Crystallization kinetics of repulsive colloidal spheres

Abstract

Colloidal spheres interacting via a purely repulsive potential provide an excellent model system to study the kinetics of solidification from the melt. Such systems are readily accessible by comparably simple yet powerful optical methods like time resolved static light scattering and microscopy, reviewed in the first part of this paper. We then present results from our own recent studies within a framework of data available from literature. In particular we investigated nucleation and growth of hard sphere crystals using combined Bragg and small angle light scattering and of charged sphere crystals using Bragg microscopy. Special attention is given to the range of validity of classical nucleation theory and of Wilson Frenkel growth and a discussion of kinetic prefactors for both processes.