, arising from downstream advection of a wettingmore » layer on its surface. For both situations the velocity dependent friction is calculated.« less

Testosterone sorption and desorption: effects of soil particle size.

PubMed

Qi, Yong; Zhang, Tian C; Ren, Yongzheng

2014-08-30

Soils contain a wide range of particles of different diameters with different mobility during rainfall events. Effects of soil particles on sorption and desorption behaviors of steroid hormones have not been investigated. In this study, wet sieve washing and repeated sedimentation methods were used to fractionate the soils into five ranges. The sorption and desorption properties and related mechanisms of testosterone in batch reactors filled with fractionated soil particles were evaluated. Results of sorption and desorption kinetics indicate that small soil particles have higher sorption and lower desorption rates than that of big ones. Thermodynamic results show the sorption processes are spontaneous and exothermal. The sorption capacity ranks as clay>silt>sand, depending mainly on specific surface area and surface functional groups. The urea control test shows that hydrogen bonding contributes to testosterone sorption onto clay and silt but not on sand. Desorption tests indicate sorption is 36-65% irreversible from clay to sand. Clays have highest desorption hysteresis among these five soil fractions, indicating small particles like clays have less potential for desorption. The results provide indirect evidence on the colloid (clay)-facilitated transport of hormones (micro-pollutants) in soil environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of rain intensity and soil colloids in the retention of surfactant-stabilized silver nanoparticles in soil.

PubMed

Makselon, Joanna; Siebers, Nina; Meier, Florian; Vereecken, Harry; Klumpp, Erwin

2018-07-01

Undisturbed outdoor lysimeters containing arable loamy sand soil were used to examine the influence of either heavy rain events (high frequency of high rain intensity), steady rain (continuous rainfall of low rain intensity), and natural rainfall on the transport and retention of surfactant-stabilized silver nanoparticles (AgNP). In addition, the AgNP-soil associations within the A p horizon were analyzed by means of particle-size fractionation, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with UV/Vis-detection and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (AF4-UV/Vis-ICP-MS), and transmission electron microscopy coupled to an energy-dispersive X-ray (TEM-EDX) analyzer. The results showed that AgNP breakthrough for all rain events was less than 0.1% of the total AgNP mass applied, highlighting that nearly all AgNP were retained in the soil. Heavy rain treatment and natural rainfall revealed enhanced AgNP transport within the A p horizon, which was attributed to the high pore water flow velocities and to the mobilization of AgNP-soil colloid associations. Particle-size fractionation of the soil revealed that AgNP were present in each size fraction and therefore indicated strong associations between AgNP and soil. In particular, water-dispersible colloids (WDC) in the size range of 0.45-0.1 μm were found to exhibit high potential for AgNP attachment. The AF4-UV/Vis-ICP-MS and TEM-EDX analyses of the WDC fraction confirmed that AgNP were persistent in soil and associated to soil colloids (mainly composed of Al, Fe, Si, and organic matter). These results confirm the particularly important role of soil colloids in the retention and remobilization of AgNP in soil. Furthermore, AF4-UV/Vis-ICP-MS results indicated the presence of single, homo-aggregated, and small AgNP probably due to dissolution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slow Auger Relaxation in HgTe Colloidal Quantum Dots.

PubMed

Melnychuk, Christopher; Guyot-Sionnest, Philippe

2018-05-03

The biexciton lifetimes in HgTe colloidal quantum dots are measured as a function of particle size. Samples produced by two synthetic methods, leading to partially aggregated or well-dispersed particles, exhibit markedly different dynamics. The relaxation characteristics of partially aggregated HgTe inhibit reliable determinations of the Auger lifetime. In well-dispersed HgTe quantum dots, the biexciton lifetime increases approximately linearly with particle volume, confirming trends observed in other systems. The extracted Auger coefficient is three orders of magnitude smaller than that for bulk HgCdTe materials with similar energy gaps. We discuss these findings in the context of understanding Auger relaxation in quantum-confined systems and their relevance to mid-infrared optoelectronic devices based on HgTe colloidal quantum dots.

Aging near the wall in colloidal glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Cong; Huang, Xinru; Weeks, Eric

In a colloidal glass system, particles move slower as sample ages. In addition, their motions may be affected by their local structure, and this structure will be different near a wall. We examine how the aging process near a wall differs from that in the bulk of the sample. In particular, we use a confocal microscope to observe 3D motion in a bidisperse colloidal glass sample. We find that flat walls induce the particles to organize into layers. The aging process behaves differently near the boundary, especially within the first three layers. Particle motion near the wall is noticeably slower but also changes less dramatically with age. We compare and contrast aging seen in samples with flat and rough walls.

Colloids exposed to random potential energy landscapes: From particle number density to particle-potential and particle-particle interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bewerunge, Jörg; Capellmann, Ronja F.; Platten, Florian

2016-07-28

Colloidal particles were exposed to a random potential energy landscape that has been created optically via a speckle pattern. The mean particle density as well as the potential roughness, i.e., the disorder strength, were varied. The local probability density of the particles as well as its main characteristics were determined. For the first time, the disorder-averaged pair density correlation function g{sup (1)}(r) and an analogue of the Edwards-Anderson order parameter g{sup (2)}(r), which quantifies the correlation of the mean local density among disorder realisations, were measured experimentally and shown to be consistent with replica liquid state theory results.

Adhesion of bacterial pathogens to soil colloidal particles: influences of cell type, natural organic matter, and solution chemistry.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenqiang; Walker, Sharon L; Huang, Qiaoyun; Cai, Peng

2014-04-15

Bacterial adhesion to granular soil particles is well studied; however, pathogen interactions with naturally occurring colloidal particles (<2 μm) in soil has not been investigated. This study was developed to identify the interaction mechanisms between model bacterial pathogens and soil colloids as a function of cell type, natural organic matter (NOM), and solution chemistry. Specifically, batch adhesion experiments were conducted using NOM-present, NOM-stripped soil colloids, Streptococcus suis SC05 and Escherichia coli WH09 over a wide range of solution pH (4.0-9.0) and ionic strength (IS, 1-100 mM KCl). Cell characterization techniques, Freundlich isotherm, and Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory (sphere-sphere model) were utilized to quantitatively determine the interactions between cells and colloids. The adhesion coefficients (Kf) of S. suis SC05 to NOM-present and NOM-stripped soil colloids were significantly higher than E. coli WH09, respectively. Similarly, Kf values of S. suis SC05 and E. coli WH09 adhesion to NOM-stripped soil colloids were greater than those colloids with NOM-present, respectively, suggesting NOM inhibits bacterial adhesion. Cell adhesion to soil colloids declined with increasing pH and enhanced with rising IS (1-50 mM). Interaction energy calculations indicate these adhesion trends can be explained by DLVO-type forces, with S. suis SC05 and E. coli WH09 being weakly adhered in shallow secondary energy minima via polymer bridging and charge heterogeneity. S. suis SC05 adhesion decreased at higher IS 100 mM, which is attributed to the change of hydrophobic effect and steric repulsion resulted from the greater presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on S. suis SC05 surface as compared to E. coli WH09. Hence, pathogen adhesion to the colloidal material is determined by a combination of DLVO, charge heterogeneity, hydrophobic and polymer interactions as a function of solution chemistry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nifedipine Nanoparticle Agglomeration as a Dry Powder Aerosol Formulation Strategy

PubMed Central

Plumley, Carl; Gorman, Eric M.; Munson, Eric J.; Berkland, Cory

2009-01-01

Efficient administration of drugs represents a leading challenge in pulmonary medicine. Dry powder aerosols are of great interest compared to traditional aerosolized liquid formulations in that they may offer improved stability, ease of administration, and simple device design. Particles 1–5 µm in size typically facilitate lung deposition. Nanoparticles may be exhaled as a result of their small size; however, they are desired to enhance the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. Nanoparticles of the hypertension drug nifedipine were co-precipitated with stearic acid to form a colloid exhibiting negative surface charge. Nifedipine nanoparticle colloids were destabilized by using sodium chloride to disrupt the electrostatic repulsion between particles as a means to achieve the agglomerated nanoparticles of a controlled size. The aerodynamic performance of agglomerated nanoparticles was determined by cascade impaction. The powders were found to be well suited for pulmonary delivery. In addition, nanoparticle agglomerates revealed enhanced dissolution of the drug species suggesting the value of this formulation approach for poorly water soluble pulmonary medicines. Ultimately, nifedipine powders are envisioned as an approach to treat pulmonary hypertension. PMID:19015016

Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy Used to Study Foams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerli, Gregory A.; Durian, Douglas J.

2000-01-01

The white appearance of familiar objects such as clouds, snow, milk, or foam is due to the random scattering of light by the sample. As we all know, pure water is clear and easily passes a beam of light. However, tiny water droplets, such as those in a cloud, scatter light because the air and water droplet have different indexes of refraction. When many droplets, or scattering sites, are present, the incident light is scattered in random directions and the sample takes on a milky white appearance. In a glass of milk, the scattering is due to small colloidal particles. The white appearance of shaving cream, or foam, is due to the scattering of light at the water-bubble interface. Diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) is a laser light-scattering technique used to noninvasively probe the particle dynamics in systems that strongly scatter light. The technique takes advantage of the diffuse nature of light, which is reflected or transmitted from samples such as foams, dense colloidal suspensions (such as paint and milk), emulsions, liquid crystals, sandpiles, and even biological tissues.

Biosensing based on magnetically induced self-assembly of particles in magnetic colloids.

PubMed

Yang, Ye; Morimoto, Yoshitaka; Takamura, Tsukasa; Sandhu, Adarsh

2012-03-01

Superparamagnetic beads and nonmagnetic beads of different sizes were assembled to form a "ring-structure" in a magnetorheological (MR) fluid solution by the application of external magnetic fields. For superparamagnetic beads and non-magnetic beads functionalized with probe and target molecules, respectively, the ring-structure was maintained even after removing the external magnetic field due to biomolecular bonding. Several experiments are described, including the formation process of ring-structures with and without molecular interactions, the accelerating effect of external magnetic fields, and the effect of biotin concentration on the structures of the rings. We define the small nonmagnetic particles as "petals" because the whole structure looks like a flower. The number of remnant ring petals was a function of the concentration of target molecules in the concentration range of 0.0768 ng/ml-3.8419 ng/ml which makes this protocol a promising method for biosensing. Not only was the formation process rapid, but the resulting two-dimensional colloidal system also offers a simple method for reducing reagent consumption and waste generation.

Electrokinetically driven continuous-flow enrichment of colloidal particles by Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing in a convergent-divergent microfluidic structure.

PubMed

Zhao, Cunlu; Ge, Zhengwei; Song, Yongxin; Yang, Chun

2017-09-07

Enrichment of colloidal particles in continuous flow has not only numerous applications but also poses a great challenge in controlling physical forces that are required for achieving particle enrichment. Here, we for the first time experimentally demonstrate the electrokinetically-driven continuous-flow enrichment of colloidal particles with Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing (TGF) in a microfluidic convergent-divergent structure. We consider four mechanisms of particle transport, i.e., advection due to electroosmosis, electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis and, and further clarify their roles in the particle enrichment. It is experimentally determined and numerically verified that the particle thermophoresis plays dominant roles in enrichment of all particle sizes considered in this study and the combined effect of electroosmosis-induced advection and electrophoresis is mainly to transport particles to the zone of enrichment. Specifically, the enrichment of particles is achieved with combined DC and AC voltages rather than a sole DC or AC voltage. A numerical model is formulated with consideration of the abovementioned four mechanisms, and the model can rationalize the experimental observations. Particularly, our analysis of numerical and experimental results indicates that thermophoresis which is usually an overlooked mechanism of material transport is crucial for the successful electrokinetic enrichment of particles with Joule heating induced TGF.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jadav, Mudra; Patel, Rajesh, E-mail: rjp@mkbhavuni.edu.in, E-mail: rpat7@yahoo.co

Here we present a technique using magnetic nanofluid to induce bidispersed suspension of nonmagnetic particles to assemble into colloidal chain, triangle, rectangle, ring-flower configurations. By changing the amplitude and direction of the magnetic field, we could tune the structure of nonmagnetic particles in magnetic nanofluid. The structures are assembled using magneto static interactions between effectively nonmagnetic particles dispersed in magnetizable magnetic nanofluid. The assembly of complex structures out of simple colloidal building blocks is of practical interest in photonic crystals and DNA biosensors.

Near-field interaction of colloid near wavy walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yimin; Serra, Francesca; Wong, Denise; Steager, Edward; Stebe, Kathleen

Anisotropic media can be used to manipulate colloids, in tandem with carefully designed boundary conditions. For example, in bulk nematic liquid crystal, a wall with homeotropic anchoring repels a colloid with the same anchoring; yet by changing the surface topography from planar to concave, one can turn repulsion into attraction. We explore the behaviors of micro-particles with associated topological defects (hedgehogs or Saturn rings) near wavy walls. The walls locally excite disturbance, which decays into bulk. The range of influence is related to the curvature. The distortion can be used to position particles, either directly on the structure or at a distance away, based on the ``splay-matching'' rules. When distortion becomes stronger through the deepening of the well, the splay field created by the wall can prompt transformation from a Saturn ring to a hedgehog. We combine wells of different wavelength and depth to direct colloid movement. We apply a magnetic field to reset the initial position of ferromagnetic colloids and subsequently release them to probe the elastic energy landscape. Our platform enables manipulation, particle selection, and a detailed study of defect structure under the influence of curvature. Army Research Office.

Colloid-Colloid Hydrodynamic Interaction Around a Bend in a Quasi-One-Dimensional Channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liepold, Christopher; Zarcone, Ryan; Heumann, Tibor; Lin, Binhua; Rice, Stuart

We report a study of the correlation between a pair of particles in a colloid suspension in a bent quasi-one-dimensional (q1d) channel as a function of bend angle. As the bend angle becomes more acute, we observe an increasing depletion of particles in the vicinity of the bend and an increase in the nearest-neighbor separation in the pair correlation function for particles on opposite sides of the bend. Further, we observe that the peak value of D12, the coupling term in the pair diffusion tensor that characterizes the effect of the motion of particle 1 on particle 2, coincides with the first peak in the pair correlation function, and that the pair separation dependence of D12 mimics that of the pair correlation function. We show that the observed behavior is a consequence of the geometric constraints imposed by the single-file requirement that the particle centers lie on the centerline of the channel and the requirement that the hydrodynamic flow must follow the channel around the bend. We find that the correlation between a pair of particles in a colloidal suspension in a bent q1D channel has the same functional dependence on the pair correlation function as in a straight q1D channel when measured in a coordinate system that follows the centerline of the bent channel. NSF MRSEC (DMR-1420709), Dreyfus Foundation (SI-14-014).

