Engineering solid-like structures via an arrested spinodal decomposition

TL;DR

This paper investigates how to control the structure of solid-like materials formed by arrested spinodal decomposition in a protein-water system, revealing how initial conditions influence the network's mesh size.

Contribution

It demonstrates how the interplay of kinetics and dynamical arrest can be used to tune the structure of arrested spinodal decomposition in colloidal systems.

Findings

Arrested spinodal decomposition is driven by kinetics and dynamical arrest.

Initial concentration and quench conditions control mesh size.

Structural properties can be tailored through process parameters.

Abstract

The possibilities to tune the structure of solid like material resulting from arrested spinodal decomposition is investigated using a system composed of lysozyme, a globular protein, dispersed in a water solution as model system for colloids with short range attraction. It is shown that the resulting arrested spinodal decomposition is driven by the interplay between the early kinetics of the spinodal decomposition and the dynamical arrest. The initial concentration, the quench depth and speed from the fluid state to the arrested state enable to tailor the mesh size of the solid network of the arrested spinodal decomposition.