Xth December 2013, Accepted Xth XXXXXXXX 20XX | P. Douglas Godfrin, Néstor E. Valadez-Pérez, Ramon Castañeda-Priego, Norman J. Wagner, Yun Liu
This paper investigates the generalized phase behavior of cluster formation in colloidal dispersions with competing short-range attraction and long-range repulsion. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for two physically meaningful inter-particle potentials across a broad range of interaction parameters, temperatures, and volume fractions to locate the conditions where clustered states are found. The study identifies a corresponding states phase behavior when normalized by the critical point of an appropriately selected reference attractive fluid. Clustered fluid states and cluster percolated states are found exclusively within the two-phase region of the state diagram for the reference attractive fluid, confirming the underlying intrinsic relation between clustered states and bulk phase separation. The magnitude of the intermediate range order (IRO) peak in the structure factors consistently exhibits an intermediate range order peak above 2.7, leading to a semi-empirical rule for identifying clustered fluids in scattering experiments. The paper also explores the effect of the range of repulsion on the formation of clusters, finding that decreasing the range of repulsion below a certain threshold destabilizes cluster formation. The results provide a generalized corresponding states phase diagram for systems with SALR potentials and offer guidance for future studies on clustered states, which have significant technological applications in various industries.This paper investigates the generalized phase behavior of cluster formation in colloidal dispersions with competing short-range attraction and long-range repulsion. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for two physically meaningful inter-particle potentials across a broad range of interaction parameters, temperatures, and volume fractions to locate the conditions where clustered states are found. The study identifies a corresponding states phase behavior when normalized by the critical point of an appropriately selected reference attractive fluid. Clustered fluid states and cluster percolated states are found exclusively within the two-phase region of the state diagram for the reference attractive fluid, confirming the underlying intrinsic relation between clustered states and bulk phase separation. The magnitude of the intermediate range order (IRO) peak in the structure factors consistently exhibits an intermediate range order peak above 2.7, leading to a semi-empirical rule for identifying clustered fluids in scattering experiments. The paper also explores the effect of the range of repulsion on the formation of clusters, finding that decreasing the range of repulsion below a certain threshold destabilizes cluster formation. The results provide a generalized corresponding states phase diagram for systems with SALR potentials and offer guidance for future studies on clustered states, which have significant technological applications in various industries.