On Determination of the Equation of State of Colloidal Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirorattanakul, Krittanon; Huang, Hao; Uhl, Christopher; Ou-Yang, Daniel

Colloidal suspensions are the main ingredients for a variety of materials in our daily life, e.g., milk, salad dressing, skin lotions and paint for wall coatings. Material properties of these systems require an understanding of the equation of state of these materials. Our project aims to experimentally determine the equation of state of colloidal suspensions by microfluidics, dielectrophoresis (DEP) and optical imaging. We use fluorescent polystyrene latexes as a model system for this study. Placing semi-permeable membranes between microfluidics channels, which made from PDMS, we control the particle concentration and ionic strengths of the suspension. We use osmotic equilibrium equation to analyze the particle concentration distribution in a potential force field created by DEP. We use confocal optical imaging to measure the spatial distribution of the particle concentration. We compare the results of our experimental study with data obtained by computer simulation of osmotic equilibrium of interacting colloids. NSF DMR-0923299, Emulsion Polymer Institute, Department of Physics, Bioengineering Program of Lehigh University.

Magnetophoretic circuits for digital control of single particles and cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Byeonghwa; Reddy, Venu; Hu, Xinghao; Kim, Kunwoo; Jadhav, Mital; Abedini-Nassab, Roozbeh; Noh, Young-Woock; Lim, Yong Taik; Yellen, Benjamin B.; Kim, Cheolgi

2014-05-01

The ability to manipulate small fluid droplets, colloidal particles and single cells with the precision and parallelization of modern-day computer hardware has profound applications for biochemical detection, gene sequencing, chemical synthesis and highly parallel analysis of single cells. Drawing inspiration from general circuit theory and magnetic bubble technology, here we demonstrate a class of integrated circuits for executing sequential and parallel, timed operations on an ensemble of single particles and cells. The integrated circuits are constructed from lithographically defined, overlaid patterns of magnetic film and current lines. The magnetic patterns passively control particles similar to electrical conductors, diodes and capacitors. The current lines actively switch particles between different tracks similar to gated electrical transistors. When combined into arrays and driven by a rotating magnetic field clock, these integrated circuits have general multiplexing properties and enable the precise control of magnetizable objects.

Characterization of suspended particles in Everglades wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noe, G.B.; Harvey, J.W.; Saiers, J.E.

2007-01-01

We report the concentration, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) content, and size and chemical fractionation of fine suspended particles (0.2-100 ??m) and colloids (3 kilodalton [kDa]-0.1 ??m) in the surface water of Everglades wetlands along regional and P-enrichment gradients. Total suspended sediment concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 2.7 mg L-1. Total particulate P concentrations increased from 0.05 ??mol L-1 to 0.31 ??mol L -1 along the P-enrichment gradient. Particles contained from 20% to 43% of total P but <12% of total N in surface water. Dissolved (<0.2 ??m) organic N contained about 90% of total N, with the 3-100-kDa colloidal size class containing the most N of any size class. The 0.45-2.7-??m size fraction held the most particulate P at all sites, whereas particulate N was most abundant in the 2.7-10-??m size class at most sites. Standard chemical fractionation of particles identified acid-hydrolyzable P as the most abundant species of particulate P, with little reactive or refractory organic P. Sequential chemical extraction revealed that about 65% of total particulate P was microbial, while about 25% was associated with humic and fulvic organic matter. The size and chemical fractionation information suggested that P-rich particles mostly consisted of suspended bacteria. Suspended particles in Everglades wetlands were small in size and had low concentrations, yet they stored a large proportion of surface-water P in intermediately reactive forms, but they held little N. ?? 2007, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

Diffusiophoresis in one-dimensional solute gradients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ault, Jesse T.; Warren, Patrick B.; Shin, Sangwoo

Here, the diffusiophoretic motion of suspended colloidal particles under one-dimensional solute gradients is solved using numerical and analytical techniques. Similarity solutions are developed for the injection and withdrawal dynamics of particles into semi-infinite pores. Furthermore, a method of characteristics formulation of the diffusion-free particle transport model is presented and integrated to realize particle trajectories. Analytical solutions are presented for the limit of small particle diffusiophoretic mobility Γ p relative to the solute diffusivity D s for particle motions in both semi-infinite and finite domains. Results confirm the build up of local maxima and minima in the propagating particle front dynamics.more » The method of characteristics is shown to successfully predict particle motions and the position of the particle front, although it fails to accurately predict suspended particle concentrations in the vicinity of sharp gradients, such as at the particle front peak seen in some injection cases, where particle diffusion inevitably plays an important role. Results inform the design of applications in which the use of applied solute gradients can greatly enhance particle injection into and withdrawal from pores.« less

Cocklebur-shaped colloidal dispersions.

PubMed

Lestage, David J; Urban, Marek W

2005-11-08

Unique cocklebur-shaped colloidal dispersions were prepared using a combination of a nanoextruder applied to the aqueous solution containing methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (n-BA) with azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) or potassium persulfate (KPS) initiators and stabilized by a mixture of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (SDOSS) and 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DCPC) phospholipid. Upon extrusion and heating to 75 degrees C, methyl methacrylate/n-butyl acrylate (MMA/nBA) colloidal particles containing tubules pointing outward were obtained as a result of DCPC phospholipids present at the particle surfaces. The same cocklebur-shaped particles were obtained when classical polymerization was used without a nanoextruder under similar compositional and thermal conditions, giving a particle size of 159 nm. However, when Ca(2+) ions are present during polymerization, cocklebur morphologies are disrupted. Because DCPC tubules undergo a transition at 38 degrees C, such cocklebur morphologies may offer numerous opportunities for devices with stimuli-responsive characteristics.

Lateral separation of colloids or cells by dielectrophoresis augmented by AC electroosmosis.

PubMed

Zhou, Hao; White, Lee R; Tilton, Robert D

2005-05-01

Colloidal particles and biological cells are patterned and separated laterally adjacent to a micropatterned electrode array by applying AC electric fields that are principally oriented normally to the electrode array. This is demonstrated for yeast cells, red blood cells, and colloidal polystyrene particles of different sizes and zeta-potentials. The separation mechanism is observed experimentally to depend on the applied field frequency and voltage. At high frequencies, particles position themselves in a manner that is consistent with dielectrophoresis, while at low frequencies, the positioning is explained in terms of a strong coupling between gravity, the vertical component of the dielectrophoretic force, and the Stokes drag on particles induced by AC electroosmotic flow. Compared to high frequency dielectrophoretic separations, the low frequency separations are faster and require lower applied voltages. Furthermore, the AC electroosmosis coupling with dielectrophoresis may enable cell separations that are not feasible based on dielectrophoresis alone.

Brownian Dynamics of Colloidal Particles in Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Angel; Collings, Peter J.; Yodh, Arjun G.

We employ video microscopy to study the Brownian dynamics of colloidal particles in the nematic phase of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs). These LCLCs (in this case, DSCG) are water soluble, and their nematic phases are characterized by an unusually large elastic anisotropy. Our preliminary measurements of particle mean-square displacement for polystyrene colloidal particles (~5 micron-diameter) show diffusive and sub-diffusive behaviors moving parallel and perpendicular to the nematic director, respectively. In order to understand these motions, we are developing models that incorporate the relaxation of elastic distortions of the surrounding nematic field. Further experiments to confirm these preliminary results and to determine the origin of these deviations compared to simple diffusion theory are ongoing; our results will also be compared to previous diffusion experiments in nematic liquid crystals. We gratefully acknowledge financial support through NSF DMR12-05463, MRSEC DMR11-20901, and NASA NNX08AO0G.

Brownian Dynamics simulations of model colloids in channel geometries and external fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siems, Ullrich; Nielaba, Peter

2018-04-01

We review the results of Brownian Dynamics simulations of colloidal particles in external fields confined in channels. Super-paramagnetic Brownian particles are well suited two- dimensional model systems for a variety of problems on different length scales, ranging from pedestrian walking through a bottleneck to ions passing ion-channels in living cells. In such systems confinement into channels can have a great influence on the diffusion and transport properties. Especially we will discuss the crossover from single file diffusion in a narrow channel to the diffusion in the extended two-dimensional system. Therefore a new algorithm for computing the mean square displacement (MSD) on logarithmic time scales is presented. In a different study interacting colloidal particles were dragged over a washboard potential and are additionally confined in a two-dimensional micro-channel. In this system kink and anti-kink solitons determine the depinning process of the particles from the periodic potential.

Influence of the pH value of a colloidal gold solution on the absorption spectra of an LSPR-assisted sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Jin; Li, Wenbin; Zhu, Mao

2014-03-15

The localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of gold particles assembled on a crystal plate are a powerful tool for biological sensors. Here, we prepare gold colloids in different pH solutions. We monitor the effects of the particle radius and particle coverage on the absorption spectra of AT-cut (r-face dihedral angle of about 3°) crystal plates supporting gold nanoparticles. The surface morphologies were monitored on silicon dioxide substrates using ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that the gold particle coverage decreases with increasing pH value of the gold colloid solution. This phenomenon demonstrates thatmore » self-assembled gold surfaces were formed via the electrostatic adsorption of gold particles on the positively charged, ionized amino groups on the crystal plates in the acidic solution. The spectrum of gold nanoparticles with different coverage degree on the crystal plates showed that the LSPR properties are highly dependent on pH.« less

Natural selection in the colloid world: active chiral spirals.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Granick, Steve

2016-10-06

We present a model system in which to study natural selection in the colloid world. In the assembly of active Janus particles into rotating pinwheels when mixed with trace amounts of homogeneous colloids in the presence of an AC electric field, broken symmetry in the rotation direction produces spiral, chiral shapes. Locked into a central rotation point by the centre particle, the spiral arms are found to trail rotation of the overall cluster. To achieve a steady state, the spiral arms undergo an evolutionary process to coordinate their motion. Because all the particles as segments of the pinwheel arms are self-propelled, asymmetric arm lengths are tolerated. Reconfiguration of these structures can happen in various ways and various mechanisms of this directed structural change are analyzed in detail. We introduce the concept of VIP (very important particles) to express that sustainability of active structures is most sensitive to only a few particles at strategic locations in the moving self-assembled structures.

Modeling Evaporation and Particle Assembly in Colloidal Droplets.

PubMed

Zhao, Mingfei; Yong, Xin

2017-06-13

Evaporation-induced assembly of nanoparticles in a drying droplet is of great importance in many engineering applications, including printing, coating, and thin film processing. The investigation of particle dynamics in evaporating droplets can provide fundamental hydrodynamic insight for revealing the processing-structure relationship in the particle self-organization induced by solvent evaporation. We develop a free-energy-based multiphase lattice Boltzmann method coupled with Brownian dynamics to simulate evaporating colloidal droplets on solid substrates with specified wetting properties. The influence of interface-bound nanoparticles on the surface tension and evaporation of a flat liquid-vapor interface is first quantified. The results indicate that the particles at the interface reduce surface tension and enhance evaporation flux. For evaporating particle-covered droplets on substrates with different wetting properties, we characterize the increase of evaporate rate via measuring droplet volume. We find that droplet evaporation is determined by the number density and circumferential distribution of interfacial particles. We further correlate particle dynamics and assembly to the evaporation-induced convection in the bulk and on the surface of droplet. Finally, we observe distinct final deposits from evaporating colloidal droplets with bulk-dispersed and interface-bound particles. In addition, the deposit pattern is also influenced by the equilibrium contact angle of droplet.

Normalization and extension of single-collector efficiency correlation equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, Francesca; Marchisio, Daniele; Sethi, Rajandrea

2015-04-01

The colloidal transport and deposition are important phenomena involved in many engineering problems. In the environmental engineering field the use of micro- and nano-scale zerovalent iron (M-NZVI) is one of the most promising technologies for groundwater remediation. Colloid deposition is normally studied from a micro scale point of view and the results are then implemented in macro scale models that are used to design field-scale applications. The single collector efficiency concept predicts particles deposition onto a single grain of a complex porous medium in terms of probability that an approaching particle would be retained on the solid grain. In literature, many different approaches and equations exist to predict it, but most of them fail under specific conditions (e.g. very small or very big particle size and very low fluid velocity) because they predict efficiency values exceeding unity. By analysing particle fluxes and deposition mechanisms and performing a mass balance on the entire domain, the traditional definition of efficiency was reformulated and a novel total flux normalized correlation equation is proposed for predicting single-collector efficiency under a broad range of parameters. It has been formulated starting from a combination of Eulerian and Lagrangian numerical simulations, performed under Smoluchowski-Levich conditions, in a geometry which consists of a sphere enveloped by a control volume. In order to guarantee the independence of each term, the correlation equation is derived through a rigorous hierarchical parameter estimation process, accounting for single and mutual interacting transport mechanisms. The correlation equation provides efficiency values lower than one over a wide range of parameters and is valid both for point and finite-size particles. A reduced form is also proposed by elimination of the less relevant terms. References 1. Yao, K. M.; Habibian, M. M.; Omelia, C. R., Water and Waste Water Filtration - Concepts and Applications. Environ Sci Technol 1971, 5, (11), 1105-&. 2. Tufenkji, N., and M. Elimelech, Correlation equation for predicting single-collector efficiency in physicochemical filtration in saturated porous media. Environmental Science & Technology 2004 38(2):529-536. 3. Boccardo, G.; Marchisio, D. L.; Sethi, R., Microscale simulation of particle deposition in porous media. J Colloid Interface Sci 2014, 417, 227-37

Radiation-driven rotational motion of nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Liang, Mengning; Harder, Ross; Robinson, Ian

2018-04-25

Focused synchrotron beams can influence a studied sample via heating, or radiation pressure effects due to intensity gradients. The high angular sensitivity of rotational X-ray tracking (RXT) of crystalline particles via their Bragg reflections can detect extremely small forces such as those caused by field gradients. By tracking the rotational motion of single crystal nanoparticles embedded in a viscous or viscoelastic medium, we observed the effects of heating in a uniform gradient beam and radiation pressure in a Gaussian profile beam. Heating of a few degrees Celsius was measured for 42μm crystals in glycerol and angular velocities of 10 -6rad/smore » due to torques of 10 - 24N∙m were measured for 340nm crystals in a colloidal gel matrix. These results show the ability to quantify small forces using rotation motion of tracer particles.« less

Radiation-driven rotational motion of nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liang, Mengning; Harder, Ross; Robinson, Ian

Focused synchrotron beams can influence a studied sample via heating, or radiation pressure effects due to intensity gradients. The high angular sensitivity of rotational X-ray tracking (RXT) of crystalline particles via their Bragg reflections can detect extremely small forces such as those caused by field gradients. By tracking the rotational motion of single crystal nanoparticles embedded in a viscous or viscoelastic medium, we observed the effects of heating in a uniform gradient beam and radiation pressure in a Gaussian profile beam. Heating of a few degrees Celsius was measured for 42μm crystals in glycerol and angular velocities of 10 -6rad/smore » due to torques of 10 - 24N∙m were measured for 340nm crystals in a colloidal gel matrix. These results show the ability to quantify small forces using rotation motion of tracer particles.« less

Physico-chemical characterisation and biological evaluation of 188-Rhenium colloids for radiosynovectomy

PubMed Central

Ures, Ma Cristina; Savio, Eduardo; Malanga, Antonio; Fernández, Marcelo; Paolino, Andrea; Gaudiano, Javier

2002-01-01

Background Radiosynovectomy is a type of radiotherapy used to relieve pain and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, 188-Rhenium (188Re) colloids were characterized by physical and biological methodologies. This was used to assess which parameters of the kit formulation would be the basis in the development of a more effective radiopharmaceutical for synovectomy. Intraarticular injection in knees of rabbits assessed cavity leakage of activity. Methods The physical characteristics of tin (Sn) and sulphur (S) colloids were determined to assess the formulation with suitable properties. Particles were grouped in three ranges for analyzing their distribution according to their number, volume and surface. The ideal particle size range was considered to be from 2 to 10 microns. Membrane filtration and laser diffraction characterization methodologies were used. Results While membrane filtration could give misleading data, laser diffraction proportions more reliable results. The Sn colloid showed a better distribution of particle volume and surface than S colloid, in the 2 to 10 microns range. The 188Re-Sn colloid was obtained with a radiochemical purity higher than 95% after 30 minutes of autoclaving. While Sn colloid kit stability was verified for 60 days, the 188Re-Sn preparation was stable in the first 24 hrs. No significant intrabatch variability (n = 3) was detected. Biodistribution and scintigraphic studies in rabbits after intraarticular injection showed relevant activity only in knee, being 90% at 48 hours. Conclusion The 188Re-Sn colloid is easy to prepare, is stable for 24 hours and shows minimal cavity leakage after intraarticular injection into rabbit knees, suggesting this radiotherapeutical agent has suitable physical properties for evaluation for joint treatment in humans. PMID:12379158

Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test - 4: Polydispersion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaikin, Paul M.

