The Asakura–Oosawa theory: Entropic forces in physics, biology, and soft matter

Miyazaki, Kunimasa; Schweizer, Kenneth S.; Thirumalai, D.; Tuinier, Remco; Zaccarelli, Emanuela

doi:10.1063/5.0085965

Cited by 31 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 188 publications

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“…In terms of the bidimensional solution defined as the interphase, the impenetrability in a lipid membrane is given by the polar head group surrounded by the hardcore of hydration molecules ( Figure 2 ) [ 44 ].…”

Section: The Surface Domains: Excluded Volume Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water as a Link between Membrane and Colloidal Theories for Cells

Disalvo¹,

Rosa²,

Cejas³

et al. 2022

Molecules

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This review is an attempt to incorporate water as a structural and thermodynamic component of biomembranes. With this purpose, the consideration of the membrane interphase as a bidimensional hydrated polar head group solution, coupled to the hydrocarbon region allows for the reconciliation of two theories on cells in dispute today: one considering the membrane as an essential part in terms of compartmentalization, and another in which lipid membranes are not necessary and cells can be treated as a colloidal system. The criterium followed is to describe the membrane state as an open, non-autonomous and responsive system using the approach of Thermodynamic of Irreversible Processes. The concept of an open/non-autonomous membrane system allows for the visualization of the interrelationship between metabolic events and membrane polymorphic changes. Therefore, the Association Induction Hypothesis (AIH) and lipid properties interplay should consider hydration in terms of free energy modulated by water activity and surface (lateral) pressure. Water in restricted regions at the lipid interphase has thermodynamic properties that explain the role of H-bonding networks in the propagation of events between membrane and cytoplasm that appears to be relevant in the context of crowded systems.

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Section: The Surface Domains: Excluded Volume Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water as a Link between Membrane and Colloidal Theories for Cells

Disalvo¹,

Rosa²,

Cejas³

et al. 2022

Molecules

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…13 The influence of confinement on entropic effects can also be understood based on the physical characters of an entropic force, a force that is generated by entropy. 13,[45][46][47][48] An entropic force can be defined as an effective macroscopic force that originates in a thermodynamic system by its tendency to increase entropy. The typical entropic force includes osmosis, elasticity of polymer chains, depletion, diffusion and so on.…”

Section: General Principles Of Entropic Control By Confinementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides the confinement concerned in the present work, there are also other approaches to realize this strategy. 48,[55][56][57] Multiscale simulation methods are widely used to study soft matter systems, for example, molecular dynamics (MD), dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), Brownian dynamics (BD), and so on. Because of the low-enthalpy characteristic of soft matter systems, various novel entropy-driven ordered structures have been revealed by simulations.…”

Section: General Principles Of Entropic Control By Confinementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Entropic control of nanoparticle self-assembly through confinement

et al. 2022

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“…In the latter case, the effective interaction range and strength depends on the depletant and colloid sizes, and depletant concentration. [32][33][34] Due to its nonspecific nature, the depletion mechanism has been applied to assemble both nanoscale [35][36][37] and micronsized [38][39][40] colloids with different shapes and compositions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depletion-driven assembly of polymer-coated nanocrystals

Green

Kadulkar

Sherman

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Depletion-driven assembly has been widely studied for micron-sized colloids, but questions remain at the nanoscale where the governing physics are impacted by the stabilizing surface ligands or wrapping polymers, whose length scales are on the same order as those of the colloidal core and the depletant. Here, we probe how wrapping colloidal tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals with polymers affects their depletion-induced interactions and assembly in solutions of polyethylene glycol. Copolymers of polyacrylic acid grafted with polyethylene oxide provide nanocrystal wrappings with different effective polymer graft densities and molecular weights. (Ultra) small angle X-ray scattering, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, and molecular thermodynamic theory were combined to analyze how depletant size and polymer wrapping characteristics affect depletion interactions, structure, and phase behavior. The results show how depletant molecular weight, as well as surface density and molecular weight of polymer grafts, set thresholds for assembly. These signatures are unique to depletion-driven assembly of nanoscale colloids and mirror phase behaviors of grafted nanoparticle--polymer composites. Optical and rheological responses of depletion-driven assemblies of nanocrystals with different polymer shell architectures were probed to learn how their structural differences impact properties. We discuss how these handles for depletion-driven assembly at the nanoscale may provide fresh opportunities for designing responsive depletion interactions and dynamically reconfigurable materials.

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The Asakura–Oosawa theory: Entropic forces in physics, biology, and soft matter

Cited by 31 publications

References 188 publications

Water as a Link between Membrane and Colloidal Theories for Cells

Water as a Link between Membrane and Colloidal Theories for Cells

Entropic control of nanoparticle self-assembly through confinement

Depletion-driven assembly of polymer-coated nanocrystals

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