Synthesis of highly charged, monodisperse polystyrene colloidal particles for the fabrication of photonic crystals

We have developed a series of emulsion polymerization recipes for the synthesis of highly charged, monodisperse polystyrene colloids of diameters between 100-400 mm. These spherical colloidal particles were crosslinked with divinyl benzene and functionalized with 1-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropane sulfonate. These highly charged, monodisperse colloidal particles readily self-assemble into robust three-dimensionally ordered crystalline colloidal arrays (CCAs). These CCAs operate as photonic crystals that Bragg diffract light in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of the spectrum. (C) 2000 Academic Press.