Original scientific paper

Theory of the Formation of Colloidal Crystals

Mirko Mirnik ; Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 41001 Zagreb, P. O. B. 163, Croatia

Abstract

Latex polymer colloidal »crystals« were photographed microscopically by N. Ise, H. Matsuoka, K. Ito, and H. Yoshida, Faraday Discuss. Chem. Soc. 90 (1990) 153, as apparent hexagonal lattices of one particle surrounded symmetrically with six others. The apparent hexagonal lattice cannot exist in reality, as supposed by the authors, because the vertical distance between the planes is not defined. A cubic lattice is described in the present paper which can explain the colloidal latex »crystals«. Experimentally, the »crys- tals« were formed after elimination of electrolytes with ionexchangers. The unavoidable quantity of the (1-1) electrolyte remaining after purification is made responsible for the »inhomogeneity« of the system, i.e., for the separation of the system into the ordered, »crystal«, and the »disordered« parts. The latex crystals are considered to be a realization of the model of »quasi« crystals published by M. Mirnik, and K. Kvastek , A Lattice Model for the Debye-Hückel Electrolytes, Croat. Chem. Acta 50 (1977) 321.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

137052

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/137052

Publication date:

1.3.1994.

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