Sticky surface: sphere-sphere adhesion dynamics

We present a multi-scale model to study the attachment of spherical particles with a rigid core, coated with binding ligands and suspended in the surrounding, quiescent fluid medium. This class of fluid-immersed adhesion is widespread in many natural and engineering settings, particularly in microbial surface adhesion. Our theory highlights how the micro-scale binding kinetics of these ligands, as well as the attractive/repulsive surface potential in an ionic medium affects the eventual macro-scale size distribution of the particle aggregates (flocs). The bridge between the micro-macro model is made via an aggregation kernel. Results suggest that the presence of elastic ligands on the particle surface lead to the formation of larger floc aggregates via efficient inter-floc collisions (i.e. non-zero sticking probability, g). Strong electrolytic composition of the surrounding fluid favours large floc formation as well. The kernel for the Brownian diffusion for hard spheres is recovered in the limit of perfect binding effectiveness (g→1) and in a neutral solution with no dissolved salts.