Xiao Chang-Ming

A Monte Carlo Study of Influences on Depletion Force from Another Large Sphere in Colloidal Suspensions

According to the acceptance ratio method, the influences on the depletion interactions between a large sphere and a plate from another closely placed large sphere are studied by Monte Carlo simulation. The numerical results show that both the depletion potential and depletion force are affected by the presence of the closely placed large sphere; the closer the large sphere are placed to them, the larger the influence will be. Furthermore, the influences on the depletion interactions from another large sphere are more sensitive to the angle than to the distance.

Coupling effects of depletion interactions in a three-sphere colloidal system

In a three-sphere system, the middle sphere is acted upon by two opposite depletion forces from the other two spheres. It is found that, in this system, the two depletion forces are coupled with each other and result in a strengthened depletion force. So the difference of the depletion forces of the three-sphere system and its corresponding two two-sphere systems is introduced to describe the coupling effect of the depletion interactions. The numerical results obtained by Monte-Carlo simulations show that this coupling effect is affected by both the concentration of small spheres and the geometrical confinement. Meanwhile, it is also found that the mechanisms of the coupling effect and the effect on the depletion force from the geometry factor are the same.

Depletion interactions in a cylindric pipeline

In a colloidal system confined by a small cylindric pipeline, the depletion interaction between two large spheres is different to the system confined by two plates, and the influence on depletion interaction from the pipeline is related to both the size and shape of it. In this paper, the depletion interactions in the systems confined by pipelines of different sizes or different shapes are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The numerical results show that the influence on depletion force from the cylindric pipeline is stronger than that from two parallel plates, and the depletion force will be strengthened when the diameter of the cylinder is decreased. In addition, we also find that the depletion interaction is rather affected if the shape change of the pipeline is slightly changed, and the influence on depletion force from the shape change is stronger than that from the size change.

Effects of electrostatic interactions and geometrical confinements on depletion interactions in charged colloidal system

In a charged colloidal system, the influence on depletion interaction between two like-charged macro-ions is studied through Monte Carlo simulation in this paper. The numerical results show that this depletion force is affected by both the electrostatic interactions between charged spheres and charged plates and by the geometrical factor of the two charged plates, and they further indicate that the influence of geometrical confinement on the depletion interaction is larger than that of electrostatic potential.

Grand Canonical Ensemble Monte Carlo Simulation of Depletion Interactions in Colloidal Suspensions

Depletion interactions in colloidal suspensions confined between two parallel plates are investigated by using acceptance ratio method with grand canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulation. The numerical results show that both the depletion potential and depletion force are affected by the confinement from the two parallel plates. Furthermore, it is found that in the grand canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulation, the depletion interactions are strongly affected by the generalized chemical potential.

Depletion Interactions in a Cylindric Pipeline with a Small Shape Change

Stressed by external forces, it is possible for a cylindric pipeline to change into an elliptic pipeline. To expose the effect of small shape change of the pipeline on the depletion interactions, both the depletion potentials and depletion forces in the hard sphere systems confined by a cylindric pipeline or by an elliptic pipeline are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The numerical results show that the depletion interactions are strongly affected by the small change of the shape of the pipeline in a way. Furthermore, it is also found that the depletion interactions will be strengthened if the short axis of the elliptic pipeline is decreased.

Effects of unsymmetrical geometric confinements on depletion interactions in colloidal suspensions

The depletion interactions between two large-spheres immersed in a fluid of small spheres under unsymmetrical geometrical confinement are studied through the acceptance ratio method. The numerical results show that no matter whether the volume fraction is large or small, both the depletion potential and depletion force are affected by the presence of the two plates; the closer the two large spheres are to the plate, the larger the effects of the unsymmetrical confinements.

Effect of Geometrical Confinement on Depletion Interactions in Colloidal Suspensions

The depletion effect between two big hard spheres in a sea of small spheres under a geometrical confinement is studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The numerical results show that both the depletion potential and depletion force are sensitive to the geometrical confinements.