文章基本信息

标题：Reconfigurable multi-scale colloidal assembly on excluded volume patterns
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作者：Tara D. Edwards ; Yuguang Yang ; W. Neil Everett 等
期刊名称：Scientific Reports
电子版ISSN：2045-2322
出版年度：2015
卷号：5
DOI：10.1038/srep13612
出版社：Springer Nature
摘要：The ability to create multi-scale, periodic colloidal assemblies with unique properties is important to emerging applications. Dynamically manipulating colloidal structures via tunable kT -scale attraction can provide the opportunity to create particle-based nano- and microstructured materials that are reconfigurable. Here, we report a novel tactic to obtain reconfigurable, multi-scale, periodic colloidal assemblies by combining thermoresponsive depletant particles and patterned topographical features that, together, reversibly mediate local kT -scale depletion interactions. This method is demonstrated in optical microscopy experiments to produce colloidal microstructures that reconfigure between well-defined ordered structures and disordered fluid states as a function of temperature and pattern feature depth. These results are well described by Monte Carlo simulations using theoretical depletion potentials that include patterned excluded volume. Ultimately, the approach reported here can be extended to control the size, shape, orientation, and microstructure of colloidal assemblies on multiple lengths scales and on arbitrary pre-defined pattern templates.