2008-01-01

Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test - 4: Polydispersion (BCAT-4-Poly) will use model hard-spheres to explore seeded colloidal crystal nucleation and the effects of polydispersity, providing insight into how nature brings order out of disorder. Crewmembers photograph samples of polymer and colloidal particles (tiny nanoscale spheres suspended in liquid) that model liquid/gas phase changes. Results will help scientists develop fundamental physics concepts previously cloaked by the effects of gravity.

Using data from colloid transport experiments to parameterize filtration model parameters for favorable conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamai, Tamir; Nassar, Mohamed K.; Nelson, Kirk E.; Ginn, Timothy R.

2017-04-01

Colloid filtration in porous media spans across many disciplines and includes scenarios such as in-situ bioremediation, colloid-facilitated transport, water treatment of suspended particles and pathogenic bacteria, and transport of natural and engineered nanoparticles in the environment. Transport and deposition of colloid particles in porous media are determined by a combination of complex processes and forces. Given the convoluted physical, chemical, and biological processes involved, and the complexity of porous media in natural settings, it should not come as surprise that colloid filtration theory does not always sufficiently predict colloidal transport, and that there is still a pressing need for improved predictive capabilities. Here, instead of developing the macroscopic equation from pore-scale models, we parametrize the different terms in the macroscopic collection equation through fitting it to experimental data, by optimizing the parameters in the different terms of the equation. This way we combine a mechanistically-based filtration-equation with empirical evidence. The impact of different properties of colloids and porous media are studied by comparing experimental properties with different terms of the correlation equation. This comparison enables insight about different processes that occur during colloid transport and retention under in porous media under favorable conditions, and provides directions for future theoretical developments.

Colloidal gold-labeled insulin complex. Characterization and binding to adipocytes.

PubMed

Moll, U M; Thun, C; Pfeiffer, E F

1986-01-01

Biologically active insulin gold complex was used as an ultrastructural marker to study insulin binding sites, uptake, and internalization in isolated rat adipocytes. The preparation conditions for monodispersed particles, ca. 16 nm in diameter and loaded with approximately 100 insulin molecules, are reported. The complex is stable for at least six weeks. Single particles or small clusters were scattered across the cell membrane. The distribution of unbound receptors seemed to be independent of the extensive system of pre-existing surface connected vesicles in adipocytes. The uptake of particles took place predominantly via non-coated pinocytotic invaginations; clathrin-coated pits did not seem to be important for this process. Lysosome-like structures contained aggregates of 10-15 particles. These data suggest that insulin gold complex is a useful marker for the specific labeling of insulin binding sites.

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks.

PubMed

Degueldre, Claude; Cloet, Veerle

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay colloid concentration is expected to be very low (<1ppb, for 10-100nm) which restricts their relevance for radionuclide transport. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Reduction of Fe(III) colloids by Shewanella putrefaciens: A kinetic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneville, Steeve; Behrends, Thilo; van Cappellen, Philippe; Hyacinthe, Christelle; Röling, Wilfred F. M.

2006-12-01

A kinetic model for the microbial reduction of Fe(III) oxyhydroxide colloids in the presence of excess electron donor is presented. The model assumes a two-step mechanism: (1) attachment of Fe(III) colloids to the cell surface and (2) reduction of Fe(III) centers at the surface of attached colloids. The validity of the model is tested using Shewanella putrefaciens and nanohematite as model dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria and Fe(III) colloidal particles, respectively. Attachment of nanohematite to the bacteria is formally described by a Langmuir isotherm. Initial iron reduction rates are shown to correlate linearly with the relative coverage of the cell surface by nanohematite particles, hence supporting a direct electron transfer from membrane-bound reductases to mineral particles attached to the cells. Using internally consistent parameter values for the maximum attachment capacity of Fe(III) colloids to the cells, Mmax, the attachment constant, KP, and the first-order Fe(III) reduction rate constant, k, the model reproduces the initial reduction rates of a variety of fine-grained Fe(III) oxyhydroxides by S. putrefaciens. The model explains the observed dependency of the apparent Fe(III) half-saturation constant, Km∗, on the solid to cell ratio, and it predicts that initial iron reduction rates exhibit saturation with respect to both the cell density and the abundance of the Fe(III) oxyhydroxide substrate.

Influence of Geometries on the Assembly of Snowman-Shaped Janus Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Kang, Chengjun; Honciuc, Andrei

2018-04-24

The self-assembly of micro/nanoparticles into suprastructures is a promising way to develop reconfigurable materials and to gain insights into the fundamental question of how matter organizes itself. The geometry of particles, especially those deviating from perfectly spherical shapes, is of significant importance in colloidal assembly because it influences the particle "recognition", determines the particle packing, and ultimately dictates the formation of assembled suprastructures. In order to organize particles into desired structures, it is of vital importance to understand the relationship between the shape of the colloidal building blocks and the assembled suprastructures. This fundamental issue is an enduring topic in the assembly of molecular surfactants, but it remained elusive in colloidal assembly. To address this issue, we use snowman-shaped Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) as a model to systematically study the effect of colloidal geometries on their assembled suprastructures. Ten types of JNPs with identical chemical compositions but with different geometries were synthesized. Specifically, the synthesized JNPs differ in their lobe size ratios, phase separation degrees, and overall sizes. We show that by altering these parameters, both finite suprastructures, such as capsules with different curvatures, and nonfinite suprastructures, including free-standing single-layered or double-layered JNPs sheets, can be obtained via self-assembly. All these different types of suprastructures are constituted by highly oriented and hexagonally packed JNPs. These findings demonstrate the significance of geometries in colloidal assembly, such that slightly changing the building block geometries could result in a large variety of very different assembled structures, without altering the chemistry of the particles.

Nanostructured silver sulfide: synthesis of various forms and their application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadovnikov, S. I.; Rempel, A. A.; Gusev, A. I.

2018-04-01

The results of experimental studies on nanostructured silver sulfide are analyzed and generalized. The influence of small particle size on nonstoichiometry of silver sulfide is discussed. Methods for the synthesis of various forms of nanostructured Ag2S including nanopowders, stable colloidal solutions, quantum dots, core–shell nanoparticles and heteronanostructures are described. The advantages and drawbacks of different synthetic procedures are analyzed. Main fields of application of nanostructured silver sulfide are considered. The bibliography includes 184 references.

Nanophotonic force microscopy: Characterizing particle–surface interactions using near-field photonics

DOE PAGES

Schein, Perry; Kang, Pilgyu; O’Dell, Dakota; ...

2015-01-27

Direct measurements of particle–surface interactions are important for characterizing the stability and behavior of colloidal and nanoparticle suspensions. Current techniques are limited in their ability to measure pico-Newton scale interaction forces on submicrometer particles due to signal detection limits and thermal noise. In this paper, we present a new technique for making measurements in this regime, which we refer to as nanophotonic force microscopy. Using a photonic crystal resonator, we generate a strongly localized region of exponentially decaying, near-field light that allows us to confine small particles close to a surface. From the statistical distribution of the light intensity scatteredmore » by the particle we are able to map out the potential well of the trap and directly quantify the repulsive force between the nanoparticle and the surface. Finally, as shown in this Letter, our technique is not limited by thermal noise, and therefore, we are able to resolve interaction forces smaller than 1 pN on dielectric particles as small as 100 nm in diameter.« less

Spontaneous emergence of catalytic cycles with colloidal spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeravcic, Zorana; Brenner, Michael P.

2017-04-01

Colloidal particles endowed with specific time-dependent interactions are a promising route for realizing artificial materials that have the properties of living ones. Previous work has demonstrated how this system can give rise to self-replication. Here, we introduce the process of colloidal catalysis, in which clusters of particles catalyze the creation of other clusters through templating reactions. Surprisingly, we find that simple templating rules generically lead to the production of huge numbers of clusters. The templating reactions among this sea of clusters give rise to an exponentially growing catalytic cycle, a specific realization of Dyson’s notion of an exponentially growing metabolism. We demonstrate this behavior with a fixed set of interactions between particles chosen to allow a catalysis of a specific six-particle cluster from a specific seven-particle cluster, yet giving rise to the catalytic production of a sea of clusters of sizes between 2 and 11 particles. The fact that an exponentially growing cycle emerges naturally from such a simple scheme demonstrates that the emergence of exponentially growing metabolisms could be simpler than previously imagined.

Colloidal micro- and nano-particles as templates for polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules.

PubMed

Parakhonskiy, Bogdan V; Yashchenok, Alexey M; Konrad, Manfred; Skirtach, Andre G

2014-05-01

Colloidal particles play an important role in various areas of material and pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, and biomedicine. In this overview we describe micro- and nano-particles used for the preparation of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules and as drug delivery vehicles. An essential feature of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsule preparations is the ability to adsorb polymeric layers onto colloidal particles or templates followed by dissolution of these templates. The choice of the template is determined by various physico-chemical conditions: solvent needed for dissolution, porosity, aggregation tendency, as well as release of materials from capsules. Historically, the first templates were based on melamine formaldehyde, later evolving towards more elaborate materials such as silica and calcium carbonate. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed here in comparison to non-particulate templates such as red blood cells. Further steps in this area include development of anisotropic particles, which themselves can serve as delivery carriers. We provide insights into application of particles as drug delivery carriers in comparison to microcapsules templated on them. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design of latex-layered double hydroxide composites by tuning the aggregation in suspensions.

PubMed

Pavlovic, Marko; Rouster, Paul; Bourgeat-Lami, Elodie; Prevot, Vanessa; Szilagyi, Istvan

2017-01-25

Colloidal stability of polymeric latex particles was studied in the presence of oppositely charged layered double hydroxide (LDH) platelets of different interlayer anions. Adsorption of the LDH particles led to charge neutralization and to overcharging of the latex at appropriate concentrations. Mixing stable colloidal suspensions of individual particles results in rapid aggregation once the LDH adsorption neutralizes the negative charges of the polymer spheres, while stable suspensions were observed at high and low LDH doses. The governing interparticle interactions included repulsive electrical double layer forces as well as van der Waals and patch-charge attractions, whose strength depended on the amount of LDH particles adsorbed on the latex surface. The type of the LDH interlayer anions did not affect the colloidal stability of the samples. Structural investigation of the obtained latex-LDH composites revealed that the polymer spheres were completely coated with the inorganic platelets once their concentration was sufficiently high. These results are especially important for designing synthetic routes for hybrid systems in suspensions, where stable colloids are required for uniform film-formation and for the homogeneous distribution of the inorganic filler within the composite materials.

Diffusiophoretic self-propulsion for partially catalytic spherical colloids.

PubMed

de Graaf, Joost; Rempfer, Georg; Holm, Christian

2015-04-01

Colloidal spheres with a partial platinum surface coating perform autophoretic motion when suspended in hydrogen peroxide solution. We present a theoretical analysis of the self-propulsion velocity of these particles using a continuum multi-component, self-diffusiophoretic model. With this model as a basis, we show how the slip-layer approximation can be derived and in which limits it holds. First, we consider the differences between the full multi-component model and the slip-layer approximation. Then the slip model is used to demonstrate and explore the sensitive nature of the particle's velocity on the details of the molecule-surface interaction. We find a strong asymmetry in the dependence of the colloid's velocity as a function of the level of catalytic coating, when there is a different interaction between the solute and solvent molecules and the inert and catalytic part of the colloid, respectively. The direction of motion can even be reversed by varying the level of the catalytic coating. Finally, we investigate the robustness of these results with respect to variations in the reaction rate near the edge between the catalytic and inert parts of the particle. Our results are of significant interest to the interpretation of experimental results on the motion of self-propelled particles.

Simultaneous measurements of bulk moduli and particle dynamics in a sheared colloidal glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massa, Michael V.; Eisenmann, Christoph; Kim, Chanjoong; Weitz, David A.

2007-03-01

We present a novel study of glassy colloidal systems, using a stress-controlled rheometer in conjunction with a confocal microscope. This experimental setup combines the measurement of bulk moduli, using conventional rheology, with the ability to track the motion of individual particles, through confocal microscopy techniques. We explore the response of the system to applied shear, by simultaneously monitoring the macroscopic relaxation and microscopic particle dynamics, under conditions from the quiescent glass to a shear-melted liquid.

Magnetic and optical holonomic manipulation of colloids, structures and topological defects in liquid crystals for characterization of mesoscale self-assembly and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varney, Michael C. M.

Colloidal systems find important applications ranging from fabrication of photonic crystals to direct probing of phenomena encountered in atomic crystals and glasses; topics of great interest for physicists exploring a broad range of scientific, industrial and biomedical fields. The ability to accurately control particles of mesoscale size in various liquid host media is usually accomplished through optical trapping methods, which suffer limitations intrinsic to trap laser intensity and force generation. Other limitations are due to colloid properties, such as optical absorptivity, and host properties, such as viscosity, opacity and structure. Therefore, alternative and/or novel methods of colloidal manipulation are of utmost importance in order to advance the state of the art in technical applications and fundamental science. In this thesis, I demonstrate a magnetic-optical holonomic control system to manipulate magnetic and optical colloids in liquid crystals and show that the elastic structure inherent to nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals may be used to assist in tweezing of particles in a manner impossible in other media. Furthermore, I demonstrate the utility of this manipulation in characterizing the structure and microrheology of liquid crystals, and elucidating the energetics and dynamics of colloids interacting with these structures. I also demonstrate the utility of liquid crystal systems as a table top model system to probe topological defects in a manner that may lead to insights into topologically related phenomena in other fields, such as early universe cosmology, sub-atomic and high energy systems, or Skrymionic structures. I explore the interaction of colloid surface anchoring with the structure inherent in cholesteric liquid crystals, and how this affects the periodic dynamics and localization metastability of spherical colloids undergoing a "falling" motion within the sample. These so called "metastable states" cause colloidal dynamics to deviate from Stokes-like behavior at very low Reynolds numbers and is understood by accounting for periodic landscapes of elastic interaction potential between the particle and cholesteric host medium due to surface anchoring. This work extends our understanding of how colloids interact with liquid crystals and topological defects, and introduces a powerful method of colloidal manipulation with many potential applications.

