Work

Attraction-Enhanced Emergence of Friction in Colloidal Matter

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: How frictional effects emerge at the microscopic level in particulate materials remains a challenging question, particularly in systems subject to thermal fluctuations due to the transient nature of interparticle contacts. Here, we directly relate particle-level frictional arrest to local coordination in an attractive colloidal model system. We reveal that the orientational dynamics of particles slows down exponentially with increasing coordination number due to the emergence of frictional interactions, the strength of which can be tuned simply by varying the attraction strength. Using a simple computer simulation model, we uncover how the interparticle interactions govern the formation of frictional contacts between particles. Our results establish quantitative relations between friction, coordination, and interparticle interactions. This is a key step toward using interparticle friction to tune the mechanical properties of particulate materials.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.134.078202

Authors: Berend van der Meer, Taiki Yanagishima, Roel P. A. Dullens

Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Oxford, Wageningen University & Research, Kyoto University

Language: English

Topic: Material Dynamics and Properties

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750

Funders: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Kyoto University, European Research Council