Freezing of fluids confined between mica surfaces

Using grand ensemble simulations, we show that octamethyl-cyclo-tetra-siloxane (OMCTS) confined between two mica surfaces can form a variety of frozen phases which undergo solid-solid transitions as a function of the separation between the surfaces. For atomically smooth mica surfaces, the following sequence of transitions 1[triangle up] --> 1[triangle up]b --> 2B --> 2 square --> 2[triangle up] are observed in the one- and two-layered regimes, where n[triangle up], n[square], and nB denote triangular, square, and buckled phases, respectively, with the prefix n denoting the number of confined layers. The presence of potassium on mica is seen to have a strong influence on the degree of order induced in the fluid. The sequence of solid-solid transitions that occurs with the smooth mica surface is no longer observed. When equilibrated with a state point near the liquid-solid transition, a counterintuitive freezing scenario is observed in the presence of potassium. Potassium disrupts in-plane ordering in the fluid in contact with the mica surface, and freezing is observed only in the inner confined layers. The largest mica separations at which frozen phases were observed ranged from separations that could accommodate six to seven fluid layers. The extent of freezing and the square-to-triangular lattice transition was found to be sensitive to the presence of potassium as well as the thermodynamic conditions of the bulk fluid. The implications of our results on interpretation of surface force experiments as well as the generic phase behavior of confined soft spheres is discussed.     

Synthesis of nano/microstructures at fluid interfaces

The generation of novel multifunctional materials with hierarchical ordering is a major focus of current materials science and engineering. For such endeavors, fluid interfaces, such as air-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces, offer ideal platforms where nanoparticles or colloidal particles can accumulate and self-assemble. Different assembly processes and reactions have been performed at fluid interfaces to generate hierarchical structures, including two-dimensional crystalline films, colloidosomes, raspberry-like core-shell structures, and Janus particles, which lead to broad applications in drug delivery and controlled release, nanoelectronics, sensors, food supplements, and cosmetics.     

Monolayer,bilayer, multilayers: evolving magnetic behavior in Langmuir-Blodgett films containing a two-dimensional iron-nickel cyanide square grid network

The assembly of two-dimensional cyanide-bridged Fe(III)-Ni(II) square grid networks at the air-water interface and subsequent transfer of these networks as isolated monolayer, isolated bilayer, and multiple bilayer (multilayer) films via the Langmuir-Blodgett technique results in novel low-dimensional systems in which the effects of dimensionality on magnetic behavior in molecule-based materials can be observed. The magnetic response of these films between 2 < T < 300 K in dc fields from -50 < H < 50 kG and in 4 G ac fields from 1 Hz to 1 kHz are reported. The results show the presence of ferromagnetic domains with characteristic hysteresis in each of the three systems. The magnetic response for all three samples is anisotropic with a stronger field-cooled magnetization observed when the planes of the films are aligned parallel to the applied field. Additionally, each of the three samples shows frequency dependence in both the real and imaginary components of the ac susceptibility. This behavior is interpreted as being characteristic of spin glass-type ordering of ferromagnetic domains to form a cluster glass. A lower glass temperature (T(g)) is observed in the isolated monolayer film relative to the bilayer and multilayer samples. The bilayer sample shows two glass transitions at T(g1) = 3.8 K and T(g2) = 5.4 K, whereas only one transition at T(g) = 5.4 K is observed in the multilayer sample. The different magnetic responses of the three films are attributed to different in-plane, interplane, and long-range dipolar exchange interactions.     

DNA-mediated phase behavior of microsphere suspensions

We have constructed a phase diagram for DNA-modified microsphere suspensions based on experimental and theoretical studies. The system is comprised of 1 microm red fluorescent colloids functionalized with strands of an identical oligonucleotide sequence and 1 microm green fluorescent colloids functionalized with the complementary sequence. Keeping the suspension composition and temperature fixed, the phase behavior of colloidal mixtures was studied as a function of salt and oligonucleotide concentration. We observed a colloidal fluid phase of dispersed, single particles at low salt concentrations and low DNA densities. We attribute this colloidal fluid phase to unfavorable hybridization conditions. With increasing salt or hybridizing oligonucleotide concentrations, we observed phase transitions of fluid --> fluid + aggregates --> aggregates due to an increase in duplex affinity, duplex number, or both. Computational analysis assigns a 4 kBT attraction between pairs of complementary microspheres at the destabilizing fluid --> fluid + aggregates transition.     

Influence of specific anions on the orientational ordering of thermotropic liquid crystals at aqueous interfaces

We report that specific anions (of sodium salts) added to aqueous phases at molar concentrations can trigger rapid, orientational ordering transitions in water-immiscible, thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs; e.g., nematic phase of 4'-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl, 5CB) contacting the aqueous phases. Anions classified as chaotropic, specifically iodide, perchlorate, and thiocyanate, cause 5CB to undergo continuous, concentration-dependent transitions from planar to homeotropic (perpendicular) orientations at LC-aqueous interfaces within 20 s of addition of the anions. In contrast, anions classified as relatively more kosmotropic in nature (fluoride, sulfate, phosphate, acetate, chloride, nitrate, bromide, and chlorate) do not perturb the LC orientation from that observed without added salts (i.e., planar orientation). Surface pressure-area isotherms of Langmuir films of 5CB supported on aqueous salt solutions reveal ion-specific effects ranking in a manner similar to the LC ordering transitions. Specifically, chaotropic salts stabilized monolayers of 5CB to higher surface pressures and areal densities (12.6 mN/m at 27 ?(2)/molecule for NaClO(4)) and thus smaller molecular tilt angles (30° from the surface normal for NaClO(4)) than kosmotropic salts (5.0 mN/m at 38 ?(2)/molecule with a corresponding tilt angle of 53° for NaCl). These results and others reported herein suggest that anion-specific interactions with 5CB monolayers lead to bulk LC ordering transitions. Support for the proposition that these ion-specific interactions involve the nitrile group was obtained by using a second LC with nitrile groups (E7; ion-specific effects similar to 5CB were observed) and a third LC with fluorine-substituted aromatic groups (TL205; weak dipole and no ion-specific effects were measured). Finally, we also establish that anion-induced orientational transitions in micrometer-thick LC films involve a change in the easy axis of the LC. Overall, these results provide new insights into ionic phenomena occurring at LC-aqueous interfaces, and reveal that the long-range ordering of LC oils can amplify ion-specific interactions at these interfaces into macroscopic ordering transitions.     

Interplay between H‐Bonding and Alkyl‐Chain Ordering in Self‐Assembly of Monodendritic L‐Alanine Derivatives

This paper reports on the synthesis and self‐organizing properties of monodendrons consisting of L ‐alanine at the focal point and alkyl chains with different length at the periphery. The structures of thin films and monolayers are studied by temperature‐resolved grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction and scanning force microscopy. The interplay between H‐bonding and ordering of the alkyl chains results in a rich temperature‐dependent phase behavior. The monodendrons form H‐bonded stabilized clusters with the number of molecules depending on the length of the aliphatic chains and temperature. The clusters play the role of constitutive units in the subsequent self‐assembly. Short alkyl chains allow the material to form thermodynamically stable crystalline phases. The molecules with longer side groups exhibit additional transitions from the crystalline phase to thermotropic columnar hexagonal or columnar rectangular liquid‐crystalline phases. In monolayers deposited on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, the materials show ordering similar to thin films. However, for the compound bearing hexadecyl chains the affinity of the alkyl groups to graphite dominates the self‐assembly and thereby allows epitaxial growth of a 2D lattice with flat‐on oriented molecules.     

Fabrication of binary colloidal crystals and non-close-packed structures by a sequential self-assembly method

Binary colloidal films of polystyrene (PS) spheres and silica spheres were fabricated with a sequential growth method using differently sized colloidal particles. In particular, we demonstrate the structures formed by a silica monolayer growing on top of a PS monolayer and a silica multilayer growing on top of a PS monolayer. By removal of the bottom PS layers, non-close-packed hexagonal, pentagonal, and square silica arrays were obtained at the original silica/PS interface. The possible formation mechanism of the non-close-packed structure was discussed, which may be used to explain how 3D colloidal crystals grow on patterned substrates.     

SiO2胶体晶体垂直沉积自组装方法的改进

采用垂直沉积技术及相应的改进方法,使用化学合成的400 nm单分散二氧化硅微球自组装制备了胶体晶体薄膜。通过扫描电镜与分光光度计对样品的微观结构与透过光谱进行了表征,并对比研究了不同的垂直沉积方法对胶体晶体的影响。结果表明,通过温度与流量控制两种改进手段,均能制备具有六方密堆结构周期排列的胶体晶体薄膜。在垂直沉积过程中适当的升高温度有利于降低胶体粒子的用量,而通过流量控制的垂直沉积技术则可以有效缩短自组装时间。通过调节蠕动泵改变液面与基板的相对运动速度,或者调控温度改变胶体溶液的蒸发速率,可在材料表面形成单层或多层的胶体晶体薄膜。改进的垂直沉积技术将有望应用于快速沉积大面积、高质量的胶体晶体材料。     