Shear-induced reaction-limited aggregation kinetics of Brownian particles at arbitrary concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaccone, Alessio; Gentili, Daniele; Wu, Hua; Morbidelli, Massimo

2010-04-01

The aggregation of interacting Brownian particles in sheared concentrated suspensions is an important issue in colloid and soft matter science per se. Also, it serves as a model to understand biochemical reactions occurring in vivo where both crowding and shear play an important role. We present an effective medium approach within the Smoluchowski equation with shear which allows one to calculate the encounter kinetics through a potential barrier under shear at arbitrary colloid concentrations. Experiments on a model colloidal system in simple shear flow support the validity of the model in the concentration range considered. By generalizing Kramers' rate theory to the presence of shear and collective hydrodynamics, our model explains the significant increase in the shear-induced reaction-limited aggregation kinetics upon increasing the colloid concentration.

Advanced Colloids Experiment (ACE) Science Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, William V.; Sicker, Ronald J.; Chiaramonte, Francis P.; Luna, Unique J.; Chaiken, Paul M.; Hollingsworth, Andrew; Secanna, Stefano; Weitz, David; Lu, Peter; Yodh, Arjun;

Dispersions of Goethite Nanorods in Aprotic Polar Solvents

PubMed Central

Coursault, Delphine; Dozov, Ivan; Nobili, Maurizio; Dupont, Laurent; Chanéac, Corinne

2017-01-01

Colloidal suspensions of anisotropic nanoparticles can spontaneously self-organize in liquid-crystalline phases beyond some concentration threshold. These phases often respond to electric and magnetic fields. At lower concentrations, usual isotropic liquids are observed but they can display very strong Kerr and Cotton-Mouton effects (i.e., field-induced particle orientation). For many examples of these colloidal suspensions, the solvent is water, which hinders most electro-optic applications. Here, for goethite (α-FeOOH) nanorod dispersions, we show that water can be replaced by polar aprotic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), without loss of colloidal stability. By polarized-light microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and electro-optic measurements, we found that the nematic phase, with its field-response properties, is retained. Moreover, a strong Kerr effect was also observed with isotropic goethite suspensions in these polar aprotic solvents. Furthermore, we found no significant difference in the behavior of both the nematic and isotropic phases between the aqueous and non-aqueous dispersions. Our work shows that goethite nanorod suspensions in polar aprotic solvents, suitable for electro-optic applications, can easily be produced and that they keep all their outstanding properties. It also suggests that this solvent replacement method could be extended to the aqueous colloidal suspensions of other kinds of charged anisotropic nanoparticles. PMID:29039797

Reentrant equilibrium disordering in nanoparticle–polymer mixtures

DOE PAGES

Meng, Dong; Kumar, Sanat K.; Grest, Gary S.; ...

2017-01-31

A large body of experimental work has established that athermal colloid/polymer mixtures undergo a sequence of transitions from a disordered fluid state to a colloidal crystal to a second disordered phase with increasing polymer concentration. These transitions are driven by polymer-mediated interparticle attraction, which is a function of both the polymer density and size. It has been posited that the disordered state at high polymer density is a consequence of strong interparticle attractions that kinetically inhibit the formation of the colloidal crystal, i.e., the formation of a non-equilibrium gel phase interferes with crystallization. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations andmore » density functional theory on polymers and nanoparticles (NPs) of comparable size and show that the crystal-disordered phase coexistence at high polymer density for sufficiently long chains corresponds to an equilibrium thermodynamic phase transition. While the crystal is, indeed, stabilized at intermediate polymer density by polymer-induced intercolloid attractions, it is destabilized at higher densities because long chains lose significant configurational entropy when they are forced to occupy all of the crystal voids. Finally, our results are in quantitative agreement with existing experimental data and show that, at least in the nanoparticle limit of sufficiently small colloidal particles, the crystal phase only has a modest range of thermodynamic stability.« less

Influence of membrane material on the production of colloidal emulsions by premix membrane emulsification.

PubMed

Gehrmann, Sandra; Bunjes, Heike

2018-05-01

Premix membrane emulsification is a possibility to produce colloidal emulsions as carrier systems for poorly water soluble drugs. During the extrusion of a coarse pre-emulsion through a porous membrane, the emulsion droplets are disrupted into smaller droplets. The influence of the membrane material on the emulsification success was investigated in dependence on the emulsifier. Premixed medium chain triglyceride (MCT) emulsions stabilized with five different emulsifiers were extruded through seven different hydrophilic polymeric membrane materials with pore sizes of 200nm. The resulting emulsions differed strongly in particle size and particle size distribution with a range of median particle sizes between 0.08μm and 11μm. The particle size of the emulsions did not depend mainly on the structure or thickness of the membrane but on the combination of emulsifier and membrane material. Contact angle measurements indicated that the wetting of the membrane with the continuous phase of the emulsion was decisive for achieving emulsions with colloidal particle sizes. The type of dispersed phase was of minor importance as basically the same results were obtained with peanut oil instead of MCT. To prove the assumption that only sufficiently hydrophilic membrane materials led to emulsions with colloidal particle sizes, two membrane materials were hydrophilized by plasma treatment. After hydrophilization, the emulsifying process led to emulsions with smaller particle sizes. The use of an alumina membrane (Anodisc®) improved the process even more. With this type of membrane, emulsions with a median particle size below 250nm and a narrow particle size distribution could be obtained with all investigated emulsifiers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constructing of DNA vectors with controlled nanosize and single dispersion by block copolymer coating gold nanoparticles as template assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junbo; Wu, Wenlan; Gao, Jiayu; Liang, Ju; Zhou, Huiyun; Liang, Lijuan

2017-03-01

Synthesized vectors with nanoscale size and stable colloid dispersion are highly desirable for improving gene delivery efficiency. Here, a core-shell template particle was constructed with polyethylene glycol- b-poly1-(3-aminopropyl)-3-(2-methacryloyloxy propylimidazolium bromine) (PEG- b-PAMPImB) coating gold nanoparticles (PEG- b-PAMPImB-@-Au NPs) for loading DNA and delivering in vitro. Data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) suggest that these nanoplexes, by forming an electrostatic complex with DNA at the inner PAMPImB shell, offer steric protection for the outer PEG corona leading to single dispersion and small size. Notably, higher colloid stability and lower cytotoxicity were achieved with these nanoplexes when compared with PAMPImB monolayer-coated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Confocal laser scanning microscopy and intracellular trafficking TEM further indicate that the nanoplexes can translocate across the cell membrane and partly enter the nucleus for high efficient expression. Thus, template assembly represents a promising approach to control the size and colloid stability of gene vectors and ensure safety and efficiency of DNA delivery.

A Smoluchowski model of crystallization dynamics of small colloidal clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltran-Villegas, Daniel J.; Sehgal, Ray M.; Maroudas, Dimitrios; Ford, David M.; Bevan, Michael A.

2011-10-01

We investigate the dynamics of colloidal crystallization in a 32-particle system at a fixed value of interparticle depletion attraction that produces coexisting fluid and solid phases. Free energy landscapes (FELs) and diffusivity landscapes (DLs) are obtained as coefficients of 1D Smoluchowski equations using as order parameters either the radius of gyration or the average crystallinity. FELs and DLs are estimated by fitting the Smoluchowski equations to Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations using either linear fits to locally initiated trajectories or global fits to unbiased trajectories using Bayesian inference. The resulting FELs are compared to Monte Carlo Umbrella Sampling results. The accuracy of the FELs and DLs for modeling colloidal crystallization dynamics is evaluated by comparing mean first-passage times from BD simulations with analytical predictions using the FEL and DL models. While the 1D models accurately capture dynamics near the free energy minimum fluid and crystal configurations, predictions near the transition region are not quantitatively accurate. A preliminary investigation of ensemble averaged 2D order parameter trajectories suggests that 2D models are required to capture crystallization dynamics in the transition region.

Redox Active Colloids as Discrete Energy Storage Carriers.

PubMed

Montoto, Elena C; Nagarjuna, Gavvalapalli; Hui, Jingshu; Burgess, Mark; Sekerak, Nina M; Hernández-Burgos, Kenneth; Wei, Teng-Sing; Kneer, Marissa; Grolman, Joshua; Cheng, Kevin J; Lewis, Jennifer A; Moore, Jeffrey S; Rodríguez-López, Joaquín

2016-10-12

Versatile and readily available battery materials compatible with a range of electrode configurations and cell designs are desirable for renewable energy storage. Here we report a promising class of materials based on redox active colloids (RACs) that are inherently modular in their design and overcome challenges faced by small-molecule organic materials for battery applications, such as crossover and chemical/morphological stability. RACs are cross-linked polymer spheres, synthesized with uniform diameters between 80 and 800 nm, and exhibit reversible redox activity as single particles, as monolayer films, and in the form of flowable dispersions. Viologen-based RACs display reversible cycling, accessing up to 99% of their capacity and 99 ± 1% Coulombic efficiency over 50 cycles by bulk electrolysis owing to efficient, long-distance intraparticle charge transfer. Ferrocene-based RACs paired with viologen-based RACs cycled efficiently in a nonaqueous redox flow battery employing a simple size-selective separator, thus demonstrating a possible application that benefits from their colloidal dimensions. The unprecedented versatility in RAC synthetic and electrochemical design opens new avenues for energy storage.

A model of Fe speciation and biogeochemistry at the Tropical Eastern North Atlantic Time-Series Observatory site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Y.; Völker, C.; Wolf-Gladrow, D. A.

2009-10-01

A one-dimensional model of Fe speciation and biogeochemistry, coupled with the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) and a NPZD-type ecosystem model, is applied for the Tropical Eastern North Atlantic Time-Series Observatory (TENATSO) site. Among diverse processes affecting Fe speciation, this study is focusing on investigating the role of dust particles in removing dissolved iron (DFe) by a more complex description of particle aggregation and sinking, and explaining the abundance of organic Fe-binding ligands by modelling their origin and fate. The vertical distribution of different particle classes in the model shows high sensitivity to changing aggregation rates. Using the aggregation rates from the sensitivity study in this work, modelled particle fluxes are close to observations, with dust particles dominating near the surface and aggregates deeper in the water column. POC export at 1000 m is a little higher than regional sediment trap measurements, suggesting further improvement of modelling particle aggregation, sinking or remineralisation. Modelled strong ligands have a high abundance near the surface and decline rapidly below the deep chlorophyll maximum, showing qualitative similarity to observations. Without production of strong ligands, phytoplankton concentration falls to 0 within the first 2 years in the model integration, caused by strong Fe-limitation. A nudging of total weak ligands towards a constant value is required for reproducing the observed nutrient-like profiles, assuming a decay time of 7 years for weak ligands. This indicates that weak ligands have a longer decay time and therefore cannot be modelled adequately in a one-dimensional model. The modelled DFe profile is strongly influenced by particle concentration and vertical distribution, because the most important removal of DFe in deeper waters is colloid formation and aggregation. Redissolution of particulate iron is required to reproduce an observed DFe profile at TENATSO site. Assuming colloidal iron is mainly composed of inorganic colloids, the modelled colloidal to soluble iron ratio is lower that observations, indicating the importance of organic colloids.

Experimental investigation of virus and clay particles cotransport in partially saturated columns packed with glass beads.

PubMed

Syngouna, Vasiliki I; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V

2015-02-15

Suspended clay particles in groundwater can play a significant role as carriers of viruses, because, depending on the physicochemical conditions, clay particles may facilitate or hinder the mobility of viruses. This experimental study examines the effects of clay colloids on the transport of viruses in variably saturated porous media. All cotransport experiments were conducted in both saturated and partially saturated columns packed with glass beads, using bacteriophages MS2 and ΦX174 as model viruses, and kaolinite (KGa-1b) and montmorillonite (STx-1b) as model clay colloids. The various experimental collision efficiencies were determined using the classical colloid filtration theory. The experimental data indicated that the mass recovery of viruses and clay colloids decreased as the water saturation decreased. Temporal moments of the various breakthrough concentrations collected, suggested that the presence of clays significantly influenced virus transport and irreversible deposition onto glass beads. The mass recovery of both viruses, based on total effluent virus concentrations, was shown to reduce in the presence of suspended clay particles. Furthermore, the transport of suspended virus and clay-virus particles was retarded, compared to the conservative tracer. Under unsaturated conditions both clay particles facilitated the transport of ΦX174, while hindered the transport of MS2. Moreover, the surface properties of viruses, clays and glass beads were employed for the construction of classical DLVO and capillary potential energy profiles, and the results suggested that capillary forces play a significant role on colloid retention. It was estimated that the capillary potential energy of MS2 is lower than that of ΦX174, and the capillary potential energy of KGa-1b is lower than that of STx-1b, assuming that the protrusion distance through the water film is the same for each pair of particles. Moreover, the capillary potential energy is several orders of magnitude greater than the DLVO potential energy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF ABSORPTION OF TRACER MATERIALS BY TOAD URINARY BLADDER EPITHELIUM

PubMed Central

Choi, Jae Kwon

1965-01-01

The absorption of Thorotrast and saccharated iron oxide by the epithelium of the toad urinary bladder was studied by electron microscopy. Whether the toads were hydrated, dehydrated, or given Pitressin, no significant differences in transport of colloidal particles by epithelial cells were observed. This implies that these physiological factors had little effect on the transport of the tracer particles. Tracer particles were encountered in three types of epithelial cells which line the bladder lumen, but most frequently in the mitochondria-rich cells. Tracer materials were incorporated into the cytoplasm of epithelial cells after being adsorbed to the coating layer covering the luminal surface of the cells. In the intermediate stage (1 to 3 hours after introducing tracer) particles were present in small vesicles, tubules, and multivesicular bodies. In the later stages (up to 65 hours), the particles were more commonly seen to be densely packed within large membrane-bounded bodies which were often found near the Golgi region. These large bodies probably were formed by the fusion of small vesicles. Irrespective of the stages of absorption, no particles were found in the intercellular spaces or in the submucosa. Particles apparently did not penetrate the intercellular spaces of the epithelium beyond the level of the tight junction. PMID:14287173

Exploring the Dynamics and Structure of Soft Colloids at Oil-water Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwok, Man Hin

