Selective Vapor Condensation for the Synthesis and Assembly of Spherical Colloids with a Precise Rough Patch.

Patchy particles occupy an increasingly important space in soft matter research due to their ability to assemble into intricate phases and states. Being able to fine-tune the interactions among these particles is essential to understanding the principles governing the self-assembly processes. However, current fabrication techniques often yield patches that deviate chemically and physically from the native particles, impeding the identification of the driving forces behind self-assembly.

Magnetic Control of Nonmagnetic Living Organisms.

Living organisms inspire the design of microrobots, but their functionality is unmatched. Next-generation microrobots aim to leverage the sensing and communication abilities of organisms through magnetic hybridization, attaching magnetic particles to them for external control. However, the protocols used for magnetic hybridization are morphology specific and are not generalizable.

Uptake and release of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) from macro and microplastics.

Microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are two of the most notable emerging contaminants reported in the environment. Micron and nanoscale plastics possess a high surface area-to-volume ratio, which could increase their potential to adsorb pollutants such as PFAS. One of the most concerning sub-classes of PFAS are the perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs).

Correction: Magnetic field enabled control over the structure and dynamics of colloids interacting SALR potentials.

Correction for 'Magnetic field enabled control over the structure and dynamics of colloids interacting SALR potentials' by Hashir M. Gauri , , 2023, , 4439-4448, https://doi.org/10.

Magnetic field enabled control over the structure and dynamics of colloids interacting SALR potentials.

Colloidal suspensions are an ideal model for studying crystallization, nucleation, and glass transition mechanisms, due to the precise control of interparticle interactions by changing the shape, charge, or volume fraction of particles. However, these tuning parameters offer insufficient active control over interparticle interactions and reconfigurability of assembled structures. Dynamic control over the interparticle interactions can be obtained through the application of external magnetic fields that are contactless and chemically inert.

Dual nature of magnetic nanoparticle dispersions enables control over short-range attraction and long-range repulsion interactions.

Competition between attractive and repulsive interactions drives the formation of complex phases in colloidal suspensions. A major experimental challenge lies in decoupling independent roles of attractive and repulsive forces in governing the equilibrium morphology and long-range spatial distribution of assemblies. Here, we uncover the 'dual nature' of magnetic nanoparticle dispersions, particulate and continuous, enabling control of the short-range attraction and long-range repulsion (SALR) between suspended microparticles.

Effects of Weathering on Microplastic Dispersibility and Pollutant Uptake Capacity.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, leading to a new form of plastic pollution crisis, which has reached an alarming level worldwide. Micron and nanoscale plastics may get integrated into ecological cycles with detrimental effects on various ecosystems. Commodity plastics are widely considered to be chemically inert, and alterations in their surface properties due to environmental weathering are often overlooked.

Field-Induced Assembly and Propulsion of Colloids.

Electric and magnetic fields have enabled both technological applications and fundamental discoveries in the areas of bottom-up material synthesis, dynamic phase transitions, and biophysics of living matter. Electric and magnetic fields are versatile external sources of energy that power the assembly and self-propulsion of colloidal particles. In this Invited Feature Article, we classify the mechanisms by which external fields impact the structure and dynamics in colloidal dispersions and augment their nonequilibrium behavior.

Microplastics through the Lens of Colloid Science.

Microplastics are sub-millimeter-sized fragments of plastics and a relatively new class of pollutant increasingly found in the environment. Due to their size and surface area to volume ratio, the physicochemical characteristics of microplastics can diverge from those of their macroscopic counterparts. This is partly why it is challenging to understand their origin, analyze their behavior, and predict their fates in the environment compared to large pollutants.

Fabrication and Electric Field-Driven Active Propulsion of Patchy Microellipsoids.

Active colloids are a synthetic analogue of biological microorganisms that consume external energy to swim through viscous fluids. Such motion requires breaking the symmetry of the fluid flow in the vicinity of a particle; however, it is challenging to understand how surface and shape anisotropies of the colloid lead to a particular trajectory. Here, we attempt to deconvolute the effects of particle shape and surface anisotropy on the propulsion of model ellipsoids in alternating current (AC) electric fields.

Increasing aspect ratio of particles suppresses buckling in shells formed by drying suspensions.

Solvent evaporation in unpinned droplets of colloidal suspensions leads to the formation of porous shells which buckle under the pressure differential imposed by drying. We investigate the role of aspect ratio of rod-shaped particles in suppressing such buckling instabilities. Longer, thinner rods pack into permeable shells with consequently lower Darcy's pressure and thus avoid buckling.

Sewage sludge used as organic manure in Moroccan sunflower culture: Effects on certain soil properties, growth and yield components.

The wastewater treatment and sludge production sectors in Morocco are recent. Considered as waste, no management strategy for sewage sludge (SS) has been implemented. Thus, its disposal definitely represents a major environmental problem since sludge is either incinerated, used as landfill or simply deposited near wastewater treatment plants.