We determined the phase boundaries of aqueous mixtures containing colloidal rod-like fd-viruses and polystyrene spheres using diffusing-wave spectroscopy compared results with free volume theory predictions. Excluded interactions in rods lead to mediated depletion interactions. The strength range this attractive interaction depend on concentrations particles, length L diameter D rods, radius R ...

In the midst of the second world war, Derjaguin and Landau in Russia and Verwey and Overbeek in The Netherlands arrived independently at a theory to explain the kinetic stability of colloidal dispersions. The celebrated DLVO theory combined two types of forceslong-ranged electrostatic repulsion and short-ranged van der Waals attractionto predict the rates at which nanoand microparticles aggre...

There are different theories concerning the stability of colloidal suspensions. Most of them arise from the well-known DLVO theory which relates colloidal stability to intermolecular forces between particles. Experimental corroboration of these theories has been obtained mainly by using different optical techniques that analyze changes in the optical properties of the solution while particles a...

SERS nanoprobes for in vivo biomedical applications require high quantum yield, long circulation times, and maximum colloidal stability. Traditional synthetic routes require high metal-dye affinities and are challenged by unfavorable electrostatic interactions and limited scalability. We report the synthesis of a new near-IR active poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (pHPMA). The integrati...

Ever since iron oxide nanoparticles have been recognized as promising scaffolds for biomedical applications, their surface functionalization has become even more important. We report the synthesis of a novel polyethylene glycol-based ligand that combines multiple advantageous properties for these applications. The ligand is covalently bound to the surface via a siloxane group, while its polyeth...