The ability of solid colloidal particles to physically stabilize emulsions, also referred to as Pickering emulsions, has been studied for a long time since their activity at the interface was discovered one hundred years ago. Pickering emulsions display various interesting phenomena because of it high desorption energy at the interface compared with conventional surfactant stabilizers. In addition, Pickering emulsions are considered to be 'surfactant free' emulsion and the adverse effects of using surfactants could be eliminated. In the past few years, the use of submicrometer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based mcirogel particles for stabilizing emulsions has captured the interest of many scientists. Being soft, the microgels, which are spherical in solution, become deformed at the oil-water interface. This deformability leads to the special dynamic properties of interfacial layers and packing structures, which in turn alters the interfacial tension and the rheological properties of the interface. In addition, being responsiveness, PNIPAM microgels enable emulsions to be prepared and broken on demand. Despite all of the practical advantages and unique properties that have already been demonstrated, the mechanisms that govern emulsion stabilization and destabilization using microgels are far from completely understood. The study of soft colloids at the interface thus is of great academic interest and the fundamental understanding of them is the key to achieve the application potential of such novel materials. This thesis focuses on the dynamics and structure of soft colloidal particles at the oil-water interfaces. First, in order to prepare tailored colloids for the study, the syntheses of multi-responsive PNIPAM microgels with different size, co-monomers, deformability and morphologies were thoroughly investigated. The combination of semi-batch synthesis and temperature-programmed technique resulted in a novel preparation of micron-sized PNIPAM microgels. Various experimental parameters were tested and modified in order to give microgels with optimized quality. The thermo- and pH- responsiveness of these microgels were characterized by laser diffraction and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Next, a novel labeling technique of the soft PNIPAM microgel particles was developed. This technique was based on the physical adsorption of small fluorescent molecules. Instead of chemically bonded dye molecules, these adsorbed fluorescent dyes could move freely inside the polymer network of the microgel particle. It was also found that the fluorescent dye interacted with different parts of the microgel differently. Therefore, the internal structure and morphology of microgels could be directly visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in aqueous environment. The improvement of imaging techniques of microgel particles is essential for studying their behavior at the oil-water interface. It is because conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) requires dried sample, which might not reflects the actual states of microgels in aqueous environment. With the improved labeling method under CLSM mentioned above, the conformation of micron-sized PNIPAM microgel particles was captured at the oil-water interface. Particularly, anisotropic deformation of soft pH-responsive microgels was observed at the oil-water interface. Nevertheless, it was found that microgels were not likely to deform significantly unless they were extremely swollen. We also use Langmuir trough to study the dynamics of microgel at an interface with changing area. Forced desorption-spontaneous adsorption cycles of microgel particles at the oil-water interface were successfully demonstrated. More interestingly, it was discovered that the microgel particles would be desorbed before having a significant deformation in Langmuir trough compression. Finally, the emulsion stability of the microgel stabilized Pickering emulsion was characterized by centrifugation. By comparing the stability of different microgels in different conditions, the correlation between the microgel properties and the corresponding Pickering emulsion stability was found. The emulsion stability and the interfacial behaviors of PNIPAM based microgels can now be better controlled and predicted, which gives great advantages for future applications using soft colloids as stabilizers.

Review on subsurface colloids and colloid-associated contaminant transport in saturated porous media.

PubMed

Kanti Sen, Tushar; Khilar, Kartic C

2006-02-28

In this review article, the authors present up-to-date developments on experimental, modeling and field studies on the role of subsurface colloidal fines on contaminant transport in saturated porous media. It is a complex phenomenon in porous media involving several basic processes such as colloidal fines release, dispersion stabilization, migration and fines entrapment/plugging at the pore constrictions and adsorption at solid/liquid interface. The effects of these basic processes on the contaminant transport have been compiled. Here the authors first present the compilation on in situ colloidal fines sources, release, stabilization of colloidal dispersion and migration which are a function of physical and chemical conditions of subsurface environment and finally their role in inorganic and organic contaminants transport in porous media. The important aspects of this article are as follows: (i) it gives not only complete compilation on colloidal fines-facilitated contaminant transport but also reviews the new role of colloidal fines in contaminant retardation due to plugging of pore constrictions. This plugging phenomenon also depends on various factors such as concentration of colloidal fines, superficial velocity and bead-to-particle size ratio. This plugging-based contaminant transport can be used to develop containment technique in soil and groundwater remediation. (ii) It also presents the importance of critical salt concentration (CSC), critical ionic strength for mixed salt, critical shear stressor critical particle concentration (CPC) on in situ colloidal fines release and migration and consequently their role on contaminant transport in porous media. (iii) It also reviews another class of colloidal fines called biocolloids and their transport in porous media. Finally, the authors highlight the future research based on their critical review on colloid-associated contaminant transport in saturated porous media.

Colloidal crystal beads composed of core-shell particles for multiplex bioassay.

PubMed

Xu, Hua; Zhu, Cun; Zhao, Yuanjin; Zhao, Xiangwei; Hu, Jing; Gu, Zhongze

2009-04-01

A convenient method was developed to fabricate colloidal crystal beads (CCBs) with tough mechanical strength, which was used as encoded carriers for multiplex bioassay. The latex particles used for the construction of the CCBs were designed with a rigid core PS and a elastomeric shell poly(MMA/EA/MAA), and were prepared via one-step soap-free emulsion polymerization. The as-above-prepared CCBs were thermo-treated to drive the elastomeric shells of adjacent latex particles joining together. It was found that the coalescence of latex particles can greatly improve the mechanical strength of the CCBs for multiplex bioassay.

Fractal aggregates in tennis ball systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabin, J.; Bandín, M.; Prieto, G.; Sarmiento, F.

2009-09-01

We present a new practical exercise to explain the mechanisms of aggregation of some colloids which are otherwise not easy to understand. We have used tennis balls to simulate, in a visual way, the aggregation of colloids under reaction-limited colloid aggregation (RLCA) and diffusion-limited colloid aggregation (DLCA) regimes. We have used the images of the cluster of balls, following Forrest and Witten's pioneering studies on the aggregation of smoke particles, to estimate their fractal dimension.

Perspective: The Asakura Oosawa model: a colloid prototype for bulk and interfacial phase behavior.

PubMed

Binder, Kurt; Virnau, Peter; Statt, Antonia

2014-10-14

In many colloidal suspensions, the micrometer-sized particles behave like hard spheres, but when non-adsorbing polymers are added to the solution a depletion attraction (of entropic origin) is created. Since 60 years the Asakura-Oosawa model, which simply describes the polymers as ideal soft spheres, is an archetypical description for the statistical thermodynamics of such systems, accounting for many features of real colloid-polymer mixtures very well. While the fugacity of the polymers (which controls their concentration in the solution) plays a role like inverse temperature, the size ratio of polymer versus colloid radii acts as a control parameter to modify the phase diagram: when this ratio is large enough, a vapor-liquid like phase separation occurs at low enough colloid packing fractions, up to a triple point where a liquid-solid two-phase coexistence region takes over. For smaller size ratios, the critical point of the phase separation and the triple point merge, resulting in a single two-phase coexistence region between fluid and crystalline phases (of "inverted swan neck"-topology, with possibly a hidden metastable phase separation). Furthermore, liquid-crystalline ordering may be found if colloidal particles of non-spherical shape (e.g., rod like) are considered. Also interactions of the particles with solid surfaces should be tunable (e.g., walls coated by polymer brushes), and interfacial phenomena are particularly interesting experimentally, since fluctuations can be studied in the microscope on all length scales, down to the particle level. Due to its simplicity this model has become a workhorse for both analytical theory and computer simulation. Recently, generalizations addressing dynamic phenomena (phase separation, crystal nucleation, etc.) have become the focus of studies.

Perspective: The Asakura Oosawa model: A colloid prototype for bulk and interfacial phase behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binder, Kurt; Virnau, Peter; Statt, Antonia

2014-10-01

In many colloidal suspensions, the micrometer-sized particles behave like hard spheres, but when non-adsorbing polymers are added to the solution a depletion attraction (of entropic origin) is created. Since 60 years the Asakura-Oosawa model, which simply describes the polymers as ideal soft spheres, is an archetypical description for the statistical thermodynamics of such systems, accounting for many features of real colloid-polymer mixtures very well. While the fugacity of the polymers (which controls their concentration in the solution) plays a role like inverse temperature, the size ratio of polymer versus colloid radii acts as a control parameter to modify the phase diagram: when this ratio is large enough, a vapor-liquid like phase separation occurs at low enough colloid packing fractions, up to a triple point where a liquid-solid two-phase coexistence region takes over. For smaller size ratios, the critical point of the phase separation and the triple point merge, resulting in a single two-phase coexistence region between fluid and crystalline phases (of "inverted swan neck"-topology, with possibly a hidden metastable phase separation). Furthermore, liquid-crystalline ordering may be found if colloidal particles of non-spherical shape (e.g., rod like) are considered. Also interactions of the particles with solid surfaces should be tunable (e.g., walls coated by polymer brushes), and interfacial phenomena are particularly interesting experimentally, since fluctuations can be studied in the microscope on all length scales, down to the particle level. Due to its simplicity this model has become a workhorse for both analytical theory and computer simulation. Recently, generalizations addressing dynamic phenomena (phase separation, crystal nucleation, etc.) have become the focus of studies.

Ultrafine particles derived from mineral processing: A case study of the Pb-Zn sulfide ore with emphasis on lead-bearing colloids.

PubMed

Mikhlin, Yuri; Vorobyev, Sergey; Romanchenko, Alexander; Karasev, Sergey; Karacharov, Anton; Zharkov, Sergey

2016-03-01

Although mining and mineral processing industry is a vast source of heavy metal pollutants, the formation and behavior of micrometer- and nanometer-sized particles and their aqueous colloids entered the environment from the technological media has received insufficient attention to date. Here, the yield and characteristics of ultrafine mineral entities produced by routine grinding of the Pb-Zn sulfide ore (Gorevskoe ore deposit, Russia) were studied using laser diffraction analysis (LDA), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurement, microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, with most attention given to toxic lead species. It was revealed, in particular, that the fraction of particles less that 1 μm in the ground ore typical reaches 0.4 vol. %. The aquatic particles in supernatants were micrometer size aggregates with increased content of zinc, sulfur, calcium as compared with the bulk ore concentrations. The hydrodynamic diameter of the colloidal species decreased with time, with their zeta potentials remaining about -12 mV. The colloids produced from galena were composed of 20-50 nm PbS nanoparticles associated with lead sulfate and thiosulfate, while the surface oxidation products at precipitated galena were largely lead oxyhydroxides. The size and zeta potential of the lead-bearing colloids decreased with time down to about 100 nm and from -15 mV to -30 mV, respectively. And, conversely, lead sulfide nanoparticles were mobilized before the aggregates during redispersion of the precipitates in fresh portions of water. The potential environmental impact of the metal-bearing colloids, which is due to the large-scale production and relative stability, is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biological alkylation and colloid formation of selenium in methanogenic UASB reactors.

PubMed

Lenz, Markus; Smit, Martijn; Binder, Patrick; van Aelst, Adriaan C; Lens, Piet N L

2008-01-01

Bioalkylation and colloid formation of selenium during selenate removal in upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) bioreactors was investigated. The mesophilic (30 degrees C) UASB reactor (pH = 7.0) was operated for 175 d with lactate as electron donor at an organic loading rate of 2 g COD L(-1) d(-1) and a selenium loading rate of 3.16 mg Se L(-1) d(-1). Combining sequential filtration with ion chromatographic analysis for selenium oxyanions and solid phase micro extraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) for alkylated selenium compounds allowed to entirely close the selenium mass balance in the liquid phase for most of the UASB operational runtime. Although selenate was removed to more than 98.6% from the liquid phase, a less efficient removal of dissolved selenium was observed due to the presence of dissolved alkylated selenium species (dimethylselenide and dimethyldiselenide) and colloidal selenium particles in the effluent. The alkylated and the colloidal fractions contributed up to 15 and 31%, respectively, to the dissolved selenium concentration. The size fractions of the colloidal dispersion were: 4 to 0.45 mum: up to 21%, 0.45 to 0.2 mum: up to 11%, and particles smaller than 0.2 mum: up to 8%. Particles of 4 to 0.45 mum were formed in the external settler, but did not settle. SEM-EDX analysis showed that microorganisms form these selenium containing colloidal particles extracellularly on their surface. Lowering the temperature by 10 degrees C for 6 h resulted in drastically reduced selenate removal efficiencies (after a delay of 1.5 d), accompanied by the temporary formation of an unknown, soluble, organic selenium species. This study shows that a careful process control is a prerequisite for selenium treatment in UASB bioreactors, as disturbances in the operational conditions induce elevated selenium effluent concentrations by alkylation and colloid formation.

Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment (PhaSE) or "Making Jello in Space"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ling, Jerri S.; Doherty, Michael P.

1998-01-01

The Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment (PHaSE) is a highly successful experiment that flew aboard two shuttle missions to study the transitions involved in the formation of jellolike colloidal crystals in a microgravity environment. A colloidal suspension, or colloid, consists of fine particles, often having complex interactions, suspended in a liquid. Paint, ink, and milk are examples of colloids found in everyday life. In low Earth orbit, the effective force of gravity is thousands of times less than at the Earth's surface. This provides researchers a way to conduct experiments that cannot be adequately performed in an Earth-gravity environment. In microgravity, colloidal particles freely interact without the complications of settling that occur in normal gravity on Earth. If the particle interactions within these colloidal suspensions could be predicted and accurately modeled, they could provide the key to understanding fundamental problems in condensed matter physics and could help make possible the development of wonderful new "designer" materials. Industries that make semiconductors, electro-optics, ceramics, and composites are just a few that may benefit from this knowledge. Atomic interactions determine the physical properties (e.g., weight, color, and hardness) of ordinary matter. PHaSE uses colloidal suspensions of microscopic solid plastic spheres to model the behavior of atomic interactions. When uniformly sized hard spheres suspended in a fluid reach a certain concentration (volume fraction), the particle-fluid mixture changes from a disordered fluid state, in which the spheres are randomly organized, to an ordered "crystalline" state, in which they are structured periodically. The thermal energy of the spheres causes them to form ordered arrays, analogous to crystals. Seven of the eight PHaSE samples ranged in volume fraction from 0.483 to 0.624 to cover the range of interest, while one sample, having a concentration of 0.019, was included for instrument calibration.

