title: Asymmetric colloidal dimers under quasi-two-dimensional confinement.
abstract: The synthesis and assembly of mildly fused asymmetric polystyrene/silica dimers confined to gap heights intermediate to an in-plane monolayer and an out-of-plane monolayer are explored. Using real-space confocal microscopy, we show that structures evolve from an oblique two-dimensional (2D) phase to a quasi-2D rotator, and finally to an upright hexagonally close-packed monolayer. The existence of the novel quasi-2D state, where out-of-plane motion is allowed, highlights the critical role that confinement dimensionality plays on the nature of ordering in complex colloidal systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Esther Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Erin K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Chekesha M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Liddell