Structural coefficients in aggregates of protein-coated colloidal particles

The structural coefficients of bare and protein-coated polystyrene particles aggregating at different electrolyte concentrations were determined by light scattering techniques. The time dependence of the average diffusion coefficient could be fitted considering a simple form for the aggregation kernel. The fits allowed the structural coefficient to be determined. This parameter was then used to obtain the surface-to-surface separation between the monomers contained within the clusters. The results show that this distance is directly related to the size of the adsorbed protein molecules.