Crystal-to-Crystal Transitions in Binary Mixtures of Soft Colloids
| Autor: | Maxime J. Bergman, Peter Schurtenberger, Joakim Stenhammar, J. J. Erik Maris, Jasper N. Immink |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Phase transition
Materials science crystal transitions colloidal particles General Physics and Astronomy FOS: Physical sciences 02 engineering and technology Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter soft colloids 010402 general chemistry 01 natural sciences Article law.invention Crystal Colloid law Microscopy General Materials Science binary colloidal crystals Crystallization General Engineering Colloidal crystal 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology phase transitions 0104 chemical sciences Chemical physics tunable materials Particle Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) Particle size 0210 nano-technology |
| Zdroj: | ACS Nano |
| Popis: | In this article, we demonstrate a method for inducing reversible crystal-to-crystal transitions in binary mixtures of soft colloidal particles. Through a controlled decrease of salinity and increasingly dominating electrostatic interactions, a single sample is shown to reversibly organize into entropic crystals, electrostatic attraction-dominated crystals, or aggregated gels, which we quantify using microscopy and image analysis. We furthermore analyze crystalline structures with bond order analysis to discern between two crystal phases. We observe the different phases using a sample holder geometry that allows both in situ salinity control and imaging through confocal laser scanning microscopy and apply a synthesis method producing particles with high resolvability in microscopy with control over particle size. The particle softness provides for an enhanced crystallization speed, while altering the re-entrant melting behavior as compared to hard sphere systems. This work thus provides several tools for use in the reproducible manufacture and analysis of binary colloidal crystals. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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