Influence of nanoparticle surface functionalization on the thermal stability of colloidal polystyrene films

The installation of large scale colloidal nanoparticle thin films is of great interest in sensor technology or data storage. Often, such devices are operated at elevated temperatures. In the present study, we investigate the effect of heat treatment on the structure of colloidal thin films of polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles in situ by using the combination of grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and optical ellipsometry. In addition, the samples are investigated with optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). To install large scale coatings on silicon wafers, spin-coating of colloidal pure PS nanoparticles and carboxylated PS nanoparticles is used. Our results indicate that thermal annealing in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature T(g) of pure PS leads to a rapid loss in the ordering of the nanoparticles in spin-coated films. For carboxylated particles, this loss of order is shifted to a higher temperature, which can be useful for applications at elevated temperatures. Our model assumes a softening of the boundaries between the individual colloidal spheres, leading to strong changes in the nanostructure morphology. While the nanostructure changes drastically, the macroscopic morphology remains unaffected by annealing near T(g).     

Surface-amplified ligand disorder in CdSe quantum dots determined by electron and coherent vibrational spectroscopies

This Article reports measurements of the intra- and intermolecular ordering of tight-binding octylphosphonate ligands on the surface of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) within solid state films, and the dependence of this order on the size of the QDs. The order of the organic ligands, as probed by vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, decreases as the radius of the QDs decreases; this decrease is correlated with a decrease in the order of underlying Cd(2+), as detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) line width measurements, for radii of the QDs, R > 2.4 nm, and is independent of the disorder of the Cd(2+) for R < 2.4 nm. We believe that, for R < 2.4, the decreasing order of the ligands with decreasing size is due to an increase in the curvature of the QD surfaces. Disorder in the Cd(2+) results from the presence of a shell of Cd(2+)-surfactant complexes that form during synthesis, so this work demonstrates the possibility for chemical control over molecular order within films of colloidal QDs by changing the surfactant mixture.     

Interplay of spin conversion and structural phase transformations: re-entrant phase transitions in the 2-propanol solvate of tris(2-picolylamine)iron(II) dichloride

Crystal structures, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the spin-crossover compound tris(2-picolylamine)iron(II) dichloride (with 2-propanol solvent molecules) have been measured in the temperature range from 15 to 293 K. X-ray diffraction, SQUID, and calorimetric experiments all showed two first-order phase transitions with hysteresis loops, a narrow one at T(1) approximately 196 K and a broad, triangular one covering the range 153相似文献   

Dynamic ordering transitions of liquid crystals driven by interfacial complexes formed between polyanions and amphiphilic polyamines

We report the design of an amphiphilic polyamine (polymer 1) based on poly(2-alkenyl azlactone) that strongly couples the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes at aqueous/liquid crystal (LC) interfaces to ordering transitions in the LC. We demonstrate that the addition of a strong anionic polyelectrolyte to aqueous solutions in contact with polymer 1-laden LC interfaces (prepared by Langmuir-Schaefer transfer of monolayers of polymer 1 onto micrometer-thick films of nematic LC) triggers ordering transitions in the LCs. We further demonstrate that changes in the ordering of the LCs (i) are driven by electrostatic interactions between the polyelectrolytes, (ii) involve multivalent interactions between the polyelectrolytes, and (iii) are triggered by reorganization of the hydrophobic side chains of amphiphilic polymer 1 upon formation of the interfacial complexes. The results presented in this paper lead us to conclude that ordering transitions in LCs can be used to provide insights into the structure and dynamics of interfacial complexes formed between polyelectrolytes.     

Infrared spectroscopy of competitive interactions between liquid crystals, metal salts, and dimethyl methylphosphonate at surfaces

We report the use of Fourier transform polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) to characterize the influence of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) on the molecular interactions occurring within thin films of nitrile-containing liquid crystals supported on surfaces presenting metal perchlorate salts. Infrared spectra obtained using thin films of 4'-octyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (8CB) supported on copper(II) perchlorate salts reveal the nitrile groups of 8CB to be coordinated to the copper(II) on these surfaces, and subsequent exposure of the system to DMMP to result in the elimination of these coordinated nitrile groups. Concurrently, evidence of coordination of the phosphoryl group of DMMP with copper(II) is provided by measurement of a shift of the phosphoryl stretch from 1246 to 1198 cm(-1). In contrast, surfaces presenting nickel(II) perchlorate salts only weakly coordinate with DMMP [the phosphoryl peak shifts from 1246 to 1213 cm(-1) in the presence of nickel(II)], and exposure of 8CB to DMMP results in only partial loss of coordination of the nitrile groups of 8CB with nickel(II). These PM-IRRAS measurements and others reported in this article provide insights into the molecular origins of macroscopic ordering transitions that are observed when micrometer-thick films of nitrile-containing liquid crystals supported on copper(II) or nickel(II) perchlorate are exposed to DMMP: Upon exposure to DMMP, nematic phases of 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB) supported on copper(II) perchlorate salts undergo ordering transitions, whereas 5CB supported on nickel(II) perchlorate salts do not. Our IR results support the hypothesis that these ordering transitions reflect the relative strengths of coordination interactions occurring between the 5CB, DMMP, and the metal salts at these interfaces.     

