Micro-rheology on (polymer-grafted) colloids using optical tweezers

Long-distance axial trapping with focused annular laser beams

Focusing an annular laser beam can improve the axial trapping efficiency due to the reduction of the scattering force, which enables the use of a lower numerical aperture (NA) objective lens with a long working distance to trap particles in deeper aqueous medium. In this paper, we present an axicon-to-axicon scheme for producing parallel annular beams with the advantages of higher efficiency compared with the obstructed beam approach. The validity of the scheme is verified by the observation of a stable trapping of silica microspheres with relatively low NA microscope objective lenses (NA = 0.6 and 0.45), and the axial trapping depth of 5 mm is demonstrated in experiment.

Colloidal lattice shearing and rupturing with a driven line of particles

We examine the dynamics of two-dimensional colloidal systems using numerical simulations of a system with a drive applied to a thin region in the middle of the sample to produce a local shear. For a monodisperse colloidal assembly, we find a well-defined decoupling transition separating a regime of elastic motion from a plastic phase where the driven particles break away or decouple from the bulk particles and produce a shear band. For a bidisperse assembly, the onset of a bulk disordering transition coincides with the broadening of the shear band. We identify several distinct dynamical regimes that are correlated with features in the velocity-force curves. As a function of bidispersity, the decoupling force shows a nonmonotonic behavior associated with features in the noise fluctuations, power spectra, and bulk velocity profiles. When pinning is added in the bulk, we find that the shear band regions can become more localized, causing a decoupling of the driven particles from the bulk particles. For a system with thermal noise and no pinning, the shear band region becomes more extended and the average velocity of the driven particles drops at the thermal disordering transition of the bulk system.

Micro-macro discrepancies in nonlinear microrheology: II. Effect of probe shape

In this second article devoted to 'computational experiments' of nonlinear microrheology, we examine the effect that changing the probe shape or motion has upon the three sources of discrepancy that we previously examined for spheres. In particular, prolate ellipsoidal probes have relatively long regions of relatively constant strain rate, giving predominantly shear and relative Lagrangian steadiness. The micro-macro discrepancy is shown not to arise from Lagrangian unsteadiness, but largely from the non-viscometric nature of the flows. Second, an oblate ellipsoidal probe exacerbates the extensional regions in front of and behind the probe. However, the relatively low extensional rates around such 'disks' would require them to be pulled at much higher rates through the fluid in order to excite the extensional deformations. Because our model material thickens under uniaxial extension, but thins under biaxial extension, the contribution of each to the total drag is partially negated by the other. Finally, we examine a rotating spherical probe, which is Lagrangian steady and pure shear. We show that the apparent viscosity thus recovered is close to the true shear viscosity, and furthermore that the true shear viscosity can be extracted quantitatively from the apparent microviscosity.

Adsorption of Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes: from Interactions to Surface Patterning

Adsorption of colloidal particles constitutes an attractive route to tailor the properties of surfaces. However, for efficient material design full control over the particle-substrate interactions is required. We investigate the interaction of spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPB) with charged substrates based on adsorption studies and atomic force spectroscopy. The brush layer grafted from the colloidal particles allows a precise adjustment of their adsorption behavior by varying the concentration of added salt. We find a pronounced selectivity between oppositely and like-charged surfaces for ionic strengths up to 10 mM. Near the transition from the osmotic to the salted brush regime at approximately 100 mM attractive secondary interactions become dominant. In this regime SPB adsorb even to like-charged surfaces. To determine the adhesion energy of SPB on charged surfaces directly, we synthesize micrometer-sized SPB. These particles are used in colloidal probe AFM studies. Measurements on oppositely charged surfaces show high forces of adhesion for low ionic strengths that can be attributed to an entropy gain by counterion release. Transferring our observations to charge patterned substrates, we are able to direct the deposition of SPB into two-dimensional arrays. Considering that numerous chemical modifications have been reported for SPB, our studies could open exiting avenues for the production of functional materials with a hierarchical internal organization.