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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
Published on: July 18, 2014
Sedimentation in nano-colloidal dispersions: effects of collective interactions and particle charge
Sudaporn Vesaratchanon1, Alex Nikolov, Darsh T Wasan
1Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, United States.
Abstract:
This is a review paper summarizing the progress of the development of colloidal sedimentation models for monodisperse, bidisperse, and polydisperse nanoparticle dispersions. This topic is of considerable interest because the sedimentation behavior of nanoparticles plays an important role in many practical systems, such as industrial coatings, optical products, ceramics, paints, dyes, and cosmetics. The limitations of various models are discussed. Multi-particle systems are highlighted, with a focus on the collective thermodynamic interactions resulting in the attractive depletion and repulsive structural forces. The effects of the particle concentration, particle charge, polydispersity in size, and electrolyte concentration on the sedimentation process are briefly summarized. Our contributions to this subject are reviewed.
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