Photonic crystals consisting of monodisperse superparamagnetic colloidal particles have been synthesized. The particles (see Figure) are obtained by emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of freshly precipitated surface‐modified iron oxide nanoparticles. A magnetic field self‐assembles the particles and controls the diffraction wavelength and crystal parameters of the array.
Patterns of submicron Co islands in conjunction with a uniform, static, or rotating magnetic field are used to demonstrate the possibility of assembling 100–300nm nonmagnetic latex beads in designated locations and manipulating their movements on surfaces.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.