Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Materials & College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2017 Jul 5;9(26):22037-22041. doi: 10.1021/acsami.7b04653. Epub 2017 Jun 26.
On the basis of their superior optical performance, photonic crystals (PCs) have been investigated as excellent candidates for widespread applications including sensors, displays, separation processes, and catalysis. However, fabrication of structurally controllable large-area PC assemblies with no defects is still a tough task. Herein, we develop an effective strategy for preparing centimeter-scale crack-free photonic crystal films by the combined effects of soft assembly and superhydrophobic nanopin surfaces. Owing to its large contact angle and low-adhesive force on the superhydrophobic substrate, the colloidal suspension exhibits a continuous retraction of the three-phase (gas-liquid-solid) contact line (TCL) in the process of solvent (water molecules) evaporation. The constantly receding TCL can bring the colloidal spheres closer to each other, which could timely close the gaps due to the loss of water molecules. As a result, close-packed and well-ordered assembly structures can be easily obtained. We expect that this work may pave the way to utilize novel superhydrophobic materials for designing and developing high-quality PCs and to apply PCs in different fields.
基于其优异的光学性能，光子晶体（PCs）已被广泛研究，作为包括传感器、显示器、分离过程和催化等领域的优秀候选材料。然而，制造具有结构可控性且无缺陷的大面积 PC 组件仍然是一项艰巨的任务。在此，我们通过软组装和超疏水纳米钉表面的协同作用，开发了一种制备无裂纹厘米级光子晶体薄膜的有效策略。由于其在超疏水基底上具有较大的接触角和较低的粘附力，胶体悬浮液在溶剂（水分子）蒸发过程中表现出三相（气-液-固）接触线（TCL）的连续回缩。不断后退的 TCL 可以使胶体球彼此靠近，由于水分子的损失，及时填补间隙。因此，可以轻松获得紧密堆积和有序的组装结构。我们期望这项工作可能为利用新型超疏水材料设计和开发高质量的 PCs 铺平道路，并将 PCs 应用于不同领域。
