Interfacial properties of colloid–polymer mixtures

Density functional theory and a virial approach are used to calculate the surface tension and bending rigidity of the interface between demixed fluid phases for a colloid–polymer mixture. The calculated surface tension compares well with results from computers simulations and experiments. The bending rigidity obtained from both theoretical approaches is negative (≈−0.1kBT≈−0.1kBT), its magnitude increases away from the critical point and it is in reasonable agreement with computer simulations.

Graphical abstractThe surface tension and bending rigidity (k)(k) are calculated using density functional theory and a virial approach. Our calculations are compared with computer simulations and experiments.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide