Nonequilibrium phases of nanoparticle Langmuir films.
We report on an in-situ observation of the colloidal silver nanoparticle self-assembly into a close-packed monolayer at the air/water interface followed by a 2D to 3D transition. Using the fast tracking GISAXS technique, we were able to observe the immediate response to the compression of the self-assembled nanoparticle layer at the air/water interface and to identify all relevant intermediate stages including those far from the equilibrium. In particular, a new nonequilibrium phase before the monolayer collapse via the 2D to 3D transition was found that is inaccessible by the competing direct space imaging techniques such as the scanning and transmission electron microscopies due to the high water vapor pressure and surface tension.
Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 11 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Karol
K
Vegso
Peter
P
Siffalovic
Eva
E
Majkova
Matej
M
Jergel
Monika
M
Benkovicova
Teodora
T
Kocsis
Martin
M
Weis
Stefan
S
Luby
Kim
K
Nygård
Oleg
O
Konovalov
D000388:Air; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D003102:Colloids; D014867:Water; D012834:Silver