Effect of particle shape and charge on bulk rheology of nanoparticle suspensions

The rheology of nanoparticle suspensions for nanoparticles of various shapes with equal mass is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. The equilibrium structure and the response to imposed shear are analyzed for suspensions of spheres, rods, plates, and jacks in an explicit solvent for both charged and uncharged nanoparticles. For the volume fraction studied, φvf =0.075, the uncharged systems are all in their isotropic phase, and the viscosity is only weakly dependent on shape for spheres, rods, and plate, whereas for the jacks the viscosity is an order of magnitude larger than for the other three shapes. The introduction of charge increases the viscosity for all four nanoparticle shapes, with the increase being the largest for rods and plates. The presence of a repulsive charge between the particles decreases the amount of stress reduction that can be achieved by particle reorientation. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.