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Oppositely charged colloidal particles exhibit fully reversible assembly under varying salt concentrations in water. Fluorescent polystyrene colloidal particles are charged by a grafted polyelectrolyte brush. Below a certain concentration oppositely charged colloids form clusters and gels with a fractal nature. These particles are a promising step toward a reversible and controlled self-assembling system in water, using colloidal particles as building blocks.
Evan Spruijt, Henriëtte E. Bakker, Thomas E. Kodger, Joris Sprakel, Martien A. Cohen Stuart and Jasper van der Gucht, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 8281-8290.
