Despite progress in the understanding of crystal nucleation and crystal growth since the first theories for nucleation were developed, an exact quantitative prediction of the nucleation rates in most systems has remained an unsolved problem. Colloidal suspensions show a phase behavior that is analogous to atomic or molecular systems and serve accordingly as ideal model systems for studying crystal nucleation with an accuracy and depth on a microscopic scale that is hard to reach for atomic or molecular systems. Due to the mesoscopic size of colloidal particles they can be studied in detail on the single-particle level and their dynamics is strongly slowed down in comparison with atomic or molecular systems, such that the formation of a crystal nucleus can be followed in detail. In this review, recent progress in the study of homogeneous and heterogeneous crystal nucleation in colloids and the controlled growth of crystalline colloidal structures is reviewed. All this work has resulted in unprecedented insights into the early stage of nucleation and it is also relevant for a deeper understanding of soft matter materials in general as well as for possible applications based on colloidal suspensions.
Crystallization in three- and two-dimensional colloidal suspensions
Published 2009 in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2009
- Venue
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
- Publication date
2009-04-08
- Fields of study
Chemistry, Medicine, Materials Science, Physics
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- colloidal suspensions
Mesoscopic particle suspensions whose phase behavior and crystallization dynamics are analogous to atomic or molecular systems.
Aliases: colloids
- crystalline colloidal structures
Ordered crystal-like arrangements formed by colloidal particles through controlled growth processes.
- crystal nucleation
The initial formation of a crystal nucleus from a liquid or disordered phase, studied here in colloidal model systems.
Aliases: nucleation
- early stage of nucleation
The initial phase of crystal nucleus formation that can be followed in real time in colloidal systems.
- heterogeneous nucleation
Crystal nucleation that occurs at interfaces or impurities within a colloidal suspension.
- homogeneous nucleation
Crystal nucleation occurring uniformly throughout the bulk of a supersaturated colloidal suspension without preferential sites.
- phase behavior
The thermodynamic phases and transitions exhibited by a system, here shown to be analogous between colloids and atomic/molecular systems.