Time-resolved measurements of the cluster-size distributions arising in charge-heteroaggregation processes

Abstract

Charge-heteroaggregation processes arising in 1:1 mixtures of positively and negatively charged particles were studied at low and high electrolyte concentration. Single-cluster light scattering was employed to monitor and resolve the detailed cluster size distribution up to hexamers. The results obtained show that long-range electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged particles favour aggregation at low electrolyte concentration. Specially, dimers are formed from oppositely charged monomers at an increased rate which is almost twice the value found for pure diffusion-limited aggregation.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (I+D+I) project MAT 2003-08356-c04-01).