Themed collection Colloidal interactions, dynamics and rheology

Hybridization of a genus-1 handlebody and a solitonic structure in chiral nematic liquid crystals, induced by an electric field.

We present an experimental and theoretical framework to investigate Brownian particles in a cosine potential, focusing on a generalized intermediate scattering function that captures the full spatio-temporal dynamics.

We discuss the spatio-temporal correlations of stress fluctuations in viscoelastic fluids, including colloidal dispersions, polymer melts and glass-forming liquids.

Experimental measurements reveal repulsive interactions between fully membrane-wrapped spheres and inverse tube-like membrane deformations, while partially wrapped Janus particles exhibit attraction, illuminating membrane curvature-driven forces.

A new method which counts particles in increasingly larger virtual observation boxes can access collective diffusion coefficients of colloidal suspensions.

Confining fluids leads to inhomogeneous structural and dynamical properties. We investigate inhomogeneous diffusion and generalized scattering functions of colloidal fluids using confocal microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

Under optical illumination, colloidal particles assemble to form various structures that exhibit different propulsion modes owing to interparticle optothermal interactions.

Vast structural difference between regular solutions and microemulsions situated on the opposite sides of the tricritical point demonstrated by SANS.

The transport properties of a quasi-2D colloidal dispersion subjected to a light-induced sinusoidal potential are experimentally studied.

We reveal that stiffness and toughness can be independently tuned in hybrid double network hydrogels using experimental design approaches.

The dynamical properties of the local area available per particle and its relationship with the self-diffusion coefficient of colloids in quasi-2D colloidal dispersions are studied using video microscopy, supported by Brownian dynamics simulations.

AC fields drive reversible assembly of colloidal rods into 2D percolated networks. Tunable dipolar interactions control connectivity and pore size, enabling dynamic, reconfigurable soft materials with aligned microstructures.

Single-particle tracking photoactivated localization microscopy was used to explore lipid dynamics in colloid-supported lipid bilayers, highlighting the inherent heterogeneity in lipid mobilities and their implications for self-assembly applications.

Kovacs-like memory effect in a sheared colloidal glass.

We investigate the force–DFT approach to inhomogeneous fluids and present results for a confined two-dimensional fluid.

The diffusiophoretic convective instability in a colloidal suspension can be tamed by changing the spatial distribution of the colloidal particles.

The HF crossover frequency, obtained from rheology (a), reflecting the extent of in-cage particle motion, exhibits two exponential regimes in accord with (b) non-linear Langevin theory with modified Verlet approximation predictions.

Here, we characterize the low temperature equilibrium phase of the DDAB/water system (>3 wt%) as a crystalline dispersion, determine the position and shape of the Krafft eutectic and present an amended broad equilibrium phase diagram.

Ostwald ripening of crystalline and amorphous nanoparticle dispersions of a model organic compound are compared.

We investigate path-wise observables in experiments on driven colloids in a periodic light field to dissect selected intricate transport features, kinetics, and transition-path time statistics out of thermodynamic equilibrium.

We report the tetratic phase as an intermediate phase between an isotropic fluid and a square crystal composed of micrometer sized squares in two dimensions. The squares are manufactured by direct laser writing in a photoresist.

The adsorption kinetics of clay nanoplatelets on an optically trapped microsphere is driven by non-electrostatic dispersion and electrostatic interactions.

Urea modulates protein–protein interactions by reducing net attractions, a trend captured by DLVO theory, with implications for protein crystallization and LLPS.

Protein force liability leads to dynamic change in building block shape, i.e. unfolding or changes in folded shape, resulting in a three-phase assembly process.

We investigate the effect of varying the initiator addition time on the resulting structure of colloidal microgels.

In this work, a theoretical approach is developed to investigate the structural properties of ionic microgels induced by a circularly polarized (CP) electric field.

We propose optical flow microrheology (OFM), a novel tracking-free approach to probe the rheology of soft materials.

Dynamic properties of γ_B-crystallin are incompatible with a colloid model for attractive ellipsoids that reproduces static data and phase diagrams.

The internal structure of PNIPAM–PEGMA copolymer microgels is linked to the single particle bulk modulus and the inter-particle interactions, determining the structural organization and rheology in dense states.

Can isotropic active colloids self-propel in a Carreau fluid? The present study answers this question. Beyond a certain critical particle size, spontaneous motion is observed in such a fluid.

Langevin dynamics simulations reveal that quasi-2D Brownian particles with competitive short-range attractive and long-range repulsive interactions exhibit hexagonal ordering and double-stranded cluster morphologies as temperature and density vary.

We report the ensemble-averaged and pairing-specific network microstructure formed by short-range depletion attractions in bidisperse hard sphere-like colloidal systems.

Critical points of an anisotropic, coarse-grained protein model are used to detemine an “effective patchiness” by comparison to the Kern–Frenkel patchy model.

Hollow microgels can suppress the formation of colloidal crystals at low size polydispersity due to their high deformability and capacity to buckle.

We present colloidal particles with freely selectable properties by external programming via a feedback loop. Here, the feedback potential depends on the past particle position(s) resulting in self-propulsion and self-organization into crystals.

We study the influence of core–shell morphology on the structural characteristics of nanogels.

Curvature in a microfluidic channel can be used to induce and enhance the propulsion of magnetically driven microscopic rotors.

Altering solvent-mediated effective interaction between silica nanoparticles in water through polymer grafting.

Bond kinetics and network restructuring in gels control their yield transition and thixotropic recovery.