Langmuir, Vol.12, No.23, 5588-5594, 1996
Exact Evaluation of the Salt Concentration-Dependence of Interparticle Distance in Colloidal Crystals by Ultra-Small-Angle X-Ray-Scattering .2. The Universality of the Maximum in the Interparticle Distance Salt Concentration Relationship
We have investigated the salt concentration dependence of the interparticle distance in colloidal crystals in dispersion by the ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) technique. USAXS gives us the internal, global, and general information for the structure of colloidal crystals. The nearest neighbor interparticle distance (2D(exp)) increased at low salt concentration with increasing ionic strength in the dispersion. After passing through a maximum, 2D(exp) decreased. The maximum value of 2D(exp) was nearly equal to the calculated distance (2D(0)), assuming uniform distribution of the particles in the dispersion. This quite unique tendency, which we reported in our previous letter (Langmuir 1994, 10, 4423), was found to be universal bg systematic USAXS experiments for various kinds of latices which were different in size and charged state. The salt concentration at the maximum of the 2D(exp) vs [salt] profile was different for each latex particle, but it was found that this position is scaled by kappa alpha (kappa(-1), Debye length; alpha, particle radius) : the condition of kappa alpha = 1,3 is the maximum point for all latices studied. The theories proposed for colloidal interaction to date cannot explain this curious phenomenon These observations by USAXS seem to be predicting some possibility of transition in structure and in interaction at this maximum position.
Keywords:HIGHLY-CHARGED PLATES;CUBIC LATTICE SYSTEMS;HELMHOLTZ FREE-ENERGY;PARACRYSTALLINE DISTORTION;ELASTIC-SCATTERING;LATEX DISPERSIONS;ORDERED STRUCTURE;IONIC-STRENGTH;ELECTROLYTE;SUSPENSIONS