Anomalous Silica Colloid Stability and Gel Layer Mediated Interactions

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) is used to measure SiO2 colloid ensembles over a glass microscope slide to simultaneously obtain interactions and stability as a function of pH (4-10) and NaCl concentration (0.1-100 mM). Analysis of SiO2 colloid Brownian height excursions yields kT-scale potential energy vs separation profiles, U(h), and diffusivity vs separation profiles, D(h), and determines whether particles are levitated or irreversibly deposited (i.e., stable). By including an impermeable SiO2 gel layer when fitting van der Waals, electrostatic, and steric potentials to measured net potentials, gel layers are estimated to be similar to 10 nm thick and display an ionic strength collapse. The D(h) results indicate consistent surface separation scales for potential energy profiles and hydrodynamic interactions. Our measurements and model indicate how SiO2 gel layers influence van der WaaLs (e.g., dielectric properties), electrostatics (e.g., shear plane), and steric (e.g., layer thickness) potentials to understand the anomalous high ionic strength and high pH stability of SiO2 colloids.