Development of AC electrokinetics-based methodologies for nanoparticle assembly

胶体颗粒的受控操作和组织（即，稳定悬浮在流体中的尺寸小于1微米的颗粒）转变为一维和多维有序结构代表了制造大量具有重要技术意义的小型化产品的第一步。结构属性，如长程有序，高堆积密度，高表面积与体积比，和可再现的形状和尺寸是非常可取的应用范围从微型传感器和致动器，纳米反应器，催化剂，光子晶体，和高密度磁记录介质。然而，将胶体颗粒，特别是纳米颗粒（尺寸<100 nm）组织成没有缺陷并且在比颗粒尺寸大得多的长度尺度上延伸的有序结构仍然是一个很大的挑战。

The controlled manipulation and organization of colloidal particles (i.e., particles with size smaller than 1 micron stably suspended in a fluid) into one-, and multi-dimensional ordered structures represents the first step towards the fabrication of a large number of miniaturized products of great technological importance. Structural attributes such as long-range order, high packing density, high surface-to-volume ratio, and reproducible shape and dimensions are highly desirable in applications ranging from miniaturized sensors and actuators, to nanoreactors, catalysts, photonic crystals, and high-density magnetic recording media. However, the organization of colloidal particles, particularly nanoparticles (size<100 nm), into ordered structures devoid of defects and extending over length scales much larger than the particle size remains a big challenge.