Entropically driven self–assembly and interaction in suspension

Abstract

In this paper we present fundamental studies elucidating the role of entropy in particle suspensions. We focus on systems composed of large colloidal particles along with a second, usually smaller species such as a particle or polymer. We describe direct measurements of these interactions in suspension, and we systematically show how these forces can be used to control the self–assembly of colloidal particles. The paper provides a unified review of the experiments from our laboratory, and in a few cases touches on very recent results.