arXiv subjects

L. Harnau

Publications and source records attributed to L. Harnau.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Effective Interaction of Charged Platelets in Aqueous Solution: Investigations of Colloid Laponite Suspensions by Static Light Scattering and Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

We study dilute aqueous solutions of charged disk-like mineral particles (Laponite) by a combination of static light scattering (SLS) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Laponite solutions are known to form gels above a certain critical concentration that must be described as non-equilibrium states. Here we focus on the investigation by SLS and SAXS at concentrations below gelation (c < 0.016 g/L) and at low concentrations of added salt (0.001 and 0.005 mM). Thus, we have obtained the scattering function of single Laponite platelets as well as the structure factor describing their interaction at finite concentration. A detailed analysis of the combined sets of data proves that the solutions are in a well-defined equilibrium state. Moreover, this analysis demonstrates the internal consistency and accuracy of the scattering functions obtained at finite concentrations. We find that Laponite particles interact through an effective pair potential that is attractive on short range but repulsive on longer range. This finding demonstrates that Laponite solutions exhibit only a limited stability at the concentration of added salt used herein. Raising the ionic strength to 0.005 mM already leads to slow flocculation as is evidenced from the enhanced scattering intensity at smallest scattering angles. All data strongly suggest that the gelation occurring at higher concentration is related to aggregation.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2005

Phase behavior of a nematic liquid crystal in contact with a chemically and geometrically structured substrate

A nematic liquid crystal in contact with a grating surface possessing an alternating stripe pattern of locally homeotropic and planar anchoring is studied within the Frank--Oseen model. The combination of both chemical and geometrical surface pattern leads to rich phase diagrams, involving a homeotropic, a planar, and a tilted nematic texture. The effect of the groove depth and the anchoring strengths on the location and the order of phase transitions between different nematic textures is studied. A zenithally bistable nematic device is investigated by confining a nematic liquid crystal between the patterned grating surface and a flat substrate with strong homeotropic anchoring.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2004

Bulk and wetting phenomena in a colloidal mixture of hard spheres and platelets

Density functional theory is used to study binary colloidal fluids consisting of hard spheres and thin platelets in their bulk and near a planar hard wall. This system exhibits liquid-liquid coexistence of a phase that is rich in spheres (poor in platelets) and a phase that is poor in spheres (rich in platelets). For the mixture near a planar hard wall, we find that the phase rich in spheres wets the wall completely upon approaching the liquid demixing binodal from the sphere-poor phase, provided the concentration of the platelets is smaller than a threshold value which marks a first-order wetting transition at coexistence. No layering transitions are found in contrast to recent studies on binary mixtures of spheres and non-adsorbing polymers or thin hard rods.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2004

Colloidal hard-rod fluids near geometrically structured substrates

Density functional theory is used to study colloidal hard-rod fluids near an individual right-angled wedge or edge as well as near a hard wall which is periodically patterned with rectangular barriers. The Zwanzig model, in which the orientations of the rods are restricted to three orthogonal orientations but their positions can vary continuously, is analyzed by numerical minimization of the grand potential. Density and orientational order profiles, excess adsorptions, as well as surface and line tensions are determined. The calculations exhibit an enrichment [depletion] of rods lying parallel and close to the corner of the wedge [edge]. For the fluid near the geometrically patterned wall, complete wetting of the wall -- isotropic liquid interface by a nematic film occurs as a two-stage process in which first the nematic phase fills the space between the barriers until an almost planar isotropic -- nematic liquid interface has formed separating the higher-density nematic fluid in the space between the barriers from the lower-density isotropic bulk fluid. In the second stage a nematic film of diverging film thickness develops upon approaching bulk isotropic -- nematic coexistence.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2004

