Self-Assembling of Colloidal Particles Dispersed in Mixture of Ethanol and Water at the Air-Liquid Interface of Colloidal Suspension at Room Temperature

Self-assembling of colloidal particles dispersed in a mixture of ethanol and water at the air-liquid interface of the colloidal suspension at room temperature is investigated, and a method of rapidly assembling colloidal particles is proposed. By this method, a uniform colloidal crystal thin film over ten square centimeters in area can be fabricated in 10min without special facilities and heating the suspension. SEM images and a normal incidence transmission spectrum of the sample show that the colloidal crystal film fabricated by this method is of high quality. In addition, this method is very suitable for fabricating colloidal crystal heterostructures.