Themed collection Colloidal interactions, dynamics and rheology

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

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

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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

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

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.