Depletion forces drive polymer-like self-assembly in vibrofluidized granular materials.

ABSTRACT: Ranging from nano- to granular-scales, control of particle assembly can be achieved by limiting the available free space, for example by increasing the concentration of particles ("crowding") or through their restriction to 2D environments. It is unclear, however, if self-assembly principles governing thermally-equilibrated molecules can also apply to mechanically-excited macroscopic particles in non-equilibrium steady-state. Here we show that low densities of vibrofluidized steel rods, when crowded by high densities of spheres and confined to quasi-2D planes, can self-assemble into linear polymer-like structures. Our 2D Monte Carlo simulations show similar finite sized aggregates in thermally equilibrated binary mixtures. Using theory and simulations, we demonstrate how depletion interact

SUBMITTER: Galanis J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3203952 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature