Kinetics of crystallization in hard-sphere colloidal suspensions - art. no. 041604

We propose a kinetic model for describing crystal nucleation kinetics in ha rd-sphere colloidal suspensions. The model captures the interplay between t he enhanced thermodynamic driving force and the reduced particle diffusivit y in determining crystal nucleation rates as the particle density is increa sed in hard-sphere suspensions. Model calculations of nucleation rates and crystal growth velocities agree quantitatively with experimental observatio ns. The dependence of the critical cluster size on volume fraction that eme rges differs qualitatively from predictions of classical theories allowing for an experimental validation of the mechanism of crystal nucleation in co lloidal suspensions.