ABSTRACT
The depletion interaction. which arises between colloidal particles in the presence of a nonadsorbing material (depletant), has been the subject of much research over the past 50 years. A primary reason for this research is the widespread importance of the interaction in various colloidal processes. For example, depletion forces have been found to alter the stability of colloidal suspensions [1-21], to control phase transitions in colloid-polymer and colloid-colloid mixtures [22-29]. and to modify the bending modulus of membranes and bilayers [30-32].
