The Langmuir-Blodgett technique:: A powerful tool to elaborate multilayer colloidal crystals

The control transfer of a monolayer of functionalized silica particles onto a solid substrate allows us to build three-dimensional regular crystals with a well-defined thickness and organization. These colloidal crystals diffract light in the visible and the near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions, according to the Bragg's law. In addition, multilayer colloidal crystal can be fabricated by consecutively depositing silica particles with two different sizes onto a substrate. The optical behavior of such composite material can be approximated by a superposition of the spectra of its component stacks. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.