Shell Particles Research Articles

Cementitious core–shell particles with optimized radiative and anti-wetting properties for efficient and durable passive building cooling

Developing a building-compatible radiative cooler that exhibits an all-day subambient cooling effect and maintains a clean surface for long-term stability is challenging. This study proposes a liquid marble-derived core–shell particle (LM-CSP) that combines excellent anti-wetting capability, efficient and durable daytime radiative cooling properties, and compatibility with building materials. A series of LM-CSP coated samples were fabricated with varying dosages of BaSO4 and water-repellent agents, as well as different coating thicknesses. Comprehensive characterization of the as-prepared samples revealed that the optimal LM-CSP exhibited a solar reflectance of 91 % with a mid-infrared emissivity of 0.97 and a water contact angle of ∼151.9° with a roll-off angle of ∼7.8°, respectively. In-depth analyses using XRD, FT-IR, TGA/DTG, and XPS elucidated the underlying mechanisms responsible for the enhanced optical and wetting properties of the LM-CSP. The exceptional durability of the LM-CSP was validated by its subambient cooling effects after being contaminated with muddy slurry (subambient temperature drop of ∼5.4 °C) and after being rain-washed (subambient temperature drop of ∼2.1 °C). EnergyPlus simulations were employed to assess the year-round energy-saving potential of the LM-CSP, and a life-cycle economic and environmental analysis was performed to guide the practical application. The findings of this study are expected to provide new insights into functional cementitious materials with efficient and durable cooling capabilities, ultimately contributing to the advancement of sustainable building design and energy efficiency

Effect of bio-waste conch filler addition on mechanical performance of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy polymer composite

Abstract In this, the effect of conch shell particles on mechanical performance of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite was investigated. The GFRP composites were prepared using hand layup method. The conch particles were added in the incremental levels of 0, 25, 35, 45, and 55 wt.% to GFRP composites. The C–H stretching vibration and aliphatic amine groups in conch-filled composites confirmed the dispersion of conch particles. The mechanical performance of GFRP composites was evaluated by impact strength, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and fatigue strength tests. The GFRP composites fabricated using 35 wt.% of conch shell particles showed higher impact toughness of 35 J in presence of centered notch compared to GFRP composites developed without conch shell particles that showed impact toughness of 13 J. The ILSS of GFRP composites drops by the addition of conch shell particles. The GFRP composites fabricated using 35 wt.% of conch shell particles showed 26.21 % reduced ILSS compared to the GFRP composites developed without conch shell particles. The GFRP composites fabricated using 45 wt.% of conch shell particles exhibited fatigue life of 10,093 cycles. These results suggest that conch filler – GFRP composites can be used for lightweight applications, which are cost-effective and ecofriendly.

Purification of plasmid DNA using a novel two stage chromatography process

The chromatography process of large-scale plasmid purification with high efficiency and low cost has always been a major challenge. We established a two-step plasmid chromatography purification process combining multimodal and thiophilic chromatography with an overall chromatography yield of nearly 70%. Capto Core 700, a multimodal core–shell particle, was firstly used to remove the impurities from the crude lysate. The effects of different experimental conditions on chromatography recovery and impurity removal were screened. Compared to conventional size exclusion chromatography, the sample load and flow rate of this step were enhanced by 40-fold and 5-fold, respectively, while maintaining a 90% yield. For the thiophilic chromatography (Capto PlasmidSelect), the method of Design of Experiments (DoEs) was used to study the influence of parameters on the results. The effects of ammonium sulfate concentration, sodium chloride concentration and flowrate in the elution phase were studied and optimized with a central composite design model consisting of 17 experiments. The versatility of this process was demonstrated by successfully purifying three different lentiviral packaging plasmids (pLP1, pLP2 and pLP/VSVG) and the target plasmid containing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Purified plasmids consistently achieved a supercoiled purity of at least 90% with endotoxin levels below 5 EU/mg. Lentiviral vectors packaged using these plasmids exhibited high infectious titers of 1 × 107 TU/mL, thereby verifying the process applicability for diverse plasmid purification requirements.

Tailored Interaction between Cellulose Nanowhiskers and Core-Shell Particles Determines the Optical and Mechanical Properties in Hybrid Films.

Hybrid materials of core-shell particles and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were synthesized to produce opal films with increasing tensile strength. After the incorporation of CNWs into the processed particle films, differences in the mechanical and optical properties were noticeable, which stemmed from the adhesion forces between the cellulose and the particles' shell material. Two different particle compositions were compared, using polystyrene as cores, and either poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) or a copolymer of ethyl acrylate and 3 wt % of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as the shell material. Stronger interactions between the particles containing HEMA and the CNWs were displayed via atomic force microscopy particle manipulation experiments, where higher forces were required to deliberately move P(EA-co-HEMA) particles on a CNW substrate compared to PEA particles. The stronger interaction behaviors increased the disorder of the particles within the opal films toward photonic glasses with angle-independent structural colors. Also, the increase in tensile strength from <1 MPa at a cellulose content of 0 wt % to 6 MPa at the optimal CNW content of 15 wt % was more pronounced compared to the particle-cellulose mixture with only PEA in the particle shell. Thus, the presence of the hydroxy groups in the particles' shell material on the molecular level significantly influenced the optical and mechanical properties on the macroscopic level.

An investigation on the mechanical, thermal and tribological properties of newly developed polyester composites made with Pistachio shell particles for industrial applications

The drive for sustainability and addressing environmental concerns has led to the productive use of bio-waste. This research investigates the potential of pistachio (Pistacia vera) nut shell particles as a novel filler in polyester composites. The study explores the use of these nut shells as a reinforcing material in polyester-based composites to evaluate their mechanical and thermal properties. Pistachio shell particles (PSP) are mixed with polyester resin in varying weight fractions (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) to create a new type of composite. The impact of filler content, impingement angle and striking velocity on the erosive wear behavior of these composites are also studied. The mechanical results for the composites revealed that incorporating PSP filler resulted in the maximum rise in tensile (96.61%), impact strength (66.66%), micro-hardness (52.94%), under loading of 5 wt% of PSP filler. However, the composite with 3 wt% of PSP filler, resulted in the maximum rise of flexural strength (135.65%) and flexural modulus (45.28%). Results showed that, composites with 5 wt% of PSP filler exhibited superior erosive resistance. An optimal parameter setting is determined for minimum erosion rate and subsequently validated by conducting confirmation experiment as per Taguchi methodology. Different modes of material removal, wear craters and other qualitative attributes are examined by a scanning electron microscopy during erosion experiment of the samples. Thus, the utilization of agro/food wastes in the development of bio-based products holds significant potential and offers the possibility of replacing conventional materials in various industrial applications.

Active Sites on the CuCo Catalyst in Higher Alcohol Synthesis from Syngas: A Review

Higher alcohol synthesis through the Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) process was considered a promising route for the efficient utilization of fossil resources could be achieved. The CuCo catalysts were proven to be efficient candidates and attracted much interest. Great efforts have been made to investigate the active sites and mechanisms of CuCo catalysts. However, the industrialized application of CuCo catalysts in this process was still hindered. The poor stability of this catalyst was one of the main reasons. This short review summarized the recent development of active sites on the CuCo catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis, including CuCo alloy particles, CuCo core–shell particles, and unsaturated particles. The complex active sites and their continual changes during the reaction led to the poor stability of the catalysts. The effect of active sites on catalytic performance was discussed. Furthermore, the key factors in fabricating stable CuCo catalysts were proposed. Finally, reasonable proposals were proposed for designing efficient and stable CuCo catalysts in higher alcohol synthesis.

Carboxylated celluloses as effective stabilizers for super-stable Pickering emulsions: Effects of different carboxyl moieties and particle morphologies on performance

Carboxyl functionalization of cellulose could enhance its stabilizing ability in Pickering emulsions, though the influences of different carboxylation methods remain largely unknown. In order to fill in this knowledge gap, three typical carboxylated cellulosic materials, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TCN), carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils (CM-CN) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), have been investigated to stabilize Pickering emulsions. There is a common feature among the three carboxylated cellulosic materials that they were all adsorbed at oil-water interface to form an elastic cellulose particle shell around oil droplets. However, the networks formed in the aqueous phase were quite different. For both TCN and CM-CN, the physical entanglement of the fibers and the interactions between fibers, mainly intramolecular hydrogen bonds, led to strong networks in the aqueous phase, thus contributing to good stability of Pickering emulsions. In contrary, the interaction between the suspended CMC particles was limited, which could not drive them to form a continuous network in the aqueous phase, so that CMC was least effective to stabilize oil droplets as indicated by the clearly observed phase separation even in the freshly prepared Pickering emulsions. Specifically, CM-CN with a larger aspect ratio (length of 499 ± 306 nm and diameter of 7 ± 2 nm), excellent thermal stability and comparatively high three phase contact angle (78.4°) was an effective stabilizer to prepare a super-stable Pickering emulsion, which had best emulsifying index (100%) even after 30-day of storage. This study demonstrated that different carboxyl functionalization would lead to different properties of cellulose, thus affecting their performance in stabilizing Pickering emulsions.

