Microfluidic Assembly of Colloidal Armor

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Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique
for synthesizing two-dimensional microstructured materials useful in
fields as diverse as biomedicine, materials science, mineral flotation
and food processing. Current approaches have succeeded using bulk emulsification
methods, require further chemical and thermal treatments, and are restrictive
with respect to the materials employed. Microfluidic techniques provide
a new method for assembling these shells. They allow direct visualization
of the dynamics of colloid ordering on curved interfaces. The image illustrates
the approach for directing a suspension of micron-size particles onto
an inner gas core so as to form a gas bubble completely covered with
colloidal particles. The bubbles are periodically ejected to form stable
jammed shells, with colloidal armor. As one example of the control possible,
a “janus shell” is shown on the right; it is made from yellow
4.9 mm diameter polystyrene particles dyed with rhodamine and
green 4.0 mm particles dyed with fluoresceine. |
Last Modified June 5, 2006.
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