Reorientation of colloidal crystalline domains by a thinning meniscus

Abstract

When water is evaporated quickly from a water-based colloidal suspension, colloidal particles protrude from the water surface, distorting it and generating lateral capillary forces between the colloidal particles. The protruded colloidal particles are then assembled into ordered colloidal crystalline domains that float on the water surface on account of their having a lower effective density than water. These colloidal crystal domains then assemble together by lateral capillary force and convective flow; the generated colloidal crystal has grain boundaries. The single domain size of the colloidal crystal could be controlled, to some extent, by changing the rate of water evaporation, but it seems very difficult to fabricate a single crystal over a large area of the water's surface without reorienting each colloidal crystal domain. To reorient such colloidal crystal domains, a glass plate was dipped into the colloidal suspension at a tilted angle because the meniscus (airwaterglass plate interface) is pinned and thinned by further water evaporation. The thinning meniscus generated a shear force and reoriented the colloidal crystalline domains into a single domain.