Significant enhancement of bi-directional ultrahigh thermal conductivity in polymer composites fabricated via Polyetherimide@Silver core–shell structured microspheres

Nowadays, the polymer-based composites with excellent thermal-conductive ability and ideal electromagnetic interference shielding performance are in great demand with the advent of developing modern electronic technology. However, most conventional thermal-conductive materials were typically designed to enhance thermal conductivity in just one single direction (through-plane or in-plane direction), which will be inadequate to meet increasing heat-dissipation requirements. Hence, polyetherimide/Silver (PEI/Ag) composites with unique segregated thermal-conductive network were fabricated via hot-pressing the core–shell (PEI@Ag) particles, which was endowed with superior thermal-conductive ability in bi-directions. By this process, the Ag shell was deposited on the surface of various polymer microsphere, and diverse morphology of composite particles would lead to different findings. The results show the PEI@Ag composites with filler content of 18.9 vol% exhibited high in-plane thermal conductivity and through-plane thermal conductivity of 19.9 and 14.0 W/mK, respectively. Particularly, these results achieved obvious improvements of 331 % and 1264 % higher than the composites with filler random distribution, indicating the composite materials obtained outstanding advantage in both horizontal and vertical direction. The research also found that the composites prepared from PEI@Ag core–shell structures possess better properties than those prepared with Ag nanoparticles growing on polymers, indicating the importance of continuous heat-transfer path, and their heat transfer behavior was further demonstrated by finite element analysis. Besides, the composites also exhibited remarkable EMI shielding performance (40.1 dB)). In a word, this study provides viable strategies to enhance the thermal conductivity of composites based on organic solvent-soluble polymer with EMI capability for the development of electronic devices.

Investigating the influence of periwinkle shell powder on the thermal and mechanical performance of high-density polyethylene composites

Abstract In this study, the shell powder of Littorina littorea commonly called periwinkle was used as an eco-friendly filler in High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) to form periwinkle/HDPE composites (PHPC). Understanding the effect of different particle sizes of periwinkle shell powder (PSP) and optimizing their influence on PHPC is the main scope of this work. Periwinkle shell (PS) particles with sizes ranging from &lt;53 μm to 150 μm were chosen as reinforcements. The PSP sizes chosen in this study, &lt;53 μm, 53 μm, 75 μm, 90 μm, 105 μm and 150 μm were named PHPCL53, PHPC53, PHPC75, PHPC90, PHPC105, and PHPC150, respectively. The composites were fabricated by incorporating 1 wt% PSP into the HDPE matrix using the compression molding technique and then subjected to morphological, thermal, and mechanical characterizations. Morphology studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms 150 μm PSP had the best dispersion whereas 75 μm PSP resulted in agglomeration. PSP had little influence on the thermal stability of HDPE except for PHPC150 which showed an increase in the degradation temperature when compared to the virgin sample. Mechanical properties such as hardness, Young’s modulus, impact strength, and flexural modulus were enhanced by the addition of PSP. However, a decrease was noted in the elongation at break (%) and flexural strength of PHPC indicating the stiffening effect of the filler on the HDPE. In order to understand the particle size influence better, the extension evaluation method (EEM) was used for all samples and PHPC150 was found to be the best performing among all particle sizes.

