Equilibrium adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new theoretical framework combining density functional theory and thermodynamic perturbation theory to analyze how patchy colloids adsorb and self-assemble in microchannels, highlighting the effects of various parameters.

Contribution

It develops a novel theory integrating classical density functional and thermodynamic perturbation theories to describe patchy colloid behavior in confined microchannels.

Findings

Patchy colloids show enhanced, reversible adsorption controlled by temperature.

Bulk density, patch size, and channel diameter influence self-assembly.

The theory enables manipulation of colloid assembly in microfluidic environments.

Abstract

A new theory is developed to describe the equilibrium adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels. The adsorption theory is developed in classical density functional theory, with the adsorbed phase and fluid phase modeled using thermodynamic perturbation theory. In this work we propose that the introduction of patches on the colloids greatly enhances the temperature dependent and reversible adsorption of colloids in microchannels. It is shown how bulk fluid density, patch size, temperature and channel diameter can be manipulated to achieve the adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels.