Spontaneous two-dimensional spherical colloidal structures

Two-dimensional spherical crystalline colloidal structures are formed at the interface between water and oil as the result of spontaneous emulsification and colloidal self-assembly. When water droplets are introduced in oil containing a lipophilic surfactant, smaller water droplets of uniform size are spontaneously produced at the spherical interface. Initially of submicrometer size, the small droplets at the interface self-assemble, forming ordered structures, and grow uniformly with time until they reach a size of a few micrometers, maintaining the crystalline structure.