聚苯乙烯胶晶膜及三维有序大孔SiO2膜的制备及表征

采用垂直沉积法组装了三维聚苯乙烯胶晶膜,并用其为模板制备了三维有序大孔（3DOM）SiO2膜．SEM观察表明,制备的胶晶膜和3DOMSiO2膜具有fcc结构,有序性很好．考察乳液浓度对胶晶膜结构的影响表明,浓度越高,胶晶膜越厚,有序性也越高,膜在30层内都能很好的粘附在载玻片上．通过调整前驱物溶液的浓度和滴加方式,可得到表面为球形或孔状的3DOM SiO2膜．     

Deposition of oriented zeolite A films: in situ and secondary growth

Zeolite A suspensions with a monomodal, narrow particle size distribution have been prepared. The suspended particles in a TMAOH water solution at pH 9 are negatively charged with a zeta potential of −43 mV. Modification of the external surface of the zeolite particles by a silylation reaction produces particles that, when they are suspended in water, are positively charged and have a zeta potential of +40 mV.The suspensions of the negatively or positively charged particles can be used for the preparation of adsorbed layers of particles on oppositely charged substrates by electrostatic attraction. This deposition process leads to a high coverage of the substrate with well-adhered particles. The cubic morphology of the zeolite particles results in preferential orientation after deposition. The particles are oriented with their {h 0 0} planes (cube faces) parallel and perpendicular to the substrate (out-of-plane orientation). The particles are randomly oriented with respect to the direction perpendicular to the substrate (in-plane orientation). Although, under optimized conditions, the coverage is high and only one adsorption cycle is necessary, the particles are not closely packed.Alternately, the zeolite particle suspensions can be used to deposit close-packed arrays of particles by convective particle transport during dip coating on substrates bearing the same charge as the zeolite particles. Using monodispersed zeolite A suspensions and slow speed dip coating close-packed hexagonal colloidal crystals were prepared. The type of colloidal crystal deposits formed range from continuous sublayers, monolayers, or multilayers to isolated discoidal clusters consisting of few zeolite particles. Factors affecting the deposited layer(s) structure are particle concentration of the suspension and withdrawal speed. In addition to close packing, the layers prepared by dip coating exhibit preferred orientation with the particle faces lying parallel and perpendicular to the substrate surface. Moreover, this second route of precursor film formation by colloidal crystallization leads to domains of well-aligned zeolite particles in three dimensions, i.e. with their faces parallel to each other. The oriented domains span the length of several particles; however, low angle boundaries and other defects during colloidal crystallization prevent the formation of macroscopically three-dimensionally ordered zeolite particles.The precursor layers were subjected to secondary growth in order to prepare continuous intergrown films. Secondary growth proceeds initially by local epitaxy on the deposited particles. Later in the process, deposition proceeds by incorporation of particles from solution along with re-nucleation on the growing film. The intergrown films have predominately [h 0 0] out-of-plane orientation; however, after extended secondary growth treatment a population of [h h h] grains appears on the surface of the regrown films.     

Phase separations in liquid crystal-colloid mixtures

We present a mean-field theory to describe phase separations in mixtures of a nematic liquid crystal and a colloidal particle. The theory takes into account an orientational ordering of liquid crystals and a crystalline ordering of colloidal particles. We calculate phase diagrams on the temperature-concentration plane, depending on interactions between a liquid crystal and a colloidal surface and a coupling between nematic and crystalline ordering. We find various phase separation processes, such as a nematic-crystal phase separation and nematic-isotropic-crystal triple point. Inside binodal curves, we find new unstable and metastable regions which are important in phase ordering dynamics. We also find a stable nematic-crystalline (NC) phase, where colloidal particles dispersed in a nematic phase can form a crystalline structure. The coexistence between two NC phases with different concentrations can be appear though the coupling between nematic and crystalline ordering.     

