title: Formation of an fcc phase through a bcc metastable state in crystallization of charged colloidal particles.
abstract: By in situ monitoring structural changes with the reflection spectrometer during the colloidal crystallization, we present direct experimental evidence of liquid-bcc-fcc phase transition in crystallization of charged colloidal particles, as a manifestation of the Ostwald's step rule. In addition, the lifetime of the bcc metastable structure in this system decreases significantly with increasing particle volume fraction, offering a possible explanation for "exceptions" to the step rule.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Microgravity, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shenghua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jingchang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie