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Colloid-polymer mixtures are subject of intensive research due to their wide range of applicability, for instance in coatings and food-stuffs. This thesis constitutes a fundamental investigation towards a better control over the stability of such suspensions. Through the chapters, different key parameters governing the stability of colloid-polymer mixtures are explored. How the colloid (pigment) shape and the effective polymer-colloid affinity modulate the stability of the suspension are examples of these key parameters. Despise the mostly theoretical results presented, the thesis is written in a format accessible to a broad scientific audience. Some of the equations of state presented might of direct use to experimentalists. Furthermore, new theoretical insights about colloid-polymer mixtures are put forward. These include four-phase coexistences in effective two-component, quantification of depletant partitioning at high colloidal concentrations, multiple re-entrant phase behaviour of the colloidal fluid-solid coexistence, and a condition where polymers are neither depleted nor adsorbed from/to the colloidal surface.
List of contents
Introduction.- Part 1: Spherical Colloids.- Tuning the Phase Diagram of Colloid-polymer Mixtures.- Depletion-driven Solid-solid Coexistence in Colloid-polymer Mixtures.- Unipletion in Colloid-polymer Mixtures.- Part 2: Anisotropic Hard Colloids.- Superballs Mixed with Non-Adsorbing Polymers.- Discotic Dispersions Mediated by Depletion.- Part 3: Spherical Association Colloids.- On the Colloidal Stability of Association Colloids.- Polymer-mediated Stability of Micellar Suspensions.
About the author
Álvaro is an open-minded researcher with extensive experience in developing and applying theoretical models in soft matter. During his master research project he focused on the glass state of anisotropic particles. He contributed to develop a new experimental technique to characterize soft matter during his internship. In his PhD, he studied equilibrium phase transitions of different colloid-polymer mixtures. He aims research to be accessible to people from different fields and backgrounds. With a multidisciplinary approach, his ambition is to contribute to academic research in the fields of Physical Chemistry and (bio) Physics.
