Photoswitchable Dissipative Two-Dimensional Colloidal Crystals

Jacopo Vialetto (1) , Manos Anyfantakis (1, 2) , Sergii Rudiuk (1) , Mathieu Morel (1) , Damien Baigl (1)

1 PASTEUR - Processus d'Activation Sélective par Transfert d'Energie Uni-électronique ou Radiatif (UMR 8640)
2 University of Luxembourg [Luxembourg]

Control over particle interactions and organization at liquid interfaces is of great importance both for fundamental studies and practical applications. Rendering these systems stimulus-responsive is thus a desired challenge both for investigating dynamic phenomena and realizing reconfigura-ble materials. Here, we describe the first reversible photo-control of two-dimensional colloidal crystallization at the air/ water interface, where millimeter-sized assemblies of micro-particles can be actuated through the dynamic adsorption/ desorption behavior of a photosensitive surfactant added to the suspension. This allows us to dynamically switch the particle organization between a highly crystalline (under light) and a disordered (in the dark) phase with a fast response time (crystallization in % 10 s, disassembly in % 1 min). These results evidence a new kind of dissipative system where the crystalline state can be maintained only upon energy supply.

Domaines: Matériaux

Jacopo Vialetto, Manos Anyfantakis, Sergii Rudiuk, Mathieu Morel, Damien Baigl. Photoswitchable Dissipative Two-Dimensional Colloidal Crystals. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019, 58 (27), pp.9145-9149. ⟨10.1002/anie.201904093⟩. ⟨hal-02363436⟩