Long-Range Attractive and Repulsive Interactions between Colloidal Particles at the Air/Water Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez-Guzmán, Oscar; Ruiz-García, Jaime

2001-03-01

In the last few years there has been evidence of long-range attractive interactions between colloidal particles trapped between glass plates, where the plates separation is a few particle’s diameter.[1,2,3] In these experiments it is believe that the glass walls play an important role for the observed attractions. Colloidal particles trapped at the air water interface show the formation of different 2-D colloidal patterns such as foams, clusters and chains,[4,5,6,7] whose formation can be taken as an evidence of long range attractive interaction. Here, we present measurements of the pair interaction potential between 0.5 µm colloidal particles at the air/water interface. The potential shows an attractive secondary minimum at about 1.9s, where s is the particle’s diameter, and a secondary repulsive maximum at longer distances. Surprisingly, the position of the secondary well is at a position similar to those found on the colloidal systems trapped between glass plates. It is possible that in our colloidal system the interface plays the role of a glass plate. However, we do not have a clear explanation on the origin of the attractive component of the interaction potential. 1. G. M. Kepler and S. Fraden, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 356 (1994) 2. M. D. Carbajal-Tinoco, F. Castro-Roman and J. L. Arauz-Lara, Phys. Rev. E 53, 3745 (1996) 3. J. C. Croker and D. G. Grier, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1897 (1996) 4. J. Ruiz-Garcia, R. Gámez-Corrales and B. I. Ivlev, Physica A 236, 97 (1997) 5. J. Ruiz-Garcia, R. Gámez-Corrales and B. I. Ivlev, Phys. Rev. E 58, 660 (1998) 6. J. Ruiz-Garcia and B. I. Ivlev, Molec. Phys. 95, 371 (1998) 7. S. J. Mejia-Rosales, R. Gamez-Corrales, B. I. Ivlev and J. Ruiz-Garcia, Physica A 276, 30 (2000)

Effect of bovine manure on fecal coliform attachment to soil and soil particles of different sizes.

PubMed

Guber, Andrey K; Pachepsky, Yakov A; Shelton, Daniel R; Yu, Olivia

2007-05-01

Manure-borne bacteria can be transported in runoff as free cells, cells attached to soil particles, and cells attached to manure particles. The objectives of this work were to compare the attachment of fecal coliforms (FC) to different soils and soil fractions and to assess the effect of bovine manure on FC attachment to soil and soil fractions. Three sand fractions of different sizes, the silt fraction, and the clay fraction of loam and sandy clay loam soils were separated and used along with soil samples in batch attachment experiments with water-FC suspensions and water-manure-FC suspensions. In the absence of manure colloids, bacterial attachment to soil, silt, and clay particles was much higher than the attachment to sand particles having no organic coating. The attachment to the coated sand particles was similar to the attachment to silt and clay. Manure colloids in suspensions decreased bacterial attachment to soils, clay and silt fractions, and coated sand fractions, but did not decrease the attachment to sand fractions without the coating. The low attachment of bacteria to silt and clay particles in the presence of manure colloids may cause predominantly free-cell transport of manure-borne FC in runoff.

Single charging events on colloidal particles in a nonpolar liquid with surfactant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreuer, Caspar; Vandewiele, Stijn; Brans, Toon; Strubbe, Filip; Neyts, Kristiaan; Beunis, Filip

2018-01-01

Electrical charging of colloidal particles in nonpolar liquids due to surfactant additives is investigated intensively, motivated by its importance in a variety of applications. Most methods rely on average electrophoretic mobility measurements of many particles, which provide only indirect information on the charging mechanism. In the present work, we present a method that allows us to obtain direct information on the charging mechanism, by measuring the charge fluctuations on individual particles with a precision higher than the elementary charge using optical trapping electrophoresis. We demonstrate the capabilities of the method by studying the influence of added surfactant OLOA 11000 on the charging of single colloidal PMMA particles in dodecane. The particle charge and the frequency of charging events are investigated both below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and with or without applying a DC offset voltage. It is found that at least two separate charging mechanisms are present below the critical micelle concentration. One mechanism is a process where the particle is stripped from negatively charged ionic molecules. An increase in the charging frequency with increased surfactant concentration suggests a second mechanism that involves single surfactant molecules. Above the CMC, neutral inverse micelles can also be involved in the charging process.

Automated video-microscopic imaging and data acquisition system for colloid deposition measurements

DOEpatents

Abdel-Fattah, Amr I.; Reimus, Paul W.

2004-12-28

A video microscopic visualization system and image processing and data extraction and processing method for in situ detailed quantification of the deposition of sub-micrometer particles onto an arbitrary surface and determination of their concentration across the bulk suspension. The extracted data includes (a) surface concentration and flux of deposited, attached and detached colloids, (b) surface concentration and flux of arriving and departing colloids, (c) distribution of colloids in the bulk suspension in the direction perpendicular to the deposition surface, and (d) spatial and temporal distributions of deposited colloids.

Macroscopic and microscopic observations of particle-facilitated mercury transport from New Idria and Sulphur Bank mercury mine tailings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowry, G.V.; Shaw, S.; Kim, C.S.; Rytuba, J.J.; Brown, Gordon E.

2004-01-01

Mercury (Hg) release from inoperative Hg mines in the California Coast Range has been documented, but little is known about the release and transport mechanisms. In this study, tailings from Hg mines located in different geologic settings-New Idria (NI), a Si-carbonate Hg deposit, and Sulphur Bank (SB), a hot-spring Hg deposit-were characterized, and particle release from these wastes was studied in column experiments to (1) investigate the mechanisms of Hg release from NI and SB mine wastes, (2) determine the speciation of particle-bound Hg released from the mine wastes, and (3) determine the effect of calcinations on Hg release processes. The physical and chemical properties of tailings and the colloids released from them were determined using chemical analyses, selective chemical extractions, XRD, SEM, TEM, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques. The total Hg concentration in tailings increased with decreasing particle size in NI and SB calcines (roasted ore), but reached a maximum at an intermediate particle size in the SB waste rock (unroasted ore). Hg in the tailings exists predominantly as low-solubility HgS (cinnabar and metacinnabar), with NI calcines having >50% HgS, SB calcines having >89% HgS, and SB waste rock having ???100% HgS. Leaching experiments with a high-ionic-strength solution (0.1 M NaCl) resulted in a rapid but brief release of soluble and particulate Hg. Lowering the ionic strength of the leach solution (0.005 M NaCl) resulted in the release of colloidal Hg from two of the three mine wastes studied (NI calcines and SB waste rock). Colloid-associated Hg accounts for as much as 95% of the Hg released during episodic particle release. Colloids generated from the NI calcines are produced by a breakup and release mechanism and consist of hematite, jarosite/alunite, and Al-Si gel with particle sizes of 10-200 nm. ATEM and XAFS analyses indicate that the majority (???78%) of the mercury is present in the form of HgS. SB calcines also produced HgS colloids. The colloids generated from the SB waste rock were heterogeneous and varied in composition according to the column influent composition. ATEM and XAFS results indicate that Hg is entirely in the HgS form. Data from this study identify colloidal HgS as the dominant transported form of Hg from these mine waste materials.

Computer simulation on the collision-sticking dynamics of two colloidal particles in an optical trap.

PubMed

Xu, Shenghua; Sun, Zhiwei

2007-04-14

Collisions of a particle pair induced by optical tweezers have been employed to study colloidal stability. In order to deepen insights regarding the collision-sticking dynamics of a particle pair in the optical trap that were observed in experimental approaches at the particle level, the authors carry out a Brownian dynamics simulation. In the simulation, various contributing factors, including the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek interaction of particles, hydrodynamic interactions, optical trapping forces on the two particles, and the Brownian motion, were all taken into account. The simulation reproduces the tendencies of the accumulated sticking probability during the trapping duration for the trapped particle pair described in our previous study and provides an explanation for why the two entangled particles in the trap experience two different statuses.

Mechanisms behind overshoots in mean cluster size profiles in aggregation-breakup processes.

PubMed

Sadegh-Vaziri, Ramiar; Ludwig, Kristin; Sundmacher, Kai; Babler, Matthaus U

2018-05-26

Aggregation and breakup of small particles in stirred suspensions often shows an overshoot in the time evolution of the mean cluster size: Starting from a suspension of primary particles the mean cluster size first increases before going through a maximum beyond which a slow relaxation sets in. Such behavior was observed in various systems, including polymeric latices, inorganic colloids, asphaltenes, proteins, and, as shown by independent experiments in this work, in the flocculation of microalgae. This work aims at investigating possible mechanism to explain this phenomenon using detailed population balance modeling that incorporates refined rate models for aggregation and breakup of small particles in turbulence. Four mechanisms are considered: (1) restructuring, (2) decay of aggregate strength, (3) deposition of large clusters, and (4) primary particle aggregation where only aggregation events between clusters and primary particles are permitted. We show that all four mechanisms can lead to an overshoot in the mean size profile, while in contrast, aggregation and breakup alone lead to a monotonic, "S"-shaped size evolution profile. In order to distinguish between the different mechanisms simple protocols based on variations of the shear rate during the aggregation-breakup process are proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aqueous Colloid + Polymer Depletion System for Confocal Microscopy and Rheology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Nayoung; Umanzor, Esmeralda J.; Conrad, Jacinta C.

2018-05-01

We developed a model depletion system with colloidal particles that were refractive index- and density-matched to 80 (w/w)% glycerol in water, and characterized the effect of interparticle interactions on the structure and dynamics of non-equilibrium phases. 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate-co-tert-butyl methacrylate copolymer particles were synthesized following Kodger et al. (Sci. Rep. 5, 14635 (2015)). Particles were dispersed in glycerol/water solutions to generate colloidal suspensions with good control over electrostatic interactions and a moderately high background viscosity of 55 mPa-s. To probe the effects of charge screening and depletion attractions on the suspension phase behavior, we added NaCl and polyacrylamide (M_w = 186 kDa) at various concentrations to particle suspensions formulated at volume fractions of phi = 0.05 and 0.3 and imaged the suspensions using confocal microscopy. The particles were nearly hard spheres at a NaCl concentration of 20 mM, but aggregated when the concentration of NaCl was further increased. Changes in the particle structure and dynamics with increasing concentration of the depletant polyacrylamide followed the trends expected from earlier experiments on depletion-driven gelation. Additionally, we measured the viscosity and corrected first normal stress difference of suspensions formulated at phi = 0.4 with and without added polymer. The solvent viscosity was suitable for rheology measurements without the onset of instabilities such as secondary flows or edge fracture. These results validate this system as an alternative to one common model system, suspensions of poly(methyl methacrylate) particles and polystyrene depletants in organic solvents, for investigating phase behavior and flow properties in attractive colloidal suspensions.

Synthesis of dextrin-stabilized colloidal silver nanoparticles and their application as modifiers of cement mortar.

PubMed

Konował, Emilia; Sybis, Marta; Modrzejewska-Sikorska, Anna; Milczarek, Grzegorz

2017-11-01

Various commercial dextrins were used as reducing and stabilizing agents for a novel one-step synthesis of silver nanoparticles from ammonia complexes of silver ions. As a result, stable colloids of silver were formed during the reaction with the particle size being the function of the dextrin type. The obtained colloids were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometry, size distribution (using Non-Invasive Backscatter optics) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The achieved results clearly indicate the possibility of low-cost production of large quantities of colloidal silver nanoparticles using materials derived from renewable sources. The resulting silver colloids can be used for different purposes, e.g. as bactericidal agents. Combination of the aforementioned properties of nanosilver particles with plasticizing properties of dextrin enables to obtain cement mortars with increased workability and enhanced compressive strength. Moreover, the obtained material is also characterized by increased immunity to adverse impact of microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local phase transitions in driven colloidal suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scacchi, A.; Brader, J. M.

2018-02-01

Using dynamical density functional theory and Brownian dynamics simulations, we investigate the influence of a driven tracer particle on the density distribution of a colloidal suspension at a thermodynamic state point close to the liquid side of the binodal. In bulk systems, we find that a localised region of the colloid-poor phase, a 'cavitation bubble', forms behind the moving tracer. The extent of the cavitation bubble is investigated as a function of both the size and velocity of the tracer. The addition of a confining boundary enables us to investigate the interaction between the local phase instability at the substrate and that at the particle surface. When both the substrate and tracer interact repulsively with the colloids we observe the formation of a colloid-poor bridge between the substrate and the tracer. When a shear flow is applied parallel to the substrate the bridge becomes distorted and, at sufficiently high shear-rates, disconnects from the substrate to form a cavitation bubble.

The extended Kubelka-Munk theory and its application to colloidal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcaraz de la Osa, R.; Fernández, A.; Gutiérrez, Y.; Ortiz, D.; González, F.; Moreno, F.; Saiz, J. M.

2017-08-01

The use of nanoparticles is spreading in many fields and a frequent way of preparing them is in the form of colloids, whose characterization becomes increasingly important. The spectral reflectance and transmittance curves of such colloids exhibit a strong dependence with the main parameters of the system. By means of a two-flux model we have performed a colorimetric study of gold colloids varying several parameters of the system, including the radius of the particles, the particle number density, the thickness of the system and the refractive index of the surrounding medium. In all cases, trajectories in the L*a*b* color space have been obtained, as well as the evolution of the luminosity, chroma and hue, either for reflectance or transmittance. The observed colors agree well with typical colors found in the literature for colloidal gold, and could allow for a fast assessment of the parameters involved, e.g., the radius of the nanoparticle during the fabrication process.

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport: a regulatory perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dam, W. L.; Pickett, D. A.; Codell, R. B.; Nicholson, T. J.

2001-12-01

What hydrogeologic-geochemical-microbial conditions and processes affect migration of radionuclides sorbed onto microparticles or native colloid-sized radionuclide particles? The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for protecting public health, safety, and the environment at numerous nuclear facilities including a potential high-level nuclear waste disposal site. To fulfill these obligations, NRC needs to understand the mechanisms controlling radionuclide release and transport and their importance to performance. The current focus of NRC staff reviews and technical interactions dealing with colloid-facilitated transport relates to the potential nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. NRC staff performed bounding calculations to quantify radionuclide releases available for ground-water transport to potential receptors from a Yucca Mountain repository. Preliminary analyses suggest insignificant doses of plutonium and americium colloids could be derived from spent nuclear fuel. Using surface complexation models, NRC staff found that colloids can potentially lower actinide retardation factors by up to several orders of magnitude. Performance assessment calculations, in which colloidal transport of plutonium and americium was simulated by assuming no sorption or matrix diffusion, indicated no effect of colloids on human dose within the 10,000 year compliance period due largely to long waste-package lifetimes. NRC staff have identified information gaps and developed technical agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure sufficient information will be presented in any potential future Yucca Mountain license application. DOE has agreed to identify which radionuclides could be transported via colloids, incorporate uncertainties in colloid formation, release and transport parameters, and conceptual models, and address the applicability of field data using synthetic microspheres as colloid analogs. NRC is currently investigating approaches to colloid modeling in order to help evaluate DOE's approach. One alternative approach uses DOE laboratory data to invoke kinetic controls on reversible radionuclide attachment to colloids. A kinetic approach in which desorption from colloids is slow may help assess whether DOE's instantaneous equilibrium approach for reversible attachment, as well as their application of irreversible attachment to only a small portion of the radionuclide inventory, are reasonable and conservative. An approach to examine microbial processes would also contribute to considerations of leaching of radionuclides and colloid formation. Reducing uncertainties in colloid transport processes should help in better understanding their importance to repository performance. This work is an independent product and does not necessarily reflect the views or regulatory position of the NRC. CNWRA participation was funded under contract No. NRC-02-97-009.

