The forces at work in colloidal self-assembly: a review on fundamental interactions between colloidal particles

Abstract

Colloidal particles with well-defined sizes can self-assemble into ordered, crystalline structures under non-equilibrium conditions. This phenomenon originates from the various forces acting upon them. In this article, we provide an overview on the forces at work in a colloidal system, in particular, the roles of these forces at various stages in colloidal self-assembly. Van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrodynamic, and capillary forces, as well as Brownian motions, are extensively discussed, whereas other types of interactions are briefly introduced and summarized.