An effective geometrical approach to the structure of colloidal suspensions of very anisometric particles

We show in the present letter that the organization of colloidal suspensions of very anisometric repulsive particles can be understood on the basis of simple geometrical considerations. Using a large set of rod-like and plate-like particles, we first evidence that the experimental inter-particle distances can be accurately predicted from geometrical constraints. We then show that the experimental static structure factors can be satisfactorily fitted using an effective Percus-Yevick structure factor. The fit parameters are then interpreted in terms of the co-excluded volumes of effective ghost particles, which further supports the geometrical representation previously developed.