Influence Of Gravity On Structure Of Colloidal Crystal Using Simulated Microgravity

Liquid mixtures of water and deuterium oxide as the liquid phase, were used to match the density of charged colloidal particles. Kossel diffraction method was used to detect the crystal structures. The experiments under the density-matched (g=0) and unmatched (g=1) conditions are compared to examine the influence of gravity on the crystal structures formed by self-assembly of 110 nm (in diameter) polystyrene microspheres. The result shows that die gravity tends to make the lattice constants of colloidal crystals smaller at lower positions, which indicates that the effect of gravity should be taken into account in the study of the colloidal crystals.

Small angle X-ray scattering of the colloidal crystal

The monodisperse polystyrene spheres are assembled into the colloidal crystal on the glass substrate by vertical deposition method, which is aimed at the so-called photonic crystal applications. The structural information of the bulk colloidal crystal is crucial for understanding the crystal growth mechanism and developing the various applications of colloidal crystal. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique was used to obtain the bulk structure of the colloidal crystal at Beamline 1W2A of BSRF. It is found that the SAXS pattern is sensitive to the relative orientation between the colloidal sample and the incident X-ray direction. The crystal lattice was well distinguished and determined by the SAXS data.

Colloidal crystal heterostructures by a two-step vertical deposition method

A two-step template-induced vertical deposition technique was introduced to fabricate the colloidal crystal heterostructures due to wettability differences and spatial confinement of the templates structured with microchannels. The heterostructures exhibited a bi-frequency Bragg diffraction whose position was determined by the microsphere diameter of the opals. It was demonstrated that the channel width had an influence on the optical properties of the colloidal crystal heterostructures. The strategy proposed is suited for fabrication of different micron-sized opal architectures with complex form and designed optical functionality.

Wettability designing by ZnO periodical surface textures

A facile and effective aqueous chemical synthesis approach towards well control of periodical ZnO textures in large-scale areas is reported, by which considerable adjusting of surface wettability can be realized. With the assistance of polystyrene spheres monolayer template and morphology control agent, we succeeded in preparing a series of ordered ZnO microbowls with different sag height. It was found that the contact angle could be well adjusted by changing geometry of microbowl. Such novel, ordered arrays are expected to exploit the great potentiality in waterproof or self-cleaning micro/nanodevices, and even microfluidic devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization Of Crystal Structure In Binary Mixtures Of Latex Globules

Colloidal crystals formed by two types of polystyrene particles of different sizes (94 and 141 nm) at various number ratios (94:141 nm) are studied. Experiments showed that the formation time of crystals lengthens as the number ratio of the two components approaches 1:1. The dependence of the mean interparticle distance (D-0), crystal structure and alloy structure on the number ratio of the two types of particles was Studied by means of Kossel diffraction technique and reflection spectra. The results showed that as the number ratio decreased, the mean interparticle distance (D-0) became larger. And the colloidal crystal in binary mixtures is more preferably to form the bcc structure. This study found that binary systems form the substitutional solid solution (sss)-type alloy structure in all cases except when the number ratio of two types of particles is 5:1, which results instead in the superlattice structure. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facile preparation of macroscopic soft colloidal crystals with fiber symmetry

A facile, efficient way to fabricate macroscopic soft colloidal crystals with fiber symmetry by drying a latex dispersion in a tube is presented. A transparent, stable colloidal crystal was obtained from a 25 wt % latex dispersion by complete water evaporation for 4 days. The centimeter-long sample was investigated by means of synchrotron small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD). Analysis of a large number of distinct Bragg peaks reveals that uniaxially oriented colloidal crystals with face-centered cubic lattice structure were formed.

Colloidal photonic crystals with a graded lattice-constant distribution

In this work, a gradient polystyrene colloidal photonic crystal was fabricated by annealing in a graded temperature field. The lattice constant of the gradient crystal gradually varied along the temperature-gradient direction. The positional bandgap wavelength as well as the attenuation of the bandgap wavelength could be tuned dependent on the position of the gradient colloidal crystal along the gradient direction because of the lattice-constant variation.

Optical intensity gradient by colloidal photonic crystals with a graded thickness distribution

Gradient colloidal crystals with a thickness gradient were prepared by the vertical deposition technique with vertically graded concentration suspensions. The thickness of the gradient colloidal crystal gradually changes at different positions along the specific gradient direction of the crystal. The thickness gradient was determined by the concentration gradient, depending on the initial colloidal concentration and the settling time. The optical transmission intensity at the dip wavelength can be tuned by changing the thickness of the colloidal crystals. The gradient colloidal crystals lead to a gradient of optical intensity at the dip in transmission light. The gradient of optical intensity at the dip increases as the thickness gradient of the colloidal crystal increases.

