Abstract:

The structure of fractal colloid aggregates formed in both the diffusion- and the reaction-limited regimes is studied by static light scattering experiments. The crossover region of the structure factor of the clusters is measured, and the effects of the finite extent of the fractal structure on the scattering are investigated. The polydispersity of the cluster mass distribution markedly changes the shape of the measured scattering intensity. A form for the structure factor obtained from computer-generated clusters is found to describe the colloidal aggregates very well, for both regimes. Other available models for the crossover region are also discussed. In addition, the effects of the optical plasma resonance in the case of metallic colloids and the effects of cluster restructuring on the static scattering are discussed.​​​​​​

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