Communications: Complete description of re-entrant phase behavior in a charge variable colloidal model system

摘要

In titration experiments with NaOH, we have determined the full phase diagram of charged colloidal spheres in dependence on the particle density n, the particle effective charge Z_(eff) and the concentration of screening electrolyte c using microscopy, light and ultrasmall angle x-ray scattering (USAXS). For sufficiently large n, the system crystallizes upon increasing Z_(eff) at constant c and melts upon increasing c at only slightly altered Z_(eff). In contrast to earlier work, equilibrium phase boundaries are consistent with a universal melting line prediction from computer simulation, if the elasticity effective charge is used. This charge accounts for both counterion condensation and many-body effects.