Does thermophoretic mobility depend on particle size?

Thermophoresis is particle drift induced by a temperature gradient. By measuring the full temperature dependence of this effect for polystyrene latex suspensions, we show that the thermophoretic mobility (or ‘‘thermal diffusion coefficient’’) DT is basically independent on particle size, in particular, when the interfacial properties of the colloidal particles are carefully standardized by adsorbing a surfactant layer on the particle surface. Even more, all investigated systems show values of DT which are very close to those measured for simple micellar solutions of the adsorbed surfactant. Our findings could be of relevance for downsizing microfluidics to the nanometric range.