The effective interaction between charged colloidal particles confined between two planar like-charged walls is investigated using computer simulations of the primitive model describing asymmetric electrolytes. In detail, we calculate the effective force acting onto a single macroion and onto a macroion pair in the presence of slitlike confinement. For moderate Coulomb coupling, we find that this force is repulsive. Under strong-coupling conditions, however, the sign of the force depends on the distance to the plates and on the interparticle distance. In particular, the particle-plate interaction becomes strongly attractive for small distances which may explain the occurrence of colloidal crystalline layers near the plates observed in recent experiments.

• Received 26 April 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.60.3199