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Related Concept Videos

Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
The Colloidal State01:29

The Colloidal State

The formation of a colloidal system is exemplified by an aqueous solution containing Cl− ions is introduced to another containing Ag+ ions, resulting in the precipitation of solid AgCl as extremely tiny crystals. Instead of settling out as a filterable precipitate, these crystals remain suspended in the liquid, showcasing a colloidal system.A colloidal system involves colloidal particles within the approximate range of 1 to 1000 nm in at least one dimension, dispersed in a medium called the...
Colloids03:22

Colloids

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
Coagulation01:06

Coagulation

Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
Colloids and Suspensions01:17

Colloids and Suspensions

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...
Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube01:18

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.

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A Microfluidic Device for Quantifying Bacterial Chemotaxis in Stable Concentration Gradients
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Colloidal attraction induced by a temperature gradient.

R Di Leonardo1, F Ianni, G Ruocco

  • 1CNR-INFM, CRS-SOFT c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá di Roma La Sapienza, Roma, Italy. roberto.dileonardo@phys.uniforma1.it

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|March 7, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered a new way to create colloidal crystals using thermal gradients. This method allows for rapid, reversible formation of stable 2D crystals, overcoming the rarity of attractive forces in colloidal systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Colloid and Interface Science
  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Colloidal crystals are crucial for research and statistical mechanics.
  • Spontaneous assembly of mesoscopic ordered structures requires long-range attractive interactions.
  • Such attractive forces are uncommon in colloidal systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a novel method for inducing strong, long-ranged attraction in colloidal systems.
  • To demonstrate the rapid and reversible formation of stable 2D hexagonal crystals.
  • To investigate the underlying mechanism of the induced attraction.

Main Methods:

  • Applying a thermal gradient in the presence of a wall to induce particle attraction.
  • Utilizing optical tweezers to directly measure the interparticle force law.
  • Comparing experimental force measurements with analytical predictions based on fluid dynamics.

Main Results:

  • A novel, strong, long-ranged attraction was successfully induced by a thermal gradient.
  • Stable hexagonal 2D colloidal crystals were formed rapidly and reversibly.
  • The attraction was identified as hydrodynamic, stemming from thermally induced slip flow.

Conclusions:

  • Thermal gradients can be effectively used to control colloidal crystal assembly.
  • The discovered hydrodynamic attraction provides a new mechanism for ordering colloidal particles.
  • This work offers a new tool for creating ordered colloidal structures for various applications.