带电胶体粒子结晶过程的实验研究

利用带电单分散聚苯乙烯胶体粒子,通过自组装机理,制备了体积百分比为4·8%的具有多晶结构的胶体晶体,并用Kossel衍射技术和紫外可见分光光度计分别对晶体的生长过程进行了监测.通过对Kossel的图像分析检测不同阶段相应的晶格结构,发现胶体结晶过程晶体结构演变顺序为由液态—随机层结构—堆无序结构—面心立方孪晶结构到面心立方结构.定量地确定了结晶过程中晶体不同晶面的晶面间距和晶体的晶格常数,通过紫外可见分光光度计测量的晶体透射谱图,计算得到111晶面的晶面间距和晶体的晶格常数,与用Kossel衍射技术得到的结果相一致,还发现随样品放置时间的延长,衰减峰变窄和加深,并向短波方向移动,对应着晶体的晶格常数减小的现象.

纳米孔结构金属多孔材料研究进展

纳米孔结构金属多孔材料(以下简称金属纳米多孔材料)是近年来纳米技术及多孔材料科学领域引人注目的研究对象。本文综述了近年来金属纳米多孔材料的制备方法(粉末烧结法、脱合金法、胶晶模板法、斜入射沉积法等)、表征技术、应用现状以及最新的研究成果。指出了金属纳米多孔材料研究进程中存在的主要问题、发展前景及今后的研究方向。

A biofuel cell with enhanced performance by multilayer biocatalyst immobilized on highly ordered macroporous electrode

A one-compartment glucose/O-2. biofuel cell based on an electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) technique on three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) gold electrode was described. A 3DOM gold electrode was synthesized electrochemically by an inverted colloidal crystal template technique. Then the macroporous gold electrodes were functionalized with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and enzyme, glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) or laccase.

Complex aggregates of silica microspheres by the use of a polymer template

Evaporation of a droplet of silica microsphere suspension on a polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) blend film with isolated holes in its surface has been exploited as a means of particles self-assembly. During the retraction of the contact line of the droplet, spontaneous dewetting combined with the strong capillary force pack the silica microspheres into the holes in the polymer surface. Complex aggregates of colloids are formed after being exposed to acetone vapor. The morphology evolution of the underlying polymer film by exposure to acetone solvent vapor is responsible for the complex aggregates of colloids formation.

Large Scale Fabrication Of Periodical Bowl-Like Micropatterns Of Single Crystal Zno

Nanostructured ZnO materials are of great significance for their potential applications in photoelectronic devices, light-emitting displays, catalysis and gas sensors. In this paper, we report a new method to produce large area periodical bowl-like micropatterns of single crystal ZnO through aqueous-phase epitaxial growth on a ZnO single crystal substrate. A self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene microspheres was used as a template to confine the epitaxial growth of single crystal ZnO from the substrate, while the growth morphology was well controlled by citrate anions. Moreover, it was found that the self-assembled monolayer of colloidal spheres plays an important role in reduction of the defect density in the epitaxial ZnO layer. Though the mechanism is still open for further investigation, the present result indicates a new route to suppress the dislocations in the fabrication of single crystal ZnO film. A predicable application of this new method is for the fabrication of two-dimensional photonic crystal structures on light emitting diode surfaces.

Fracture of colloidal single-crystal films fabricated by controlled vertical drying deposition

Controlled vertical drying deposition method was used to make high-quality single crystal close-packed colloidal films formed of different radii polystyrene latex spheres on glass substrates coming from a low concentration water suspension (0.1% volume fraction). Regardless of the spheres radii the film thickness was about 6.3 microns. However, cracks destroyed the crystalline film structure during the colloidal film growth. The effect of particle radius (85-215 nm range) on film cracking was systematically studied using in situ optical fracture monitoring. Primary parallel cracks run along the vertical growth direction, later followed by secondary branched cracks in-between the primary cracks due to residual water evaporation. Quantitative theoretical relationship between the cracks spacing and particles radius was derived and shows good agreement with experimental observations. Normalized cracks spacing is related to a reciprocal ratio of the dimensionless particle radius.

Charge Transport Processes of Immobilized Heteropolyanions at Self-assembled Monolayer Modified Gold Electrode by Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurement

The in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance(EQCM) technique was used to investigate the ion transport of immobilized heteropolyanions at a self-assembled monolayer(SAM) modified gold electrode during electrochemical redox process. A mixed transfer method was presented to analyse the abnormal change of resonant frequency based on the simultaneous insertion/extraction of different ions. The results indicate that the migration of HSO4- anions was indispensable in the redox process of the heteropolyan ions in a I mol/L H2SO4 solution and played a key role in the abnormal change of the resonant frequency. Such a change was attributed to different packing densities derived by means of differently immobilized methods.