Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
2.7
Journals
Crystals
Special Issues
Colloidal Crystals
share announcement

Colloidal Crystals

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2016) | Viewed by 66624

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Qingfeng Yan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Interests: colloidal self-assembly; block copolymer self-assembly; piezoelectric and ferroelectric single crystals; organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite single crystals; black phosphorus single crystals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As an old material, colloidal particles have long been used as the major components of various industrial products, such as additives in coating and paint, foods, ink products, chromatographic support, paper, cosmetics, photographic films, electronic packaging technology and many others, due to their susceptibility to different chemical modification and excellent mechanical properties. Particularly, monodisperse colloidal spheres can form a 2D or 3D colloidal crystal with a highly ordered structure, via a so-called self-assembly process. Colloidal crystals have stimulated widespread interest in recent decades. On the one hand, the self-assembly of colloidal spheres provides a fascinating model for studying the crystallizing behavior of atoms. On the other hand, colloidal crystals themselves have demonstrated application in a wide variety of fields, such as photonic crystal, phononic crystal, catalysis, wetting, display, energy storage and conversion, chemical and biological sensing, and templates for chemical synthesis, cell culture, and nanofabrication.

The objective of the Special Issue “Colloidal Crystals” is to provide a unique forum allowing scientists working in this field to present their recent results in any of the research areas related to colloidal crystals. It should be pointed out that the topics summarized under the keywords should be considered only as some potential examples as this issue is actually open for any advanced topics in the wide field of colloidal crystals.

Dr. Qingfeng Yan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fabrication of colloidal crystals
  • mechanism of colloidal self-assembly
  • nanofabrication based on colloidal crystal
  • colloidal photonic crystals and phononic crystals
  • non-spherical colloidal crystals
  • binary colloidal crystals
  • application of colloidal crystals in emerging areas

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

2774 KiB  
Communication
Self-Assembly Kinetics of Colloidal Particles inside Monodispersed Micro-Droplet and Fabrication of Anisotropic Photonic Crystal Micro-Particles
by Ming-Yu Zhang, Ke Xu, Jian-Hong Xu and Guang-Sheng Luo
Crystals 2016, 6(10), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6100122 - 23 Sep 2016
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7312
Abstract
A new microfluidic approach to preparing anisotropic colloidal photonic crystal microparticles is developed and the self-assembly kinetics of colloidal nanoparticles is discussed. Based on the “coffee ring” effect in the self-assembly process of colloidal silica particle in strong solvent extraction environment, we successfully [...] Read more.
A new microfluidic approach to preparing anisotropic colloidal photonic crystal microparticles is developed and the self-assembly kinetics of colloidal nanoparticles is discussed. Based on the “coffee ring” effect in the self-assembly process of colloidal silica particle in strong solvent extraction environment, we successfully prepared anisotropic photonic crystal microparticles with different shapes and improved optical properties. The shapes and optical properties of photonic crystal microparticles can be controlled by adjusting the droplet size and extraction rate. We studied the self-assembly mechanism of colloidal silica particles in strong solvent extraction environment, which has potential applications in a variety of fields including optical communication technology, environmental response, photo-catalysis and chromic material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

2960 KiB  
Communication
Photonic Crystals with an Eye Pattern Similar to Peacock Tail Feathers
by Minghui Wang, Fanshu Meng, Hua Wu and Jingxia Wang
Crystals 2016, 6(8), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6080099 - 20 Aug 2016
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7120
Abstract
A facile fabrication of photonic crystals (PCs) with an eye pattern similar to peacock tail feathers has been demonstrated by self-assembly of colloidal particles in a sandwich mode. The sandwich mode is formed by superhydrophilic flat substrate sandwiching the poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-arylic acid) (Poly(St-MMA-AA)) [...] Read more.
A facile fabrication of photonic crystals (PCs) with an eye pattern similar to peacock tail feathers has been demonstrated by self-assembly of colloidal particles in a sandwich mode. The sandwich mode is formed by superhydrophilic flat substrate sandwiching the poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-arylic acid) (Poly(St-MMA-AA)) latex suspension (2 wt%) by the hydrophobic one. The patterns are characterized by optical microscopy images, reflection spectra, and the relative scanning electronic microscope images. This work will provide beneficial help for the understanding of the self-assembly process of colloidal crystals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

