Observation of nano-dewetting in colloidal crystal drying.
The drying of colloidal crystals is connected with a continuous shrinkage process. However, several minutes after starting the drying, the system seems to take a breath before it shrinks monotonously until its final state after about one day. This short period we call "v"-event because of the shape of the curve characterizing the lattice constant: a decrease followed by a counter-intuitive increase which ends after one hour. This event is found in time-dependent optical spectra. It is assigned to the start of a nano-dewetting process occurring at the colloidal particles.
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany); Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), Universität Duisburg-Essen (Germany).
Mulda
M
Muldarisnur
Frank
F
Marlow
colloids; dewetting; nanostructures; self-assembly; water