Spontaneous Detachment of Colloids from Primary Energy Minima by Brownian Diffusion.

ABSTRACT: The Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) interaction energy profile has been frequently used to interpret the mechanisms controlling colloid attachment/detachment and aggregation/disaggregation behavior. This study highlighted a type of energy profile that is characterized by a shallow primary energy well (i.e., comparable to the average kinetic energy of a colloid) at a small separation distance and a monotonic decrease of interaction energy with separation distance beyond the primary energy well. This energy profile is present due to variations of height, curvature, and density of discrete physical heterogeneities on collector surfaces. The energy profile indicates that colloids can be spontaneously detached from the shallow primary energy well by Brownian diffusion. The spontaneous d

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4718715 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature