Recent Advances in the Theory and Simulation of Model Colloidal Microphase Formers

TL;DR

This review summarizes recent theoretical and simulation progress in understanding the equilibrium behavior and microphase formation in colloidal models with SALR interactions, highlighting challenges and future directions.

Contribution

It provides an integrated overview of recent advances in modeling and simulation of SALR systems, emphasizing new insights into microphase stability and phenomenology.

Findings

Progress in liquid-state and density-functional theories for SALR microphases

Identification of hurdles to experimental microphase assembly

Presentation of ongoing research directions in SALR thermodynamics

Abstract

This mini-review synthesizes our understanding of the equilibrium behavior of particle models with short-range attractive and long-range repulsive (SALR) interactions. These models, which can form stable periodic microphases, aim to reproduce the essence of colloidal suspensions with competing interactions. Ordered structures, however, have yet to be obtained in experiments. In order to better understand the hurdles to periodic microphase assembly, marked theoretical and simulation advances have been made over the last few years. Here, we present recent progress in the study of microphases in models with SALR interactions using liquid-state theory and density-functional theory as well as numerical simulations. Combining these various approaches provides a description of periodic microphases, and give insights into the rich phenomenology of the surrounding disordered regime. Three additional ongoing research directions in the thermodynamics of models with SALR interactions are also presented.