Colloidal ellipsoids with continuously variable shape

Abstract

A method for synthesizing a new class of inorganic ellipsoidal colloids, which exploits a combination of colloidal chemistry and ion-irradiation techniques, was presented. The study revealed that monodisperse silica and zinc sulfide microspheres show a dramatic anisotropic plastic deformation under 4 MeV Xe ion irradiation. It was demonstrated that the deformed ellipsoids can be redispersed into a stable suspension, and preliminary indications of nematic liquid-crystalline ordering were found.