Electric-Field-Assisted Convective Assembly of Colloidal Crystal Coatings

A new technique that combines evaporative convective deposition of colloidal crystal coatings with an electric field to achieve more rapid assembly and reduce the defects in the crystal structure is reported. When an ac voltage is applied across the particle suspension and the substrate in the convective assembly process, a longer film spreads from the meniscus by the electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) effect. The data suggest that the EWOD-increased liquid surface area results in increased evaporation-driven particle flux and crystal assembly that is up to five times more rapid. The extended drying film also provides more time for particle rearrangement before the structure becomes fixed, resulting in formation of crystal domains an order of magnitude larger than those deposited by convective assembly alone. The results demonstrate that EWOD is a facile tool for controlling particle assembly processes in wetting films. The technique could be used in improved large-scale colloidal crystal coating processes.