Designing colloidal suspensions for directed materials assembly

• Published in: Current opinion in colloid & interface science Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 71 - 79
• Main Authors: Conrad, Jacinta C., Ferreira, Summer R., Yoshikawa, Jun, Shepherd, Robert F., Ahn, Bok Y., Lewis, Jennifer A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Assembly; Chemistry; Colloids; Elasticity; Exact sciences and technology; Gels; General and physical chemistry; Glass; Liquids; Microfluidics; Patterning; Geometry; Liquid; Patterning; Material composition; Colloidal suspension; Glass; Elasticity; Review; Structure
• ISSN: 1359-0294; 1879-0399
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2010.11.002

Recent advances in microfluidic and direct-write assembly of colloidal suspensions open new avenues for microscale patterning of functional materials with controlled composition, geometry, and properties. In this article, we describe fundamental aspects of suspension structure, elasticity, and flow behavior for three important systems: (1) dense liquids (and glasses), (2) gels, and (3) biphasic mixtures. We also highlight examples from the current literature of colloidal architectures patterned by these emerging methods.
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► Design of colloidal fluids, gels, and biphasic mixtures for materials assembly at the microscale. ► Direct visualization of suspension flow through microchannels and nozzles. ► Microfluidic assembly of patterned colloidal granules and microcomponents. ► Direct-write assembly of flexible, stretchable, and spanning microelectrodes for printed electronics.