Like-Charged Particles Attract in Certain Solvents, Study Finds

Oxford University's groundbreaking research challenges a core principle of physics, revealing solvent-dependent attractions among similarly charged particles.

• A groundbreaking study by Oxford University reveals that like-charged particles can attract each other in certain solutions, challenging a fundamental principle of physics.
• The attraction between like-charged particles is dependent on the solvent, with negatively charged particles clustering in water, while positively charged ones do so in alcohol.
• The phenomenon is pH-dependent for negatively charged particles in water, allowing for controlled cluster formation.
• This discovery has significant implications for various scientific and industrial processes, including self-assembly, crystallization, and phase separation.
• The findings suggest a need for a fundamental reevaluation of how interparticle and intermolecular interactions are understood.

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