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Monodispersed Colloidal Spheres: Old Materials with New Applications
Author(s) -
Xia Y.,
Gates B.,
Yin Y.,
Lu Y.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-4095(200005)12:10<693::aid-adma693>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - materials science , nanotechnology , template , spheres , colloidal crystal , colloid , photonic crystal , photonic bandgap , porosity , photonics , lithography , optoelectronics , composite material , chemical engineering , physics , astronomy , engineering
This article presents an overview of current research activities that center on monodispersed colloidal spheres whose diameter falls anywhere in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm. It is organized into three parts: The first part briefly discusses several useful methods that have been developed for producing monodispersed colloidal spheres with tightly controlled sizes and well‐defined properties (both surface and bulk). The second part surveys some techniques that have been demonstrated for organizing these colloidal spheres into two‐ and three‐dimensionally ordered lattices. The third part highlights a number of unique applications of these crystalline assemblies, such as their uses as photonic bandgap (PBG) crystals; as removable templates to fabricate macroporous materials with highly ordered and three‐dimensionally interconnected porous structures; as physical masks in lithographic patterning; and as diffractive elements to fabricate new types of optical sensors. Finally, we conclude with some personal perspectives on the directions towards which future research in this area might be directed.