https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2013-02072-1
Review
Confined colloidal crystals in and out of equilibrium
1 Institut für Physik, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
2 Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
3 Institut de Chimie, Physique et Matériaux (ICPM), Université de Lorraine, 1 Bd. Arago, 57078 Metz Cedex 3, France
4 Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Received: 6 September 2013
Revised: 17 September 2013
Published online: 25 November 2013
Recent studies on confined crystals of charged colloidal particles are reviewed, both in equilibrium and out of equilibrium. We focus in particular on direct comparisons of experiments (light scattering and microscopy) with lattice sum calculations and computer simulations. In equilibrium we address buckling and crystalline multilayering of charged systems in hard and soft slit confinement. We discuss also recent crystalline structures obtained for charged mixtures. Moreover we put forward possibilities to apply external perturbations, in order to drive the system out of equilibrium. These include electrolyte gradients as well as the application of shear and electric fields.
© EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag, 2013
