Rings of Nanoparticle-Decorated Honeycomb-Structured Polymeric Film: The Combination of Pickering Emulsions and Capillary Flow in the Breath Figures Method

Abstract

The self-assembly of nanoparticles at the fluid/fluid interface (Pickering emulsions) in the breath figures (BF) method have been explored to direct nanoparticles onto BF microarrays and adjust the BF assembly in microsize. Circular rings of nanoparticle-decorated honeycomb-structured polymeric film can be obtained by a one-step process. The combination of Pickering emulsions and capillary flow in the BF method may be responsible for the formation of this intriguing structure.