Solvent-Induced Phase Separation in Colloidal Fluids

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Abstract
The phase behavior of a colloidal fluid near a solvent first-order phase transition is investigated. Based on analysis and computer simulation of a Ginzburg-Landau model for the solvent coupled to the colloidal coordinates, two scenarios of phase separation are predicted, induced by wetting of the colloidal surfaces with one solvent phase. Phase separation either starts spontaneously from a homogeneous colloidal phase with a one-phase solvent or from nonpercolating clusters of the wetting solvent phase which on average contain few colloidal particles.