Structural Colors Derived from the Combination of Core–Shell Particles with Cellulose

Structural Colors Derived from the Combination of Core–Shell Particles with Cellulose

Development of Automotive and Marine Appliable Aluminium Composite by Utilizing Agro-Waste Material as Performance Enhancement Particles

Aluminium-based materials are lightweight materials used for producing automotive and aircraft components. However, aluminium materials diminish in performance on exposure to degrading environments, which limits their areas of usage and applications. The degrading effect results in poor resistance to wear and corrosion, reduced properties and defective microstructure. In this work, 6063 aluminium alloy was reinforced with particles of agricultural waste (walnut shell) to produce six samples with five samples of reinforced and a control (unreinforced) sample. Each of the samples of the reinforced alloy was moulded into a 25 mm diameter by 130 mm height using the stir casting method using an industrial pit furnace. The samples were thereafter machined to a diameter of 20 mm and cut into a thickness of 10 mm for characterizations. The potentiodynamic polarization method was used to test for the samples’ corrosion resistance properties following the ASTM G102 standard in 3.65% NaCl test medium. The hardness property was investigated using the Brinell hardness machine following the ASTM A-370 standard, while the microstructure and crystallographic phase studies were carried out using SEM/EDS and XRD profiles, respectively. The unreinforced 6063 Al alloy sample exhibited the highest corrosion rate (Cr) of 0.7321 mm/year and the lowest hardness of 104.94 kgf/mm2. The 10% wt. walnut shell particles (WSP) reinforced 6063 Al alloy sample exhibited the lowest corrosion rate (Cr) of 0.1336 mm/year and the highest hardness of 109.24 kgf/mm2. This indicated that the walnut shell particles enhanced the corrosion and indentation resistance of the alloy. In addition, the SEM images indicated that the agricultural waste (walnut shell particles) reinforced samples exhibited more refined microstructure, lower porosity and smoother morphology compared to the unreinforced (control) sample. Also, the XRD profile of samples revealed some high peak intensity crystallites such as Al(ZnS), Al2O3 and (FeMn)SiO2. These high peak intensity crystallites indicated that these reinforced samples possessed chemical and microstructural homogeneity, high stability and good surface texture.

Creating High Yield Stress Particle-Laden Oil/Water Interfaces Using Charge Bidispersity.

Interfacial engineering has been increasingly used to stabilize Pickering emulsions in commercial products and biomedical applications. Pickering emulsion stabilization is aided by interfacial viscoelasticity; however, typically the primary means of stabilization are steric hindrances between high surface concentration shells of particles around the drops. In this work, the concept of creating large interfacial viscoelastic yield stresses with low particle surface concentrations (<50%) using bidisperse charged particle systems is tested to evaluate their potential efficacy in emulsion stabilization. To explore this hypothesis, interfacial rheology and visualization experiments are conducted at o/w interfaces using positively charged amidine, negatively charged carboxylate, and negatively charged sulfate-coated latex spheres and compared to a model based on interparticle forces. Bidisperse particle systems have been observed to create more networked structures than monodisperse systems. For surface concentrations of <50%, bidisperse interfaces created measurable viscoelastic moduli ∼1 order of magnitude larger than monodisperse interfaces. Furthermore, these interfaces have measurable yield stresses on the order of 10-4 Pa·m when monodisperse systems have none. Bidispersity impacts surface viscoelasticity primarily by increasing the overall magnitude of attraction between particles at the interface and not due to changes in the microstructure. The developed model predicts the relative surface fraction that creates the largest moduli and shows good agreement with the experimental data. The results demonstrate the ability to create large viscoelastic moduli for small surface fractions of particles, which may enable stabilization using fewer particles in future applications.

Microfluidic-assisted synthesis of hybrid calcium carbonate/silver microparticles

The development of advanced methods for the synthesis of nano- and microparticles for biomedical applications is of considerable interest. A method for the synthesis of submicron silver-shelled calcium carbonate particles using a microfluidic chip designed to provide control over particle formation is proposed. Precise control of reaction parameters enables the formation of silver shell and calcium carbonate particles in a controlled manner. The distribution of pores in the hybrid particles was analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering, which provided insight into the complex structure of the pores. The results provide information on particle morphology and may facilitate the development of new calcium carbonate-based materials for various applications.

A Novel Approach for the Synthesis of Responsive Core-Shell Nanogels with a Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Core and a Controlled Polyamine Shell.

