title: Deposition and aggregation of au at the liquid/liquid interface.
abstract: The mesostructure of nanoparticle stabilized interfacial films, in systems such as particle stabilized emulsions, plays a key, yet little understood, role. We have studied a system of gold nanoparticles being formed and aggregating at a planar oil/water interface using optical microscopy. A rapid "nucleation" step of meso (micron) scale aggregates was observed. Aggregation of the meso aggregates to form a percolating structure is seen to switch from a slow to a fast aggregation regime. Aggregation in the slow regime appears to be reaction limited. We tentatively attribute the fast aggregation regime to a capillary attraction.
authors.affiliation: The School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. andrew.campbell.103@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Robert A W
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dryfe
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Haw