Prev. Article Next Article Table of Contents

Article

Self-Assembled Colloidal Crystals: Visualizing Atomic Crystal Chemistry Using Microscopic Analogues of Inorganic Solids

Your current credentials do not allow retrieval of the full text.

Purchase the full-text

PDF/HTML,
figures/images,
references and tables,
(where available)

Neal M. Abrams

Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

Raymond E. Schaak

Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77842-3012

J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82 (3), p 450

DOI: 10.1021/ed082p450

Publication Date (Web): March 1, 2005

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Monodisperse spherical colloids spontaneously crystallize into close-packed crystals, in analogy to the simple crystal structures of many of the elements. Since colloids are orders of magnitude larger than atoms, students can directly observe crystal structure and behavior in a microscope using colloidal crystals. This laboratory exercise provides a modular series of materials science experiments appropriate for undergraduate chemistry and engineering majors. The individual modules include aspects of chemical synthesis (monodisperse SiO₂ and polymer spheres), self-assembly (colloidal crystallization), and structural characterization through microscopy (optical and scanning electron microscopies) and optical spectroscopy (optical diffraction and UV–visible spectroscopy). Using these experiments, students learn new inorganic and organic synthetic techniques, study crystal behavior (e.g., coordination, defects, close-packing) in model systems, and apply optical characterization techniques to the analysis of their materials. The experiments can easily be tailored to the desired level of complexity and instrumental availability.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Inorganic Chemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Colloids

View: Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links

Citing Articles

Citation data is made available by participants in CrossRef's Cited-by Linking service. For a more comprehensive list of citations to this article, users are encouraged to perform a search in SciFinder.

This article has been cited by 2 ACS Journal articles (2 most recent appear below).

Fabrication and Analysis of Photonic Crystals
Younan Xia , Dean J. Campbell and Kylee E. Korte
Journal of Chemical Education2007 84 (11), 1824
- Fabrication and Analysis of Photonic Crystals
  Younan Xia , Dean J. Campbell and Kylee E. Korte
  Journal of Chemical Education2007 84 (11), 1824
  These laboratory experiments are designed to explore aspects of nanoscale chemistry by constructing and spectroscopically analyzing thin films of photonic crystals. Films comprised of colloidal spheres and polydimethylsiloxane exhibit diffraction-based ...
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Powder Diffraction Simulated by a Polycrystalline Film of Spherical Colloids
Younan Xia , Dean J. Campbell , George C. Lisensky
Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (11), 1638
- Powder Diffraction Simulated by a Polycrystalline Film of Spherical Colloids
  Younan Xia , Dean J. Campbell , George C. Lisensky
  Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (11), 1638
  This article describes a simple way to demonstrate powder diffraction in a classroom setting using a dry film of spherical colloids on a glass substrate. Use of transparent, elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) as a supporting substrate for the spheres ...
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links