Direct-Write Freeform Colloidal Assembly
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
Alvin T L Tan1, Justin Beroz2, Mathias Kolle2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Abstract:
Colloidal assembly is an attractive means to control material properties via hierarchy of particle composition, size, ordering, and macroscopic form. However, despite well-established methods for assembling colloidal crystals as films and patterns on substrates, and within microscale confinements such as droplets or microwells, it has not been possible to build freeform colloidal crystal structures. Direct-write colloidal assembly, a process combining the bottom-up principle of colloidal self-assembly with the versatility of direct-write 3D printing, is introduced in the present study. By this method, centimeter-scale, free-standing colloidal structures are built from a variety of materials. A scaling law that governs the rate of assembly is derived; macroscale structural color is tailored via the size and crystalline ordering of polystyrene particles, and several freestanding structures are built from silica and gold particles. Owing to the diversity of colloidal building blocks and the means to control their interactions, direct-write colloidal assembly could therefore enable novel composites, photonics, electronics, and other materials and devices.
More Related Videos
11:13Creating Sub-50 Nm Nanofluidic Junctions in PDMS Microfluidic Chip via Self-Assembly Process of Colloidal Particles
Published on: March 13, 2016
10:36Prescribed 3-D Direct Writing of Suspended Micron/Sub-micron Scale Fiber Structures via a Robotic Dispensing System
Published on: June 12, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Colloids
Colloids and Suspensions
Colloidal precipitates
Guidelines for Writing Outcome
Patient outcomes reflect the patient's response to the goal rather than what the nurse aims to achieve. Terminology should be observable and measurable to avoid the reader's interpretation. The desired outcome should be realistic and achievable in the designated care timeframe. Expected outcomes should align with adjunctive therapies. The outcome should enhance care...
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups