In-situ Visualization of Layer Transitions during Convective Self-Assembly in a Sessile Drop

摘要

Convective self-assembly of colloidal spheres provides a simple method for fabricating two and three dimensional colloidal crystals. In this work, we investigated the layer transitions phenomena during colloidal self-assembly in a sessile drop by using an in-situ videoscopic set-up. The effects of surface charge, colloidal concentration, and surfactant additions were examined. The results show that the chemical environment plays an important role in colloidal self-assembly. In the case of ordered growth, different layer transition phenomena were observed when the colloidal concentration is different.