Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins

The behaviour and stability of soft and biological matter depend significantly on electrostatic interactions, as particles such as proteins and colloids acquire a charge when dispersed in an electrolytic solution. A typical simplification used to understand bulk phenomena involving electrostatic interactions is the isotropy of the charge on the particles. However, whether arising naturally or by synthesis, charge distributions are often inhomogeneous, leading to an intricate particle-particle interaction landscape and complex assembly phenomena. The fundamental complexity of these interactions gives rise to models based on distinct assumptions and varying degrees of simplifications which can blur the line between genuine physical behaviour and artefacts arising from the choice of a particular electrostatic model. Building upon the widely-used linearized Poisson-Boltzmann theory, we propose a theoretical framework that – by bridging different models – provides a robust DLVO-like description of electrostatic interactions between inhomogeneously charged particles. By matching solely the single-particle properties of two different mean-field models, we find a quantitative agreement between the pair interaction energies over a wide range of system parameters. Our work identifies a strategy to merge different models of inhomogeneously charged particles and paves the way to a reliable, accurate, and computationally affordable description of their interactions.