Disentangling kinetics from thermodynamics in heterogeneous colloidal systems.

Area of Science:

• Colloid and Interface Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Heterogeneous systems form via nucleation and growth, where thermodynamics dictates final states and kinetics governs formation rates.
• The interplay between thermodynamics and kinetics shapes the composition, structure, and properties of natural colloidal systems.
• Existing methods often intertwine kinetic and thermodynamic influences, limiting control over system evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally disentangle the roles of kinetics and thermodynamics in colloidal phase separation.
• To explore novel physical phenomena and structures arising from controlled decoupling.
• To demonstrate the on-demand fabrication of advanced multicomponent structured fluids.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing microfluidic devices for precise control over phase separation processes.
• Employing amyloids and nanocellulose filamentous colloids as model systems.
• Carefully selecting colloidal systems to isolate kinetic and thermodynamic effects.

Main Results:

• Achieved decoupling of kinetics from thermodynamics in colloidal phase separation.
• Observed significantly accelerated timescales (orders of magnitude shorter) for structure formation.
• Discovered a wider accessible phase diagram compared to conventional methods.
• Generated unique structures not achievable through standard liquid-liquid phase separation.

Conclusions:

• Decoupling kinetics and thermodynamics opens new avenues for understanding and controlling heterogeneous colloidal systems.
• This approach facilitates the on-demand fabrication of complex multicomponent heterogeneous liquid crystals.
• The findings introduce novel fundamental and technological directions in the field of structured fluids.