Laser-induced particle size tuning and structural transformations in germanium nanoparticles prepared by stain etching and colloidal synthesis route

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karatutlu, Ali, E-mail: a.karatutlu@qmul.ac.uk, E-mail: ali.karatutlu@bou.edu.tr; Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bursa Orhangazi University, 16310 Yıldırım/Bursa; Little, William

In this study, with the aid of Raman measurements, we have observed transformations in small (∼3 nm and ∼10 nm) free-standing Ge nanoparticles under laser light exposure. The nanoparticles were obtained by the chemical stain etching of a monocrystalline Ge wafer and of Ge powder and by colloidal synthesis route. We found that the transformation path depends on laser power and exposure time. At relatively low values of the laser power (2 mW) over a period of 100 min, the Raman signal indicates transformation of the sample from a nanocrystaline to bulk-like state, followed by partial oxidation and finally a conversion of themore » entire sample into alpha-quartz type GeO{sub 2}. However, when the laser power is set at 60 mW, we observed a heat release during an explosive crystallization of the nanocrystalline material into bulk Ge without noticeable signs of oxidation. Together with the transmission electron microscopy measurements, these results suggest that the chemical stain etching method for the preparation of porous Ge may not be a top-down process as has been widely considered, but a bottom up one. Systematic studies of the laser exposure on Ge nanoparticles prepared by colloidal synthesis results in the fact that the explosive crystallisation is common for H-terminated and partially disordered Ge nanoparticles regardless of its particle size. We suggest possible bio-medical applications for the observed phenomena.« less

Interaction of Inorganic Nanoparticles With Cell Membranes

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-20

the field of colloidal and biological behaviour of nanoparticles. Questions regarding the colloidal behavior of particles in biological liquids...better the behaviour of nanoparticles in living systems. 2. Research work During the preparation phase of this project we have defined following...unique knowledge of the participating researgroups in the field of colloidal and biological behaviour of nanoparticles. Questions regarding the

Particles at fluid-fluid interfaces: A new Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard surface- phase-field-crystal model.

PubMed

Aland, Sebastian; Lowengrub, John; Voigt, Axel

2012-10-01

Colloid particles that are partially wetted by two immiscible fluids can become confined to fluid-fluid interfaces. At sufficiently high volume fractions, the colloids may jam and the interface may crystallize. The fluids together with the interfacial colloids form an emulsion with interesting material properties and offer an important route to new soft materials. A promising approach to simulate these emulsions was presented in Aland et al. [Phys. Fluids 23, 062103 (2011)], where a Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard model for the macroscopic two-phase fluid system was combined with a surface phase-field-crystal model for the microscopic colloidal particles along the interface. Unfortunately this model leads to spurious velocities which require very fine spatial and temporal resolutions to accurately and stably simulate. In this paper we develop an improved Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard-surface phase-field-crystal model based on the principles of mass conservation and thermodynamic consistency. To validate our approach, we derive a sharp interface model and show agreement with the improved diffuse interface model. Using simple flow configurations, we show that the new model has much better properties and does not lead to spurious velocities. Finally, we demonstrate the solid-like behavior of the crystallized interface by simulating the fall of a solid ball through a colloid-laden multiphase fluid.

Integration of colloids into a semi-flexible network of fibrin.

PubMed

Bharadwaj, N Ashwin K; Kang, Jin Gu; Hatzell, Marta C; Schweizer, Kenneth S; Braun, Paul V; Ewoldt, Randy H

2017-02-15

Typical colloid-polymer composites have particle diameters much larger than the polymer mesh size, but successful integration of smaller colloids into a large-mesh network could allow for the realization of new colloidal states of spatial organization and faster colloid motion which can allow the possibility of switchable re-configuration of colloids or more dramatic stimuli-responsive property changes. Experimental realization of such composites requires solving non-trivial materials selection and fabrication challenges; key questions include composition regime maps of successful composites, the resulting structure and colloidal contact network, and the mechanical properties, in particular the ability to form a network and retain strain stiffening in the presence of colloids. Here, we study these fundamental questions by formulating composites with fluorescent (though not stimuli-responsive) carboxylate modified polystyrene/latex (CML) colloidal particles (diameters 200 nm and 1000 nm) in bovine fibrin networks (a semi-flexible biopolymer network with mesh size 1-5 μm). We describe and characterize two methods of composite preparation: adding colloids before fibrinogen polymerization (Method I), and electrophoretically driving colloids into a network already formed by fibrinogen polymerization (Method II). We directly image the morphology of colloidal and fibrous components with two-color fluorescent confocal microscopy under wet conditions and SEM of fixed dry samples. Mechanical properties are studied with shear and extensional rheology. Both fabrication methods are successful, though with trade-offs. Method I retains the nonlinear strain-stiffening and extensibility of the native fibrin network, but some colloid clustering is observed and fibrin network integrity is lost above a critical colloid concentration that depends on fibrinogen and thrombin concentration. Larger colloids can be included at higher volume fractions before massive aggregation occurs, indicating surface interactions as a limiting factor. Method II results in a loss of measurable strain-stiffening, but colloids are well dispersed and template along the fibrous scaffold. The results here, with insight into both structure and rheology, form a foundational understanding for the integration of other colloids, e.g. with stimuli-responsive functionalities, into semi-flexible networks.

Physics of Colloids in Space: Flight Hardware Operations on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doherty, Michael P.; Bailey, Arthur E.; Jankovsky, Amy L.; Lorik, Tibor

2002-01-01

The Physics of Colloids in Space (PCS) experiment was launched on Space Shuttle STS-100 in April 2001 and integrated into EXpedite the PRocess of Experiments to Space Station Rack 2 on the International Space Station (ISS). This microgravity fluid physics investigation is being conducted in the ISS U.S. Lab 'Destiny' Module over a period of approximately thirteen months during the ISS assembly period from flight 6A through flight 9A. PCS is gathering data on the basic physical properties of simple colloidal suspensions by studying the structures that form. A colloid is a micron or submicron particle, be it solid, liquid, or gas. A colloidal suspension consists of these fine particles suspended in another medium. Common colloidal suspensions include paints, milk, salad dressings, cosmetics, and aerosols. Though these products are routinely produced and used, we still have much to learn about their behavior as well as the underlying properties of colloids in general. The long-term goal of the PCS investigation is to learn how to steer the growth of colloidal structures to create new materials. This experiment is the first part of a two-stage investigation conceived by Professor David Weitz of Harvard University (the Principal Investigator) along with Professor Peter Pusey of the University of Edinburgh (the Co-Investigator). This paper describes the flight hardware, experiment operations, and initial science findings of the first fluid physics payload to be conducted on ISS: The Physics of Colloids in Space.

Length-scale dependent transport properties of colloidal and protein solutions for prediction of crystal nucleation rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalwarczyk, Tomasz; Sozanski, Krzysztof; Jakiela, Slawomir; Wisniewska, Agnieszka; Kalwarczyk, Ewelina; Kryszczuk, Katarzyna; Hou, Sen; Holyst, Robert

2014-08-01

We propose a scaling equation describing transport properties (diffusion and viscosity) in the solutions of colloidal particles. We apply the equation to 23 different systems including colloids and proteins differing in size (range of diameters: 4 nm to 1 μm), and volume fractions (10-3-0.56). In solutions under study colloids/proteins interact via steric, hydrodynamic, van der Waals and/or electrostatic interactions. We implement contribution of those interactions into the scaling law. Finally we use our scaling law together with the literature values of the barrier for nucleation to predict crystal nucleation rates of hard-sphere like colloids. The resulting crystal nucleation rates agree with existing experimental data.We propose a scaling equation describing transport properties (diffusion and viscosity) in the solutions of colloidal particles. We apply the equation to 23 different systems including colloids and proteins differing in size (range of diameters: 4 nm to 1 μm), and volume fractions (10-3-0.56). In solutions under study colloids/proteins interact via steric, hydrodynamic, van der Waals and/or electrostatic interactions. We implement contribution of those interactions into the scaling law. Finally we use our scaling law together with the literature values of the barrier for nucleation to predict crystal nucleation rates of hard-sphere like colloids. The resulting crystal nucleation rates agree with existing experimental data. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental and some analysis details. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00647j

Sedimentation equilibrium and the generalized Archimedes' principle.

PubMed

Parola, Alberto; Buzzaccaro, Stefano; Secchi, Eleonora; Piazza, Roberto

2013-03-21

The buoyancy concept is critically re-examined for applications to dispersions of nano-particles, such as colloids, proteins, or macromolecules. It is shown that when the size of the buoyant particle is not too different (say, at most a factor of ten) from the size of the dispersed particles, new intriguing phenomena emerge, leading to the violation of the Archimedes' principle. The resulting buoyancy force depends not only on the volume of the particle and on the mass density of the dispersion, but also on the relative size of the particles, on their geometry, and on the interactions between the buoyant particle and the fluid. Explicit expressions for such a generalized Archimedes' principle are obtained and the results are tested against targeted experiments in colloidal dispersions.

Sedimentation equilibrium and the generalized Archimedes' principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parola, Alberto; Buzzaccaro, Stefano; Secchi, Eleonora; Piazza, Roberto

2013-03-01

The buoyancy concept is critically re-examined for applications to dispersions of nano-particles, such as colloids, proteins, or macromolecules. It is shown that when the size of the buoyant particle is not too different (say, at most a factor of ten) from the size of the dispersed particles, new intriguing phenomena emerge, leading to the violation of the Archimedes' principle. The resulting buoyancy force depends not only on the volume of the particle and on the mass density of the dispersion, but also on the relative size of the particles, on their geometry, and on the interactions between the buoyant particle and the fluid. Explicit expressions for such a generalized Archimedes' principle are obtained and the results are tested against targeted experiments in colloidal dispersions.

Two-dimensional patterning of colloidal crystals by means of lateral autocloning in edge-patterned cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emoto, Akira; Kamei, Tadayoshi; Shioda, Tatsutoshi; Kawatsuki, Nobuhiro; Ono, Hiroshi

2009-06-01

We report the experimental results of two-dimensional patterning of colloidal crystals using edge-patterned cells. Solvent evaporation of a colloidal suspension from the edge of the cell induces self-organized crystallization of spherical colloidal particles. From a reservoir of colloidal suspension in the cell, different colloidal suspensions are injected repetitively. An edge-patterned substrate is introduced into the cell as an upper substrate. As a result, different colloidal crystals are alternately stacked in the lateral direction according to the edge pattern. The characteristics of cloning formation are specifically showed including deformations from the original pattern. This two-dimensional patterning of three-dimensional colloidal crystals by means of lateral autocloning is promising for the development of photonic crystal arrays for use in optic and photonic devices.

Diffusion, subdiffusion, and localization of active colloids in random post lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, Alexandre; Lopes Cardozo, David; Chikkadi, Vijayakumar; Bartolo, Denis

2017-10-01

Combining experiments and theory, we address the dynamics of self-propelled particles in crowded environments. We first demonstrate that motile colloids cruising at constant speed through random lattices undergo a smooth transition from diffusive to subdiffusive to localized dynamics upon increasing the obstacle density. We then elucidate the nature of these transitions by performing extensive simulations constructed from a detailed analysis of the colloid-obstacle interactions. We evidence that repulsion at a distance and hard-core interactions both contribute to slowing down the long-time diffusion of the colloids. In contrast, the localization transition stems solely from excluded-volume interactions and occurs at the void-percolation threshold. Within this critical scenario, equivalent to that of the random Lorentz gas, genuine asymptotic subdiffusion is found only at the critical density where the motile particles explore a fractal maze.

Colloidal systems and interfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, S.; Morrison, E.D.

1988-01-01

This book is an excellent, four-part introductory text and sourcebook for those who want to acquire a quick background in , or brush up on, the physical properties and behavior of colloidal dispersions and interfaces. Part I covers properties of particles and techniques for determining particle size and surface area. Part II concentrates on the properties of interfaces, with brief subsections on insoluble monolayers, surface active solutes in aqueous and non-aqueous media, and the thermodynamics of adsorption at interfaces. Part III considers attractive and repulsive interactions, colloid stability (DLVO theory), and kinetics of coagulation. Part IV applies these concepts tomore » emulsions, foams, and suspensions. The sections on colloid rheology, interfacial tensions, Marangoni effects, and calculation of Hamaker constants are particularly good, as are Part IV and the numerous examples of practical applications used throughout the book to illustrate the concepts.« less

Surface patterning of nanoparticles with polymer patches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choueiri, Rachelle M.; Galati, Elizabeth; Thérien-Aubin, Héloïse

Patterning of colloidal particles with chemically or topographically distinct surface domains (patches) has attracted intense research interest. Surface-patterned particles act as colloidal analogues of atoms and molecules serve as model systems in studies of phase transitions in liquid systems, behave as ‘colloidal surfactants’ and function as templates for the synthesis of hybrid particles. The generation of micrometre- and submicrometre-sized patchy colloids is now efficient but surface patterning of inorganic colloidal nanoparticles with dimensions of the order of tens of nanometres is uncommon. Such nanoparticles exhibit size- and shape-dependent optical, electronic and magnetic properties, and their assemblies show new collective properties.more » At present, nanoparticle patterning is limited to the generation of two-patch nanoparticles and nanoparticles with surface ripples or a ‘raspberry’ surface morphology. We demonstrate nanoparticle surface patterning, which utilizes thermodynamically driven segregation of polymer ligands from a uniform polymer brush into surface-pinned micelles following a change in solvent quality. Patch formation is reversible but can be permanently preserved using a photocrosslinking step. The methodology offers the ability to control the dimensions of patches, their spatial distribution and the number of patches per nanoparticle, in agreement with a theoretical model. The versatility of the strategy is demonstrated by patterning nanoparticles with different dimensions, shapes and compositions, tethered with various types of polymers and subjected to different external stimuli. Furthermore, these patchy nanocolloids have potential applications in fundamental research, the self-assembly of nanomaterials, diagnostics, sensing and colloidal stabilization.« less

Surface patterning of nanoparticles with polymer patches

DOE PAGES

Choueiri, Rachelle M.; Galati, Elizabeth; Thérien-Aubin, Héloïse; ...