4327 KiB  
Article
A Novel Approach to Quantitatively Assess the Uniformity of Binary Colloidal Crystal Assemblies
by Peter Koegler, Michelle Dunn, Peng-Yuan Wang, Helmut Thissen and Peter Kingshott
Crystals 2016, 6(8), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6080084 - 26 Jul 2016
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5043
Abstract
Colloidal self-assembly into highly ordered binary systems represents a versatile and inexpensive approach to generate well defined surface topographical features with submicron resolution. In addition, the use of surface-functionalized particles where each particle bears a different surface functionality enables the generation of highly [...] Read more.
Colloidal self-assembly into highly ordered binary systems represents a versatile and inexpensive approach to generate well defined surface topographical features with submicron resolution. In addition, the use of surface-functionalized particles where each particle bears a different surface functionality enables the generation of highly resolved surface chemical patterns. Such topographical, as well as chemical features, are of great interest in biomaterials science particularly in the context of investigating and controlling the cellular response. While colloidal crystals have been used to generate a wide range of surface patterns, it has not been possible until now to quantitatively describe the degree of uniformity within such systems. In the present work we describe a novel approach to quantitatively assess the uniformity within binary colloidal assemblies based on image processing methods, primarily the Circular Hough Transform and distance calculations. We believe that the methodology presented here will find broad application in the field of colloidal crystals to quantitatively describe the integrity and homogeneity of assemblies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

3067 KiB  
Article
Adsorption, Desorption, Surface Diffusion, Lattice Defect Formation, and Kink Incorporation Processes of Particles on Growth Interfaces of Colloidal Crystals with Attractive Interactions
by Yoshihisa Suzuki, Yoshiaki Hattori, Jun Nozawa, Satoshi Uda, Akiko Toyotama and Junpei Yamanaka
Crystals 2016, 6(7), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6070080 - 18 Jul 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6362
Abstract
Good model systems are required in order to understand crystal growth processes because, in many cases, precise incorporation processes of atoms or molecules cannot be visualized easily at the atomic or molecular level. Using a transmission-type optical microscope, we have successfully observed in [...] Read more.
Good model systems are required in order to understand crystal growth processes because, in many cases, precise incorporation processes of atoms or molecules cannot be visualized easily at the atomic or molecular level. Using a transmission-type optical microscope, we have successfully observed in situ adsorption, desorption, surface diffusion, lattice defect formation, and kink incorporation of particles on growth interfaces of colloidal crystals of polystyrene particles in aqueous sodium polyacrylate solutions. Precise surface transportation and kink incorporation processes of the particles into the colloidal crystals with attractive interactions were observed in situ at the particle level. In particular, contrary to the conventional expectations, the diffusion of particles along steps around a two-dimensional island of the growth interface was not the main route for kink incorporation. This is probably due to the number of bonds between adsorbed particles and particles in a crystal; the number exceeds the limit at which a particle easily exchanges its position to the adjacent one along the step. We also found novel desorption processes of particles from steps to terraces, attributing them to the assistance of attractive forces from additionally adsorbing particles to the particles on the steps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

1318 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystals of Zirconia by Electrodeposition in a Colloidal Crystals Template
by Lei Pan, Hongbo Xu, Yunyong Sun, Jiupeng Zhao and Yao Li
Crystals 2016, 6(7), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6070076 - 02 Jul 2016
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4752
Abstract
Three-dimensional photonic crystals of zirconia were prepared by electrodeposition in a colloidal crystals template following calcination at 500 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and reflectance spectroscopy were employed to characterize the photonic crystals of zirconia. It was found that hydrated [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional photonic crystals of zirconia were prepared by electrodeposition in a colloidal crystals template following calcination at 500 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and reflectance spectroscopy were employed to characterize the photonic crystals of zirconia. It was found that hydrated zirconium ions could penetrate the colloidal crystals template and reach the substrate easily by electrodeposition, which resulted in stronger bonding between the substrate and the as-deposited membrane. Moreover, the electrodeposited membrane had low water content, leading to a low amount of shrinkage during calcination. Both these properties could suppress detachment from the substrate upon removal of the colloidal crystals template. Therefore, the three-dimensional photonic crystals of zirconia synthesized in this study exhibited very good preservation of the ordered structures of the colloidal crystals template with a high density. A peak of reflection higher than 70% was formed in the reflectance spectrum because of the strong diffraction of the ordered structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

