Crystallization kinetics of colloidal model suspensions: recent achievements and new perspectives

Abstract

Colloidal model systems allow studying crystallization kinetics under fairly ideal conditions with rather well characterized pair interactions and minimized external influences. In complementary approaches therefore experiment, analytic theory and simulation have been employed to study colloidal solidification in great detail. These studies were based on advanced optical methods, careful system characterization and sophisticated numerical methods. Both the effects of the type, strength and range of the pair-interaction between the colloidal particles and those of the colloid-specific polydispersity were addressed in a quantitative way. Key parameters of crystallization were derived and compared to those of metal systems. These systematic investigations significantly contributed to an enhanced understanding of the crystallization processes in general. Further, new fundamental questions have arisen and (partially) been solved over the last decade including e.g. a two step nucleation mechanism in homogeneous nucleation, choice of the crystallization pathway or the subtle interplay of boundary conditions in heterogeneous nucleation. On the other side, via the application of both gradients and external fields the competition between different nucleation and growth modes can be controlled and the resulting micro-structure be influenced. The present review attempts an account of the interesting developments occurred since the turn of the millennium and an identification of important novel trends with particular focus on experimental aspects.

23 pages; 2 figures, 394 references, submitted to J. Phys.: Condensed Matter on April 2. 2014

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• Direct measurement of three-body interactions
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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Crystal Nucleation in Liquids: Open Questions and Future Challenges in Molecular Dynamics Simulations
• Crystal nucleation as the ordering of multiple order parameters
• Crystallization seeds favour crystallization only during initial growth
• Finite size effects on liquid-solid phase coexistence and the estimation of crystal nucleation barriers
• Free Energy Barriers for Crystal Nucleation from Fluid Phases
• Non-monotonic effect of confinement on the glass transition
• Low-temperature crystal structures of the hard core square shoulder model
• Microstructural diversity, nucleation paths and phase behaviour in binary mixtures of charged colloidal spheres
• Even strong energy polydispersity does not affect the average structure and dynamics of simple liquids
• Characterization and Optimization of Fluorescent Organosilica Colloids for 3D Confocal Microscopy Prepared Under 'Zero-Flow'
• Crystal Nucleation Kinetics and Mechanism: Influence of Interaction Potential