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Related Concept Videos

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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
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Stacking in sediments of colloidal hard spheres.

Matthieu Marechal1, Michiel Hermes, Marjolein Dijkstra

  • 1Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for NanoMaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. marechal@thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|July 27, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Slow sedimentation of hard spheres primarily forms face-centered cubic (fcc) crystals, not hexagonal close packed (hcp). This crystallization is driven by free energy differences, explaining experimental observations in colloidal systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Computational Science

Background:

  • Crystallization dynamics of sedimenting particles are crucial for understanding material formation.
  • The competition between face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close packed (hcp) crystal structures is a fundamental aspect of particle packing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the crystallization dynamics of sedimenting hard spheres using large-scale computer simulations.
  • To determine the dominant crystal structure formed under slow sedimentation conditions.
  • To elucidate the driving forces behind the observed crystal structure formation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized large-scale computer simulations involving hundreds of thousands of particles.
  • Analyzed the crystallization process under varying sedimentation rates.
  • Compared simulation results with well-equilibrated Monte Carlo simulations.

Main Results:

  • Slow sedimentation predominantly yields face-centered cubic (fcc) stacked crystals, rather than random hexagonal close packed or hexagonal close packed (hcp) structures.
  • Slanted stacking faults were observed in fcc regions, but attributed to free energy differences, not as the primary formation cause.
  • The ratio of fcc to hcp structures from dynamic simulations closely matched results from Monte Carlo simulations.

Conclusions:

  • The free energy difference between fcc and hcp, though small per particle, becomes significant in large systems and drives fcc formation.
  • Simulation findings align with experimental data showing increased fcc content with lower sedimentation rates or reduced volume fractions in colloidal systems.
  • The study clarifies the mechanisms governing crystal structure selection in sedimenting hard spheres.