4616 KiB  
Article
Colloidal Photonic Crystals Containing Silver Nanoparticles with Tunable Structural Colors
by Chun-Feng Lai and Yu-Chi Wang
Crystals 2016, 6(5), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6050061 - 19 May 2016
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 10999
Abstract
Polystyrene (PS) colloidal photonic crystals (CPhCs) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) present tunable structural colors. PS CPhC color films containing a high concentration of AgNPs were prepared using self-assembly process through gravitational sedimentation method. High-concentration AgNPs were deposited on the bottom of the substrate [...] Read more.
Polystyrene (PS) colloidal photonic crystals (CPhCs) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) present tunable structural colors. PS CPhC color films containing a high concentration of AgNPs were prepared using self-assembly process through gravitational sedimentation method. High-concentration AgNPs were deposited on the bottom of the substrate and acted as black materials to absorb background and scattering light. Brilliant structural colors were enhanced because of the absorption of incoherent scattering light, and color saturation was increased by the distribution AgNPs on the PS CPhC surfaces. The vivid iridescent structural colors of AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhC films were based on Bragg diffraction and backward scattering absorption using AgNPs. The photonic stop band of PS CPhCs and AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhCs were measured by UV–visible reflection spectrometry and calculated based on the Bragg–Snell law. In addition, the tunable structural colors of AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhC films were evaluated using color measurements according to the Commission International d’Eclairage standard colorimetric system. This paper presents a simple and inexpensive method to produce tunable structural colors for numerous applications, such as textile fabrics, bionic colors, catalysis, and paints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

3516 KiB  
Review
Morphological and Structural Control of Organic Monolayer Colloidal Crystal Based on Plasma Etching and Its Application in Fabrication of Ordered Gold Nanostructured Arrays
by Guangqiang Liu and Weiping Cai
Crystals 2016, 6(10), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6100126 - 26 Sep 2016
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7554
Abstract
The organic monolayer colloidal crystals, which are usually prepared by self-assembling, could be used as templates, due to their interstitial geometry, for the periodically arranged nanostructured arrays, which have important applications in many fields, such as photonic crystals, information storage, super-hydrophobicity, biological and [...] Read more.
The organic monolayer colloidal crystals, which are usually prepared by self-assembling, could be used as templates, due to their interstitial geometry, for the periodically arranged nanostructured arrays, which have important applications in many fields, such as photonic crystals, information storage, super-hydrophobicity, biological and chemical sensing. Obviously, the structures of the obtained arrays mainly depend on those of the templates. However, the self-assembled monolayer colloidal crystal is exclusive in structure and for its hexagonal close-packed colloidal arrangement, leading to the limitation of the monolayer colloidal crystal as the template for the nanostructured arrays. Therefore, structural diversity is important in order for colloidal crystals to be used as the templates for various nanostructured arrays. Recently, there have been some reports on the morphological and structural manipulation of the organic monolayer colloidal crystals. In this review article, we focus on the recent progress in morphological and structural manipulation of polystyrene monolayer colloidal crystals based on plasma etching, and its application in the fabrication of the ordered gold nanostructured arrays with different structures, mainly including close-packed monolayer colloidal crystal and its transferrable property; structural manipulation based on plasma etching; and fabrication of gold nanostructured arrays based on varied monolayer colloidal crystals as template. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

10483 KiB  
Review
Bottom-Up Assembly and Applications of Photonic Materials
by Hanbin Zheng and Serge Ravaine
Crystals 2016, 6(5), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst6050054 - 12 May 2016
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 15968
Abstract
The assembly of colloidal building-blocks is an efficient, inexpensive and flexible approach for the fabrication of a wide variety of photonic materials with designed shapes and large areas. In this review, the various assembly routes to the fabrication of colloidal crystals and their [...] Read more.
The assembly of colloidal building-blocks is an efficient, inexpensive and flexible approach for the fabrication of a wide variety of photonic materials with designed shapes and large areas. In this review, the various assembly routes to the fabrication of colloidal crystals and their post-assembly modifications to the production of photonic materials are first described. Then, the emerging applications of the colloidal photonic structures in various fields such as biological and chemical sensing, anti-reflection, photovoltaics, and light extraction are summarized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colloidal Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-8
Back to TopTop