Analytical theory of polymer-network-mediated interaction between colloidal particles.

ABSTRACT: Nanostructured materials based on colloidal particles embedded in a polymer network are used in a variety of applications ranging from nanocomposite rubbers to organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Further, polymer-network-mediated colloidal interactions are highly relevant to biological studies whereby polymer hydrogels are commonly employed to probe the mechanical response of living cells, which can determine their biological function in physiological environments. The performance of nanomaterials crucially relies upon the spatial organization of the colloidal particles within the polymer network that depends, in turn, on the effective interactions between the particles in the medium. Existing models based on nonlocal equilibrium thermodynamics fail to clarify the nature of these interac

SUBMITTER: Di Michele L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3387059 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature