COLLOID CRYSTAL · Multi-scale modelling and simulation of colloidal crystal self-assembling on chemically patterned surfaces
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2006-03-01 → 2008-02-29
- EU contribution
- €152,527
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- IIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - COLLOID CRYSTAL (Multiscale modelling and simulation of colloidal crystal self-assembling on chemically patterned surfaces)
The technological demand and wealth creation opportunities for miniaturised devices and components are widely accepted. Among the many routes of deriving advanced functional materials critical to these innovations, colloidal self-assembling has increasingly drawn attention because potentially it is the most cost-effective process for producing the 2D and 3D superstructures. Colloidal self-assembly represents an emerging technique in producing superstructures with specific geometries possessing a broad range of feature sizes. Within the project duration, we have developed a simulation platform that simulates the Brownian suspension as well as the colloidal migration and self-assembly at the drying front of the meniscus. The numerical outcome reveals a great deal of process details by taking into account the van der Waals-, electrostatic double layer -, hydrodynamic-, and Brownian forces. Experimentally, we achieved to device a new method in fabricating 2D colloidal close-packing crystals, which provides a versatile platform for nanosphere lithography, surface modification, and interfacial nano-architecture formation. The additional outcome of the project also includes the binary and trimodal colloidal crystal self-assembly that contributes to the fundamental understanding of crystal formation as well as fabrication of advanced functional materials.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The technological demand and wealth creation opportunities for miniaturized and nanotechnology devices and components are widely accepted. Among the many routes of deriving advanced functional materials critical to these innovations, colloidal self-assembling has increasingly drawn attention because potentially it is the most cost-effective process for producing the 2D and 3D superstructures. Colloidal self-assembly via chemically patterned surface represents an emerging technique in producing superstructures with specific geometries possessing a broad range of feature sizes (a few nm - a few mm).However, although a great deal of structures have been experimentally produced, the underlying mechanism of self-assembling is not understood, being limited to qualitative explanations and speculations. By combining the knowledge in colloid science, interfacial physics and chemistry, complex fluid dynamics and numerical computations, this project aims to develop models and viable approximations to unravel the complex interplay of the various interactions on a quantitative level, assisted by numerical simulations of patterned colloid crystallization from nanoscopic to macroscopic length scale.The expected outcomes are:1. a quantitative understanding of the fundamental controlling factors to the growth of self-assembled colloidal crystals on chemically patterned surfaces with wettability contrasts, concerning interactions between particle-particle, particle-solvent, particle-substrate, and solvent-substrate;2. an integrated bulk-suspension-scale/particle-scale/molecular-scale model and a simulation platform to emulate the self-assembling process from the suspension to the patterned substrate.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V. · MUENCHENCoordinatorGermany
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union