Figure 3
The evolution of the USAXS intensity in a short-range interacting colloidal system consisting of stearyl silica particles in n-dodecane upon cooling below TA. The data demonstrate the transition from repulsive hard spheres to attractive spheres and the subsequent formation of colloidal clusters. For better visibility, the absolute I(q) is multiplied by the factor indicated in the legend. The inset depicts schematically the transformation of the particles and the corresponding potential of interparticle interactions. |