Characterization of Suspension Networks Using Confocal Microscopy

Liquid-liquid-solid systems are becoming increasingly common in everyday life with
many possible applications. Here, we focus on a special case of such liquid-liquidsolid
systems, namely capillary suspensions. These capillary suspensions originate
from particles that form a network based on capillary forces and are typically composed
of a solids in a bulk liquid with an added secondary liquid. The structure
of particle networks based on capillary bridges posses unique properties compared
to networks formed via other attractive interactions where these differences are inherently
related to the properties of the capillary bridges, such as bridge breaking
and coalescence between adjacent bridges. Thus, to tailor the mechanical properties
of capillary suspensions to specific requirements, it is important to understand the
influences on different length scales ranging from the dynamics of the bridges with
varying external stimuli to the often heterogeneous network structure.