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Journal article
Anisotropy effects on the kinetics of colloidal crystallization and melting: comparison of spheres and ellipsoids
Soft matter, v 15(37), pp 7479-7489
25 Sep 2019
PMID: 31513214
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
We use alternating current (AC) electric field assisted self-assembly to produce two-dimensional, millimeter scale arrays of ellipsoidal colloids and study the kinetics of their phase reconfiguration by means of confocal microscopy, light scattering, and computer simulation. We find that the kinetics of orientational and positional ordering can be manipulated by changing the shape of the colloids: ellipsoids with aspect ratio 2.0 melt into disordered structures 5.7 times faster compared to spheres. On the other hand, ellipsoids self-assemble into ordered crystals at a similar rate to spheres. Confocal microscopy is used to directly visualize defects in the self-assembled structures. Small-angle light scattering (SALS) quantifies the light diffraction response, which is sensitive to the kinetics of positional and orientational ordering in the self-assembled anisotropic structures. We find three different light diffraction patterns: a phase with high orientational order (with chain-like structure in real space), a phase with high positional and orientational order (characteristic of a close-packed structure), and a phase that is disordered in position but with intermediate orientational order. The large influence of aspect ratio on the kinetics of the positionally and orientationally ordered phase is explored through simulation; it is found that the number of particle degrees of freedom controls the difference between the melting rates of the ellipsoids and spheres. This research contributes to the understanding of reconfiguration kinetics and optical properties of colloidal crystals produced from anisotropic colloids.
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Details
- Title
- Anisotropy effects on the kinetics of colloidal crystallization and melting: comparison of spheres and ellipsoids
- Creators
- Peng-Kai Kao - Univ Michigan, Dept Chem Engn, North Campus Res Complex,Bldg 10-A151, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USABryan J. VanSaders - University of Michigan–Ann ArborMichael D. Durkin - University of Michigan–Ann ArborSharon C. Glotzer - University of Michigan–Ann ArborMichael J. Solomon - University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- Publication Details
- Soft matter, v 15(37), pp 7479-7489
- Publisher
- Royal Soc Chemistry
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant from the University of Michigan DE-SC0013562 / Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences; United States Department of Energy (DOE)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000487804800013
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85072628722
- Other Identifier
- 991021877363304721
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Chemistry, Physical
- Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
- Physics, Multidisciplinary
- Polymer Science