Attraction between like-charged colloidal particles induced by a surface a density - functional analysis

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that non-linear effects in electrostatic interactions near charged surfaces can induce attraction between like-charged colloids, aligning well with experimental observations.

Contribution

It introduces a density-functional approach to account for non-linear corrections in colloidal interactions near charged walls, revealing an entropic attraction mechanism.

Findings

Non-linear corrections induce attractive forces between like-charged colloids.

Theoretical predictions match recent experimental data.

Entropic effects play a key role in colloidal attraction.

Abstract

We show that the first non-linear correction to the linearised Poisson-Boltzman n (or DLVO) theory of effective pair interactions between charge-stabilised, co lloidal particles near a charged wall leads to an attractive component of entro pic origin. The position and depth of the potential compare favourably with rec ent experimental measurements