Method for electrohydrodynamically assembling patterned colloidal structures
US5855753A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 26, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 5, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 26, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC25D13/18
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method apparatus is provided for electrophoretically depositing particles onto an electrode, and electrohydrodynamically assembling the particles into crystalline structures. Specifically, the present method and apparatus creates a current flowing through a solution to cause identically charged electrophoretically deposited colloidal particles to attract each other over very large distances (<5 particle diameters) on the surface of electrodes to form two-dimensional colloidal crystals. The attractive force can be created with both DC and AC fields and can modulated by adjusting either the field strength or frequency of the current. Modulating this "lateral attraction" between the particles causes the reversible formation of two-dimensional fluid and crystalline colloidal states on the electrode surface. Further manipulation allows for the formation of two or three-dimensional colloidal crystals, as well as more complex "designed" structures. Once the required structures are formed, these three-dimension colloidal crystals can be permanently "frozen" or "glued" by controlled coagulation induced by to the applied field to form a stable crystalline structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.