Fabrication and photoluminescence of hybrid organized molecular films of a series of gemini amphiphiles and europium(III)-containing polyoxometalate

Organic/inorganic hybrid monolayers, consisting of an oval decatungstoeuropate (EuW10) with photoluminescence and a series of gemini-type amphiphiles with various lengths of the flexible hydrophobic spacers, were formed through electrostatic interaction at the air/water interface. The ultrathin hybrid multilayer films could be fabricated through the horizontal transfer of the monolayers onto the solid substrates. The characteristic absorption band of EuW10 in the UV spectra of the hybrid films showed a slight red shift in comparison with that in solution, indicating the ordered arrangement of EuW10 in the hybrid films. FT-IR spectra of the hybrid films presented characteristic bands of EuW10, indicating that the structure of the cluster was kept in the films. X-ray diffraction measurements of the films revealed that the well-defined layer structures were formed in these multilayer films and the EuW10 cluster ions were orientated with their short axis parallel to the film surface. Typical photoluminescence of the 5D0 --> 7F2 and 5D0 --> 7F1 transitions of EuW10 was observed in the hybrid films. Interestingly, the relative intensity of the two emission bands varied with the spacer length of the gemini amphiphiles in the films. A size matching between EuW10 and the gemini amphiphile with a hexamethylene spacer was observed, which showed the lowest ratio of the emission intensity of 5D0 --> 7F2 to that of 5D0 --> 7F1. Circular nanoparticles were observed in the AFM images for all these hybrid films. In addition, the size of the formed nanoparticles showed a dependence on the spacer length.     

Inward-growing self-assembly of colloidal crystal films on horizontal substrates

Colloidal crystal films have been fabricated on solid substrates with a horizontal deposition method. Scanning electron microscope images showed that the colloidal crystal films exhibit ordered face-centered cubic structures in large domains. Optical measurements demonstrated the presence of photonic band gap along the crystallographic [111] direction. The fabrication method described in this paper allows one to rapidly fabricate colloidal crystal films of different thicknesses, which can be controlled by varying colloidal suspension concentration or volume. In addition, the method also works well for growing colloidal crystal films on a hydrophilic solid substrate with a rough surface. Furthermore, the fabrication of colloidal crystal heterostructures has been demonstrated. An inward-growing mechanism responsible for self-assembly of colloidal spheres on horizontal substrates has been proposed to interpret the observed experimental results.     

Salt-induced protein phase transitions in drying drops

Protein phase transitions in drying sessile drops of protein-salt-water colloidal systems were studied by means of optical and atom-force microscopy. The following sequence of events was observed during drop drying: attachment of a drop to a glass support; redistribution of colloidal phase due to hydrodynamic centrifugal stream; protein ring formation around the edge; formation of protein spatial structures inside a protein ring that pass into gel in the middle of the drop; salt crystallization in the shrinking gel. It was assumed that rapid drying of a protein ring over the circle of high colloidal volume fraction and low strength of interparticle attraction leads to formation of colloidal glass, whereas gel forms only in the middle of the drop at very low protein volume fraction and strong attraction between the particles. Before gelation, colloidal particles form fractal clusters. In dried drops of salt-free protein solutions, no visual protein structures were observed. Structural evolution of protein in sessile drying drops of protein-salt aqueous colloidal solutions is discussed on the basis of experimental data.     

Macroscopic, mesostructured cationic surfactant/neutral polymer films: structure and cross-linking

Mesostructured films of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides or cetylpyridinium bromide and polyethylenimines that spontaneously self-assemble at the air/water interface have been examined using a range of surface sensitive techniques. These films are unusual in that they can be micrometers thick and are relatively robust. Here we show that the films can be cross-linked and thus removed from the liquid surface where they form, as solid, mesostructured polymer-surfactant membranes. Cross-linking causes little change in the structure of the films but freezes in the metastable mesostructures, enhancing the potential of these films for future applications. Cross-linked films, dried after removal from the solution surface, retain the ordered nanoscale structure within the film. We also report grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GID), which shows that most films display scattering consistent with 2D-hexagonal phase crystallites of rodlike surfactant micelles encased in polymer. Polymer branching makes little difference to the film structures; however, polymer molecular weight has a significant effect. Films with lower polymer MW are generally thinner and more ordered, while higher polymer MW films were thicker and less ordered. Increased pH causes formation of thicker films and improves the ordering in low MW films, while high MW films lose order. To rationalize these results, we propose a model for the film formation process that relates the kinetic and thermodynamic limits of phase separation and mesophase ordering to the structures observed.