Reaction-Controlled Morphology of Phase-Separating Mixtures

The role of externally-controlled chemical reactions in the selection of patterns in phase-separating mixtures is presented. Linearized theory and computer simulation show that the initial long-wavelength instability characteristic of spinodal decomposition is suppressed by chemical reactions, which restrict domain growth to intermediate length scales even in the late stages of phase separation. Our findings suggest that such reactions may provide a novel way to stabilize and tune the steady-state morphology of phase-separating materials.