Can the isotropic-smectic transition of colloidal hard rods occur via nucleation and growth?

Alejandro Cuetos; Eduardo Sanz; Marjolein Dijkstra

doi:10.1039/B901594A

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Can the isotropic-smectic transition of colloidal hard rods occur via nucleation and growth?

Alejandro Cuetos , Eduardo Sanz and Marjolein Dijkstra

Faraday Discuss., 2010, 144, 253-269

DOI: 10.1039/B901594A
Received 28 Jan 2009, Accepted 27 Feb 2009
First published on the web 21 Aug 2009
This article is part of the collection: Multiscale Modelling of Soft Matter

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Abstract
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We investigate the isotropic-to-smectic transformation in a fluid of colloidal hard rods using computer simulations. At high supersaturation, we observe spinodal decomposition: many small clusters are formed at the initial stage of the phase transformation, which form a percolating network that eventually transforms into a stable bulk smectic phase. At low supersaturation, we find that nucleation and growth of the smectic phase is hampered by the pre-smectic ordering in the supersaturated isotropic fluid phase. As the system evolves mainly via cooperative motion of these smectic domains, the diffusion and attachment of single particles to the nucleation site is largely hindered.

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Can the isotropic-smectic transition of colloidal hard rods occur via nucleation and growth?

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