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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 21, 2014
Phase equilibria in solutions of platelike particles: systems with steric and dispersive interactions between the
Dagmara Sokolowska1, Jozef K Moscicki
1Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
Abstract:
Our statistical thermodynamics model of solution of stiff, platelike, biaxial particles interacting solely via repulsion on contact (athermal limit) [Phys. Rev. E 62, 5011 (2000)] is extended to incorporate dispersion interactions between the particles. Dispersion forces between anisotropic particles are accounted for using the Imura-Okano approach. Numerical calculations specialized to solutions of either rods or disks show that besides the isotropic-nematic biphasic coexistence range, inclusion of attractive forces resulted in the appearance of nematic-nematic coexistence in both, disks and rods, solutions. The critical divergence of the difference between the order parameters and concentrations of the two nematics is observed while approaching the critical temperature. The minimum aspect ratio of rods or disks for the formation of the nematic phase is also discussed.
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