In situ study of colloid crystallization in constrained geometry |
| |
Authors: | Golding Robert Kori Lewis Patrick C Kumacheva Eugenia Allard Mathieu Sargent Edward H |
| |
Institution: | Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada. |
| |
Abstract: | We visualized in real time electrodeposition-driven colloid crystal growth on patterned conductive surfaces. The electrode was patterned with dielectric ribs and conductive grooves; the groove width was commensurate or incommensurate with a two-dimensional colloid crystal lattice. Electrodeposition was carried out against gravity to decouple sedimentation and electrodeposition of colloid particles. Our experiments reveal the following: (i) Colloid crystal growth occurs under the action of electrohydrodynamic forces, in contrast with colloid assembly under the action of capillary forces. (ii) Confinement of the colloid arrays reduces the size of particle clusters. Small clusters easily undergo structural rearrangements to produce close-packed crystals when the groove width is commensurate or nearly commensurate with the 2D lattice. (iii) Incommensurability between the two-dimensional crystalline lattice and the groove width exceeding ca. 15% leads to the formation of non-close-packed structures and the distortion of colloid arrays. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 PubMed 等数据库收录! |
|