Double Layers and Interparticle Forces in Colloid Science and Biology: Analytic Results for the Effect of Ionic Dispersion Forces

Abstract

We study analytically two of the central problems of colloid science: the structure of the double layer surrounding a charged particle and the forces between two such particles. Traditionally, these have been understood using a combination of electrostatic forces acting on the ions and the entropy of the same ions. Here we derive explicit formulas showing how the often dominant dispersion forces between ions and the surfaces can dramatically change the structure of the double layer and the forces.