Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 34: Colloids and Complex Liquids II

CPP 34.3: Talk

Thursday, March 29, 2012, 15:45–16:00, C 130

Fluid-mediated gelation of hard spheres — •Andrea Fortini — Theoretische Physik II, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany

We propose a minimal model for the description of the fluid-mediated gelation of purely repulsive colloidal particles described in recent experimental work [Koos, E. and Willenbacher, N. (2011). Science, 331, p.897]. We find that the addition of non-wetting fluid droplets to a suspension of pure hard spheres can lead to the formation of clusters that can eventually percolate and form a gel. We show with Brownian dynamics computer simulations of a binary mixture of colloids and droplets that gelation is due to a percolation transition compatible with diffusion limited cluster aggregation and that the dynamical and mechanical properties are those of a gel of colloidal particles.