Equilibrating nanoparticle monolayers using wetting films.
Monolayers of bimodal gold nanoparticles on silicon are investigated by a combination of microscopy (dry monolayers) and x-ray diffraction (dry and wet monolayers). In the presence of an excess of small particles, the nanoscale packing structure closely resembles the small-particle-rich scenario of the structural crossover transition that has been predicted and also observed with micron-scale hard-sphere colloids. Structural morphology is monitored in situ during monolayer dissolution and reassembly within the thin liquid wetting film. This approach allows investigation of size and solvent effects on nanoparticles in quasi-two-dimensional confinement.
Pontoni
Diego
D
Department of Physics and SEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. pontoni@esrf.fr
Alvine
Kyle J
KJ
Checco
Antonio
A
Gang
Oleg
O
Ocko
Benjamin M
BM
Pershan
Peter S
PS