Phase Behaviour of Colloidal Rods Mixed with Depletants

AbstractSo far, we have considered the phase behaviour of colloidal spheres mixed with depletants. In Chap. 3, we considered the simplest type of depletant, the penetrable hard sphere (PHS). We then extended this treatment to ideal and excluded volume polymers in Chap. 4; and in Chap. 6, we considered small colloidal spheres (including micelles). Colloidal rods as depletants were addressed in Chap. 7; however, Chap. 7 only considered dilute dispersions of rods, in which the rods assume all configurations and are hence isotropic. In this chapter, we consider the phase behaviour of mixtures of colloidal rods and polymeric depletants, and we also account for higher rod concentrations and the corresponding phase states. Colloidal rods can be subdivided into synthetic inorganic rods, rod-like clay particles and biological rods (see also [1]). Examples are given in Fig. 8.1. Suspensions of rod-like particles exhibit interesting phase transitions and can assume various phase states.