Imaging individual particles in concentrated colloidal dispersions by confocal scanning light microscopy

Abstract

The study of colloidal dispersions is important in many areas, such as ceramics and electrorheological liquid research. Techniques such as high‐resolution electron microscopy, which must be used in a vacuum, and light microscopy with its lower resolution and the fact that out‐of‐focus information contributes to the image have severe limitations in this work, many of which are avoided through the use of confocal scanning light microscopy. The pros and cons of the technique and its applications are discussed.