Self-organised Nanoparticle Assemblies: A Panoply of Patterns
will be presented by
Prof. Philip Moriarty (
University of Nottingham
)
on 19/11/2008 at 12:00
Seminar will take place at Block A Main Conf Room
Abstract:
Nanoparticle-solvent films deposited on solid substrates are associated with a rich dynamic behaviour which gives rise to a wide variety of striking self-organised patterns [1-6]. Although close-to-equilibrium self-assembly of nanoparticle arrays has been studied in some depth, there has been rather less work on solvent-nanoparticle systems driven far from equilibrium (via, for example, spin coating). In the far-from-equilibrium regime, a remarkably broad array of intricate, spatially correlated patterns form including "foam-like" cellular networks, labyrinthine structures similar to those formed in spinodal decomposition of binary fluids, and well-defined fractal morphologies. I shall focus on our recent results in two areas: (i) "coerced coarsening" of nanoparticle arrays where the system is mechanically driven towards equilibrium [4], and (ii) the use of scanning probe-defined silicon oxide patterns to direct solvent dewetting and thus form colloidal nanoparticle corrals[5].
1. G. Ge and L. Brus, J. Phys. Chem. B 104 9573 (2000)
2. P. Moriarty, MDR Taylor, and M. Brust, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 248303 (2002)
3. E. Rabani et al., Nature 426 271 (2003)
4. MO Blunt et al., Nature Nanotech. 2, 167 (2007)
5. CP. Martin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 116103 (2007)
6. E. Pauliac-Vaujour et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 176102 (2008)
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