Kinetics of Nanoparticle Self-assembly in Directing Fields

Principal Investigator: Dr. Eric Furst
Affiliation: University of Delaware
The number of advanced materials manufactured by the assembly of colloidal particles is growing. Assembly can be controlled by applying external fields (such as a magnetic eld) that affect the motion of the particles and their organization during assembly. Performing self-assembly research in microgravity is advantageous because on Earth, the particles sediment due to gravity with a sedimentation rate that increases as they form large and complicated structures. The colloidal particles examined in this project could serve as building blocks for advanced materials that control the propagation of sound and heat in electronics.