Depletion potential in colloidal mixtures of hard spheres and platelets

The depletion potential between two hard spheres in a solvent of thin hard disclike platelets is investigated by using either the Derjaguin approximation or density functional theory. Particular attention is paid to the density dependence of the depletion potential. A second-order virial approximation is applied, which yields nearly exact results for the bulk properties of the hard-platelet fluid at densities two times smaller than the density of the isotropic fluid at isotropic-nematic phase coexistence. As the platelet density increases, the attractive primary minimum of the depletion potential deepens and an additional small repulsive barrier at larger sphere separations develops. Upon decreasing the ratio of the radius of the spheres and the platelets, the primary minimum diminishes and the position of the small repulsive barrier shifts to smaller values of the sphere separation.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2003

Bulk and interfacial properties of binary hard-platelet fluids

Interfaces between demixed fluid phases of binary mixtures of hard platelets are investigated using density-functional theory. The corresponding excess free energy functional is calculated within a fundamental measure theory adapted to the Zwanzig model, in which the orientations of the particles of rectangular shape are restricted to three orthogonal orientations. Density and orientational order parameter profiles at interfaces between coexisting phases as well as the interfacial tension are determined. A density inversion, oscillatory density profiles, and a Fisher-Widom line have been found in a mixture of large thin and small thick platelets. The lowest interfacial tension corresponds to the mean bulk orientation of the platelets being parallel to the interface. For a mixture of large and small thin platelets, complete wetting of an isotropic-nematic interface by a second nematic phase is found.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2002

Thermodynamics and phase behavior of the lamellar Zwanzig model

Binary mixtures of lamellar colloids represented by hard platelets are studied within a generalization of the Zwanzig model for rods, whereby the square cuboids can take only three orientations along the $x$, $y$ or $z$ axes. The free energy is calculated within Rosenfeld's ''Fundamental Measure Theory'' (FMT) adapted to the present model. In the one-component limit, the model exhibits the expected isotropic to nematic phase transition, which narrows as the aspect ratio $ζ=L/D$ ($D$ is the width and $L$ the thickness of the platelets) increases. In the binary case the competition between nematic ordering and depletion-induced segregation leads to rich phase behaviour.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2002

Wetting and capillary nematization of binary hard-platelet and hard-rod fluids

Density-functional theory is used to investigate the phase behavior of colloidal binary hard-platelet and hard-rod fluids near a single hard wall or confined in a slit pore. The Zwanzig model, in which the orientations of the particles of rectangular shape are restricted to three orthogonal orientations, is analyzed by numerical minimization of the grand potential functional. The density and orientational profiles as well as the surface contributions to the grand potential are determined. The calculations exhibit a wall-induced continuous surface transition from uniaxial to biaxial symmetry for the hard-rod fluid. Complete wetting of the wall -- isotropic liquid interface by a biaxial nematic film for rods and a uniaxial nematic film for platelets is found. For the fluids confined by two parallel hard walls we determine a first-order capillary nematization transition for large slit widths, which terminates in a capillary critical point upon decreasing the slit width.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2002

Colloid aggregation induced by oppositely charged polyions

The "polymer reference interaction site model" (PRISM) integral equation formalism is used to determine the pair structure of binary colloidal dispersions involving large and small polyions of opposite charge. Two examples of such bidisperse suspensions are considered in detail, namely mixtures of charged spherical colloids and oppositely charged polyelectrolyte chains, and binary mixtures of oppositely charged large and small clay platelets. In both cases clear evidence is found for aggregation of the larger particles induced by the polyionic counterions, signalled by a strong enhancement of long wavelength concentration fluctuations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2001

Fluids of platelike particles near a hard wall

Fluids consisting of hard platelike particles near a hard wall are investigated using density functional theory. The density and orientational profiles as well as the surface tension and the excess coverage are determined and compared with those of a fluid of rodlike particles. Even for low densities slight orientational packing effects are found for the platelet fluid due to larger intermolecular interactions between platelets as compared with those between rods. A net depletion of platelets near the wall is exhibited by the excess coverage, whereas a change of sign of the excess coverage of hard-rod fluids is found upon increasing the bulk density.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