Multiformity of particle arrays assembled with a simple dip-coating

Abstract

A simple dip-coating method was examined to fabricate two-dimensional ordered structures of particles on glass substrate with the use of submicron sized, highly monodisperse particles of silica and polystyrene. This method was demonstrated to be applicable to the fabrication of particle mono-layer with high regularity. Multi-layers of the polystyrene particles were fabricated by the repetition of the dip-coating. The polystyrene particle layers could be separated by immersing the substrate into water, leading to formation of mono- and multi-layered films of the polystyrene particles. Repetition of the dip-coating was also applicable to multi-layering of particles with different sizes. A honeycomb structure of 233 nm silica particles under the mono-layer of hexagonally arranged 520 nm polystyrene particles was made by the coating with the polystyrene particles accompanied by the coating with the silica particles. It was indicated that the silica particles crept under the polystyrene particle layer after the coating with the silica particle suspension. A network structure of 233 nm silica particles on mono-layer of hexagonally arranged 590 nm silica particles was formed with the double coating method. Double layer of 175 and 520 nm polystyrene particles was also fabricated with this coating method.