Disorder-mediated diffusiophoretic transport of colloids

Diffusiophoresis is the spontaneous motion of colloidal particles under the influence of a solute concentration gradient. When a solute front is introduced in a porous media laden with colloidal particles, diffusiophoresis is prevalent on the local pore-scale. Our observations indicate that despite its transient nature, diffusiophoretic migration manifests in the macroscopic transport of the colloid. Here, we report on the influence of medium disorder on the coupled transport and dispersion of colloids and solute using microfluidic experiments and numerical simulations.