Microgel particles can play a key role, e.g., in drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, advanced (bio)sensors or (bio)catalysis. Amine-functionalized microgels are particularly interesting in many applications since they can provide pH responsiveness, chemical functionalities for, e.g., bioconjugation, unique binding characteristics for pollutants and interactions with cell surfaces. Since the incorporation of amine functionalities in controlled amounts with predefined architectures is still a challenge, here, we present a novel method for the synthesis of responsive core-shell nanogels (dh < 100 nm) with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) core and a polyamine shell. To achieve this goal, a surface-functionalized pNIPAm nanogel was first prepared in a semi-batch precipitation polymerization reaction. Surface functionalization was achieved by adding acrylic acid to the reaction mixture in the final stage of the precipitation polymerization. Under these conditions, the carboxyl functionalities were confined to the outer shell of the nanogel particles, preserving the core's temperature-responsive behavior and providing reactive functionalities on the nanogel surface. The polyamine shell was prepared by the chemical coupling of polyethyleneimine to the nanogel's carboxyl functionalities using a water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC) to facilitate the coupling reaction. The efficiency of the coupling was assessed by varying the EDC concentration and reaction temperature. The molecular weight of PEI was also varied in a wide range (Mw = 0.6 to 750 kDa), and we found that it had a profound effect on how many polyamine repeat units could be immobilized in the nanogel shell. The swelling and the electrophoretic mobility of the prepared core-shell nanogels were also studied as a function of pH and temperature, demonstrating the successful formation of the polyamine shell on the nanogel core and its effect on the nanogel characteristics. This study provides a general framework for the controlled synthesis of core-shell nanogels with tunable surface properties, which can be applied in many potential applications.

Achieving a super-strengthening functional composite coating from ZnO doped snail shell particulate for mitigation of mild steel towards improved microstructural, corrosion, and opto-electrical properties

Long-lasting protective coatings are essential, particularly under harsh operating conditions. Surface coatings provide a flexible alternative; electrodeposition is becoming an established approach for protecting steel. The intent of this study is to determine how effectively zinc oxide (ZnO) coatings for mild steel corrosion protection effect when integrated with snail shell particle (SSP). The experimental setup consisted of producing a coating bath with ZnO and SSP particles, then electrodeposting the mixture under conditions onto polished steel surfaces. The created coatings were subjected to an array of tests, including electrical conductivity and resistivity testing, morphological analysis using SEM/EDS, corrosion testing in a 1M HCl solution, hardness testing. The findings show that when SSP content increases, steel corrosion rates significantly decrease, suggesting improved corrosion resistance from 21.85(mm/yr) to 12.80(mm/yr), and polarization resistance of 4.47E+01(Ω) to 8.00E+01(Ω). Morphological examination shows that SSP particles are dispersed throughout the coating matrix, which promotes adhesion and stability. Also, coatings with more SSP show better electrical characteristics. Overall, the study shows how ZnO-SSP coatings can shield mild steel components from adverse conditions and have prospective uses in sectors where surfaces resistant to corrosion are needed.

Study of multifaceted eco-friendly nanoparticle zinc coating incorporation on mild steel.

Mild steel's versatile application in various fields makes it a pivotal material, yet its vulnerability to corrosion demands effective protection methods. This work explores the potential synergy between plantain peel (PP) and snail shell particle (SSP) nanoparticles when combined in a Zn–MgO matrix to improve corrosion resistance in mild steel coatings. After a thorough investigation of various bath compositions and process conditions, the ZnO–MgO–20SSP–20PP coating was found to have improved electrical characteristics, decreased thickness with high-quality films, higher hardness (78 HRB), and excellent corrosion resistance. Corrosion tests showed a notable decrease (∼70% for the ZnO–MgO–20SSP–20PP sample) in the rate of corrosion, and optical micrographs confirmed the coating's capacity to reduce damage. A reliable predictive model (ANOVA) was produced by mathematical optimization utilising a central composite design, which highlighted the interplay of SSP and PP concentrations on corrosion rate. This extensive study provides eco-friendly alternatives for improved mild steel corrosion prevention by showcasing the diverse contributions of SSP and PP nanoparticles.

DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF PARTICLE REINFORCED ABRASIVE GRINDING DISCS FROM LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALS

Management of waste materials is a serious concern to researchers and scientists. Waste materials cause health and environmental hazards. Hence, they should be properly managed. The aim of this study is to develop a grinding disc using agricultural wastes (palm kernel shell and snail shell), granite, aluminium oxide, and polyester resin. The particles of snail shell, palm kernel shell, aluminium oxide (abrasive) and granite (friction modifier) were measured in percentages varying between 8 - 29 wt. % and were mixed with 27 wt. % polyester resin (binder), 3 wt. % methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (hardener) and 3 wt. % cobalt naphthalene (accelerator) to produce a grinding disc. The micrograph, hardness, wear rate, and water absorption tests were carried out on the grinding disc samples. The result showed that the composition with the highest palm kernel shell particle content (29 wt. %) had the best values for hardness and wear resistance, making it the most suitable material for grinding discs. The environmentally-friendly palm kernel shell-based discs could be used for soft metals, wood grinding and finishing processes.

Green synthesis of sacrificial UV-sensitive core and biobased shell for obtaining optically hollow nanoparticles

Hollow nanoparticles have been extensively studied in recent years. Obtaining such structures with biobased materials, following greener synthetic routes, is still challenging, especially if accurate particle dimensions are required. This work reports the use of an innovative hybrid silica core (Si@azo) containing UV-sensitive molecule, wrapped in biobased multilayer shell composed of polysaccharides. It is a promising strategy for obtaining optically hollow nanoparticles. Indeed, Si@azo cores have the ability to be partially degraded when irradiated with UV light. Combined with a well-controlled and monodisperse diameter, they provide a good basis for layer-by-layer assembly, leading to a multilayer shell with controlled composition and thickness. Finally, UV irradiation of such a core–shell structure is harmless to the polysaccharide shell, but does impact the hybrid silica core, as revealed by turbidity measurements, among other. Each step, i.e. core synthesis, shell addition, and core–shell irradiation, has been carefully characterized at the macro (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy – FTIR, Dynamic Light Scattering – DLS, Zeta-potential measurement, Surface Plasmon Resonance – SPR, turbidity) and microscale (Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopies). Emphasis is put on how turbidity measurements can be related to the core refractive index (ncore), giving information on the state of core degradation and whether the core–shell particle is optically hollow.

Application of mechanical separation method with filtration for nanodispersed FeNi powders with carbon coating

It was shown that the method of mechanical separation with filtration could be used to separate metal nanoparticles in a carbon shell. The method was used for separation of FeNi nanoparticles with a carbon shell, previously isolated from carbon condensate by boiling in acids. The particles had a crystalline structure and magnetic characteristics (Mr/Ms = 0.30, Hc = 270 Oe). Method of mechanical separation with filtration made it possible to separate the sample into particles coated with a carbon shell (particles size 40–50 nm, size of the metal core 10–15 nm), and into metal particles with a diameter of 6–15 nm, dispersed in a carbon matrix. The work shows that the samples have similar magnetic properties (Mr/Ms = 0.27, Hc = 236 Oe) and chemical composition (Ni ∼ 10 wt.%, Fe ∼ 12 wt.%, C ∼ 57 wt.%). However, the samples differ in structure, one contains FeNi(220), FeNi(200), FeNi(111) and C(002) phases, while the other contains only FeNi(200) and C(002) phases.

Electrostatic interactions between soft nanoparticles beyond the Derjaguin approximation: Effects of finite size of ions and charges, dielectric decrement and ion correlations

HypothesisElectrostatic interactions between colloids are governed by the overlap of their electric double layers (EDLs) and the ionic screening of the structural charges distributed at their core surface and/or in their peripheral ion-permeable shell, relevant to soft particles like polymer colloids and microorganisms. Whereas ion size-mediated effects on the organization of isolated EDLs have been analysed, their contribution to the electrostatic energy of interacting soft particles has received less attention Theory and simulationsHerein, we elaborate a formalism to evaluate the electrostatic interaction energy profile between spherical core/shell particles, building upon a recent Poisson-Boltzmann theory corrected for the sizes of ions and particle structural charges, for ion correlations and dielectric decrement. Interaction energy is derived from pairwise disjoining pressure and exact Surface Element Integration method, beyond the Derjaguin approximation. The theory is sufficiently flexible to tackle homo- and hetero-interactions that involve weakly to highly charged hard, porous or core/shell nano- to micro-sized particles in asymmetric multivalent electrolytes. FindingsResults illustrate how ion steric effects, ion correlations and dielectric decrement impact the sign, magnitude and range of the interactions depending on the particle size, the Debye length, and the geometric and electrostatic properties of the particle core and shell components.