2016-08-24

Patterning of colloidal particles with chemically or topographically distinct surface domains (patches) has attracted intense research interest. Surface-patterned particles act as colloidal analogues of atoms and molecules serve as model systems in studies of phase transitions in liquid systems, behave as ‘colloidal surfactants’ and function as templates for the synthesis of hybrid particles. The generation of micrometre- and submicrometre-sized patchy colloids is now efficient but surface patterning of inorganic colloidal nanoparticles with dimensions of the order of tens of nanometres is uncommon. Such nanoparticles exhibit size- and shape-dependent optical, electronic and magnetic properties, and their assemblies show new collective properties.more » At present, nanoparticle patterning is limited to the generation of two-patch nanoparticles and nanoparticles with surface ripples or a ‘raspberry’ surface morphology. We demonstrate nanoparticle surface patterning, which utilizes thermodynamically driven segregation of polymer ligands from a uniform polymer brush into surface-pinned micelles following a change in solvent quality. Patch formation is reversible but can be permanently preserved using a photocrosslinking step. The methodology offers the ability to control the dimensions of patches, their spatial distribution and the number of patches per nanoparticle, in agreement with a theoretical model. The versatility of the strategy is demonstrated by patterning nanoparticles with different dimensions, shapes and compositions, tethered with various types of polymers and subjected to different external stimuli. Furthermore, these patchy nanocolloids have potential applications in fundamental research, the self-assembly of nanomaterials, diagnostics, sensing and colloidal stabilization.« less

Surface patterning of nanoparticles with polymer patches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choueiri, Rachelle M.; Galati, Elizabeth; Thérien-Aubin, Héloïse; Klinkova, Anna; Larin, Egor M.; Querejeta-Fernández, Ana; Han, Lili; Xin, Huolin L.; Gang, Oleg; Zhulina, Ekaterina B.; Rubinstein, Michael; Kumacheva, Eugenia

2016-10-01

Patterning of colloidal particles with chemically or topographically distinct surface domains (patches) has attracted intense research interest. Surface-patterned particles act as colloidal analogues of atoms and molecules, serve as model systems in studies of phase transitions in liquid systems, behave as ‘colloidal surfactants’ and function as templates for the synthesis of hybrid particles. The generation of micrometre- and submicrometre-sized patchy colloids is now efficient, but surface patterning of inorganic colloidal nanoparticles with dimensions of the order of tens of nanometres is uncommon. Such nanoparticles exhibit size- and shape-dependent optical, electronic and magnetic properties, and their assemblies show new collective properties. At present, nanoparticle patterning is limited to the generation of two-patch nanoparticles, and nanoparticles with surface ripples or a ‘raspberry’ surface morphology. Here we demonstrate nanoparticle surface patterning, which utilizes thermodynamically driven segregation of polymer ligands from a uniform polymer brush into surface-pinned micelles following a change in solvent quality. Patch formation is reversible but can be permanently preserved using a photocrosslinking step. The methodology offers the ability to control the dimensions of patches, their spatial distribution and the number of patches per nanoparticle, in agreement with a theoretical model. The versatility of the strategy is demonstrated by patterning nanoparticles with different dimensions, shapes and compositions, tethered with various types of polymers and subjected to different external stimuli. These patchy nanocolloids have potential applications in fundamental research, the self-assembly of nanomaterials, diagnostics, sensing and colloidal stabilization.

Dielectrophoresis and its application to biomedical diagnostics platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basuray, Sagnik

Novel pathogenic diagnostics and on field devices to attest their growth have been the current norm of scientific research and curiosity. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics have recently been on the forefront of the development of these devices for their inherent advantages of large surface to volume ratio and small diffusion times. With the advancement of soft lithographic techniques, the devices can be easily adapted for medical systems and bio-diagnostic devices to study mechanistic pathways of bio-molecules, bio-chemical reactions and as delivery modules for drug. However, the lack of better sensors, other than optics, to detect low bio-particle numbers in real samples have made the instruments bulky, expensive and not suitable for field use. Thus there is an urgent need to develop label-free, portable, inexpensive, rapid diagnostic devices. In order to achieve a viable device, researchers in these fields have been using dielectrophoresis as the mechanism of choice for a variety of tasks, from particle manipulation, to delivery, to movement of the particles through the fluid. However, the exact physical mechanism for not only the dielectrophoresis of the colloidal assembly is unclear, but the dielectrophoresis of single bio-particles/charged nano-colloids is not understood fully. In this thesis, I present a theory for charged nano-colloid dielectrophoresis taking into account the surface charge and Debye double layer effects. The exact mechanism of the origin of the Stern layer, through the surface conductance effect of a nano-colloid to form a collapsed diffuse layer that renders a nano-colloid conductive at sub-optical frequency has been formulated. This effect is utilized to optimize a nano-colloid assay to detect DNA hybridization. The collapsed diffuse layer kinetics with thick diffuse layer is solved, using spherical harmonics of the Bessel solution of the Poisson equation, to give a modified Clausius-Mosotti factor, that accounts for the size dependent monotonic rise in crossover frequency, unlike in classical theories. This effect is used to design molecular detection platform based on dielectrophoretic trapping of carbon nano-tube (CNT) in an inter-digitized microfluidics platform. The platform can distinguish the target DNA from a heterogeneous DNA mixture or from 3 base mismatched congenic species based on the different electrical impedance signatures (EIS). The open flow device uses shear enhanced discrimination to shear off the non-target biomolecules from CNT surface and also remove the parasitic double layer signal to high frequency for high resolution of the hybridization signal unlike batch processes. It is used to dielectrophoretically trap DNAs, RNAs and biomolecule from a flowing solution to the CNT surface to allow for very rapid, sensitive and selective detection. We designed a rapid, inexpensive, sensitive real time polymerase chain reaction detector; the nano-slot that used dielectrophoresis and EIS to concentrate the DNA molecules for real time detection near a nano-slot.

Active dynamics of colloidal particles in time-varying laser speckle patterns

PubMed Central

Bianchi, Silvio; Pruner, Riccardo; Vizsnyiczai, Gaszton; Maggi, Claudio; Di Leonardo, Roberto

2016-01-01

Colloidal particles immersed in a dynamic speckle pattern experience an optical force that fluctuates both in space and time. The resulting dynamics presents many interesting analogies with a broad class of non-equilibrium systems like: active colloids, self propelled microorganisms, transport in dynamical intracellular environments. Here we show that the use of a spatial light modulator allows to generate light fields that fluctuate with controllable space and time correlations and a prescribed average intensity profile. In particular we generate ring-shaped random patterns that can confine a colloidal particle over a quasi one-dimensional random energy landscape. We find a mean square displacement that is diffusive at both short and long times, while a superdiffusive or subdiffusive behavior is observed at intermediate times depending on the value of the speckles correlation time. We propose two alternative models for the mean square displacement in the two limiting cases of a short or long speckles correlation time. A simple interpolation formula is shown to account for the full phenomenology observed in the mean square displacement across the entire range from fast to slow fluctuating speckles. PMID:27279540

Flocculation and aggregation in a microgravity environment (FAME)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ansari, Rafat R.; Dhadwal, Harbans S.; Suh, Kwang I.

1994-01-01

An experiment to study flocculation phenomena in the constrained microgravity environment of a space shuttle or space station is described. The small size and light weight experiment easily fits in a Spacelab Glovebox. Using an integrated fiber optic dynamic light scattering (DLS) system we obtain high precision particle size measurements from dispersions of colloidal particles within seconds, needs no onboard optical alignment, no index matching fluid, and offers sample mixing and shear melting capabilities to study aggregation (flocculation and coagulation) phenomena under both quiescent and controlled agitation conditions. The experimental system can easily be adapted for other microgravity experiments requiring the use of DLS. Preliminary results of ground-based study are reported.

Interaction Forces and Aggregation Rates of Colloidal Latex Particles in the Presence of Monovalent Counterions.

PubMed

Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F Javier; Trefalt, Gregor; Oncsik, Tamas; Szilagyi, Istvan; Maroni, Plinio; Borkovec, Michal

2015-06-25

Force profiles and aggregation rates involving positively and negatively charged polystyrene latex particles are investigated in monovalent electrolyte solutions, whereby the counterions are varied within the Hofmeister series. The force measurements are carried out with the colloidal probe technique, which is based on the atomic force microscope (AFM), while the aggregation rates are measured with time-resolved multiangle light scattering. The interaction force profiles cannot be described by classical DLVO theory, but an additional attractive short-ranged force must be included. An exponential force profile with a decay length of about 0.5 nm is consistent with the measured forces. Furthermore, the Hamaker constants extracted from the measured force profiles are substantially smaller than the theoretical values calculated from dielectric spectra. The small surface roughness of the latex particles (below 1 nm) is probably responsible for this deviation. Based on the measured force profiles, the aggregation rates can be predicted without adjustable parameters. The measured absolute aggregation rates in the fast regime are somewhat lower than the calculated ones. The critical coagulation concentration (CCC) agrees well with the experiment, including the respective shifts of the CCC within the Hofmeister series. These shifts are particularly pronounced for the positively charged particles. However, the consideration of the additional attractive short-ranged force is essential to quantify these shifts correctly. In the slow regime, the calculated rates are substantially smaller than the experimental ones. This disagreement is probably related to surface charge heterogeneities.

1- and 2-particle Microrheology of Hyaluronic Acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagan, Austin; Kearns, Sarah; Ross, David; Das, Moumita; Thurston, George; Franklin, Scott

2015-03-01

Hyaluronic acid (also called HA or Hyaluronan) is a high molecular weight polysaccaride ubiquitous in the extracellular matrix of soft tissue such as cartilage, skin, the eye's vitreous gel and synovial fluid. It has been shown to play an important role in mechanotransduction, cell migration and proliferation, and in tissue morphodynamics. We present a confocal microrheology study of hyaluronic acid of varying concentrations. The mean squared displacement (MSD) of sub-micron colloidal tracer particles is tracked in two dimensions and shows a transition from diffusive motion at low concentrations to small-time trapping by the protein network as the concentration increases. Correlations between particle motion can be used to determine an effective mean-squared displacement which deviates from the single-particle MSD as the fluid becomes less homogeneous. The real and effective mean-squared displacements are used to probe the local and space-averaged frequency dependent rheological properties of the fluid as the concentration changes.

Anomalous dynamics of intruders in a crowded environment of mobile obstacles

PubMed Central

Sentjabrskaja, Tatjana; Zaccarelli, Emanuela; De Michele, Cristiano; Sciortino, Francesco; Tartaglia, Piero; Voigtmann, Thomas; Egelhaaf, Stefan U.; Laurati, Marco

2016-01-01

Many natural and industrial processes rely on constrained transport, such as proteins moving through cells, particles confined in nanocomposite materials or gels, individuals in highly dense collectives and vehicular traffic conditions. These are examples of motion through crowded environments, in which the host matrix may retain some glass-like dynamics. Here we investigate constrained transport in a colloidal model system, in which dilute small spheres move in a slowly rearranging, glassy matrix of large spheres. Using confocal differential dynamic microscopy and simulations, here we discover a critical size asymmetry, at which anomalous collective transport of the small particles appears, manifested as a logarithmic decay of the density autocorrelation functions. We demonstrate that the matrix mobility is central for the observed anomalous behaviour. These results, crucially depending on size-induced dynamic asymmetry, are of relevance for a wide range of phenomena ranging from glassy systems to cell biology. PMID:27041068

Gelation under shear

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butler, B.D.; Hanley, H.J.M.; Straty, G.C.

An experimental small angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of dense silica gels, prepared from suspensions of 24 nm colloidal silica particles at several volume fractions {theta} is discussed. Provided that {theta}{approx_lt}0.18, the scattered intensity at small wave vectors q increases as the gelation proceeds, and the structure factor S(q, t {yields} {infinity}) of the gel exhibits apparent power law behavior. Power law behavior is also observed, even for samples with {theta}>0.18, when the gel is formed under an applied shear. Shear also enhances the diffraction maximum corresponding to the inter-particle contact distance of the gel. Difficulties encountered when trying tomore » interpret SANS data from these dense systems are outlined. Results of computer simulations intended to mimic gel formation, including computations of S(q, t), are discussed. Comments on a method to extract a fractal dimension characterizing the gel are included.« less

Phase behavior of colloidal dimers and hydrodynamic instabilities in binary mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milinkovic, K.

2013-05-01

We use computer simulations to study colloidal suspensions comprised of either bidisperse spherical particles or monodisperse dimer particles. The two main simulation techniques employed are a hybrid between molecular dynamics and stochastic rotation dynamics (MD-SRD), and a Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm. MD-SRD allows us to take Brownian motion and hydrodynamic interactions into account, while we use MC simulations to study equilibrium phase behavior. The first part of this thesis is dedicated to studying the Rayleigh-Taylor-like hydrodynamic instabilities which form in binary colloidal mixtures. Configurations with initially inhomogeneous distributions of colloidal species let to sediment in confinement will undergo the instability, and here we have studied the formation, evolution and the structural organization of the colloids within the instability as a function of the properties of the binary mixture. We found that the distribution of the colloids within the instability does not depend significantly on the composition of the mixtures, but does depend greatly on the relative magnitudes of the particle Peclet numbers. To follow the time evolution of the instability formation we calculated the spatial colloid velocity correlation functions, observing alternating regions in which the particle sedimentation velocities are correlated and anticorrelated. These observations are consistent with the network-like structures which are characteristic for Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. We also calculated the growth rates of the unstable modes both from our simulation data and theoretically, finding good agreement between the obtained results. The second part of this thesis focuses on the phase behavior of monodisperse dimer systems. We first studied the phase behavior of hard snowman-shaped particles which consist of tangential hard spheres with different diameters. We used Monte Carlo simulations and free energy calculations to obtain the phase diagram as a function of the sphere diameter ratio, predicting stable isotropic fluid, plastic crystal and aperiodic crystalline phases. The crystalline phases found to be stable for a given diameter ratio at high densities correspond to the close packed structures of equimolar binary hard-sphere mixtures with the same diameter ratio. However, we also predict several crystal-crystal phase transitions, such that the best packed structures are stable at higher densities, while those with a higher degree of degeneracy are stable at lower densities. To explore the effects of degeneracy entropy on the phase behavior of dimer particles, we calculated the phase diagram of hard asymmetric dumbbells. These particles consist of two spheres with fixed diameters and varying center-to-center separation. We predicted stable isotropic fluid, plastic crystal, and periodic NaCl-based and both periodic and aperiodic CrB-based crystalline phases, and found that reducing the sphere separation results in the aperiodic crystalline phases of snowman-shaped particles becoming destabilized. Finally, we have also studied the phase behavior of dumbbell particles interacting with hard-core repulsive Yukawa potentials. We found that dumbbells with sufficiently long-ranged interactions crystallize spontaneously into plastic crystals in which the particle centers of mass are located on average on a BCC crystal lattice. The auto- and spatial orientational correlation functions reveal no significant hindrance of the particle rotations even for the shortest ranged interactions studied.

Interaction Heterogeneity can Favorably Impact Colloidal Crystal Nucleation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkins, Ian C.; Crocker, John C.; Sinno, Talid

2017-10-01

Colloidal particles with short-ranged attractions, e.g., micron-scale spheres functionalized with single-stranded DNA oligomers, are susceptible to becoming trapped in disordered configurations even when a crystalline arrangement is the ground state. Moreover, for reasons that are not well understood, seemingly minor variations in the particle formulation can lead to dramatic changes in the crystallization outcome. We demonstrate, using a combination of equilibrium and nonequilibrium computer simulations, that interaction heterogeneity—variations in the energetic interactions among different particle pairs in the population—may favorably impact crystal nucleation. Specifically, interaction heterogeneity is found to lower the free energy barrier to nucleation via the formation of clusters comprised preferentially of strong-binding particle pairs. Moreover, gelation is inhibited by "spreading out over time" the nucleation process, resulting in a reduced density of stable nuclei, allowing each to grow unhindered and larger. Our results suggest a simple and robust approach for enhancing colloidal crystallization near the "sticky sphere" limit, and support the notion that differing extents of interaction heterogeneity arising from various particle functionalization protocols may contribute to the otherwise unexplained variations in crystallization outcomes reported in the literature.