Arjun Yodh
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Pennsylvania
Entropically Driven Self-assembly and Interaction in Suspension
The addition of small macromolecules (particles) to a suspension of
large particles causes an entropic attraction to arise between the large
particles. The origin of this attractive force is an increase in
entropy available to the smaller particles when the large particles are
moved close together. I will review this effect and experimentally
explore its manifestations near walls, wall-structures, within vesicles,
and in suspensions of polymeric DNA and semi-flexible rods. Light force
microscopies measure particle interactions, and self-assembly on surface
templates is demonstrated.