title: Confinement-induced liquid ordering investigated by x-ray phase retrieval.
abstract: Using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, we have determined the ensemble-averaged density profile of colloidal fluids within confining channels of different widths. We observe an oscillatory ordering-disordering behavior of the colloidal particles as a function of the channel width, while the colloidal solution remains in the liquid state. This phenomenon has been suggested by surface force studies of hard-sphere fluids and also theoretically predicted, but here we see it by direct measurements of the structure for comparable systems.
authors.affiliation: Research Department Synchrotron Radiation and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland. oliver.bunk@psi.ch
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bunk
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Celestino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Padeste
authors.forename: Heilke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keymeulen
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Willmott
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Dillip K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Satapathy
authors.forename: J Friso
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Gerard H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wegdam