Spherical probes for simultaneous measurement of rotational and translational diffusion in 3 dimensions

Real time visualization and tracking of colloidal particles with 3D resolution is essential for probing the local structure and dynamics in complex fluids. Although tracking translational motion of spherical particles is well-known, accessing rotational dynamics of such particles remains a great challenge. Here, we report a novel approach of using fluorescently labeled raspberry-like colloids with an optical anisotropy to concurrently track translational and rotational dynamics in 3 dimensions. The raspberry-like particles are coated by a silica layer of adjustable thickness, which allows tuning the surface roughness. The synthesis and applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by two types of probes: rough and smoothened. The accuracies of measuring Mean Squared (Angular) Displacements are also demonstrated by using these 2 probes dispersed in 2 different solvents. The presented 3D trackable colloids offer a high potential for wide range of applications and studies, such as probing the dynamics of crystallization, phase transitions, biological interactions and the effect of surface roughness on diffusion.