Formation of spatially patterned colloidal photonic crystals through the control of capillary forces and template recognition.
We report the formation of microscopic patterns of substrate-supported, 3D planar colloidal crystals using physical confinement in conjunction with surfaces displaying predetermined binary patterns of hydropholicity. The formation process involves a primary self-assembly wherein nano- and microscale colloids order into a photonic fcc lattice via capillary interactions followed by a secondary template-induced crystal cleavage step. Following this method, arbitrary arrays of pattern elements, which preserve structural and orientational properties of the parent crystal, can be easily obtained.
Brozell
Adrian M
AM
Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA.
Muha
Michelle A
MA
Parikh
Atul N
AN