Kinetic Criticality in Linker-Mediated Colloidal Aggregation (opens in new tab)

Linker-mediated aggregation plays an important role in modern nanoscience. We demonstrate that it departs sharply from classical Smoluchowski kinetics because cluster reactivity evolves during growth. Combining theory with DNA-linked gold-nanoparticle experiments, we establish kinetic critical point controlled by linker abundance. Below threshold, active linkers are depleted and growth arrests; above threshold, clusters accumulate reactive sit...