We show that the formation of a gel by conducting colloidal particles leads to a dramatic enhancement in bulk conductivity, due to inter-particle electron tunneling, combining predictions from molecular dynamics simulations with structural measurements in an experimental colloid system. Our results show how colloidal gelation can be used as a general route to huge enhancements of conductivity, and suggest a feasible way for developing cheap materials with novel properties and low metal content.
@article{arxiv.1306.5097,
title = {Enhanced tunneling conductivity induced by gelation of attractive colloids},
author = {Biagio Nigro and Claudio Grimaldi and Peter Ryser and Francesco Varrato and Giuseppe Foffi and Peter J. Lu},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1306.5097},
year = {2013}
}