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Updated: May 26, 2026

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry
Published on: January 9, 2014
Spontaneous formation of stable capillary bridges for firming compact colloidal microstructures in phase separating
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States.
Abstract:
Computer modeling and simulations are performed to investigate capillary bridges spontaneously formed between closely packed colloidal particles in phase separating liquids. The simulations reveal a self-stabilization mechanism that operates through diffusive equilibrium of two-phase liquid morphologies. Such mechanism renders desired microstructural stability and uniformity to the capillary bridges that are spontaneously formed during liquid solution phase separation. This self-stabilization behavior is in contrast to conventional coarsening processes during phase separation. The volume fraction limit of the separated liquid phases as well as the adhesion strength and thermodynamic stability of the capillary bridges are discussed. Capillary bridge formations in various compact colloid assemblies are considered. The study sheds light on a promising route to in situ (in-liquid) firming of fragile colloidal crystals and other compact colloidal microstructures via capillary bridges.
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