Structuring of colloidal silica nanoparticle suspensions near water-silica interfaces probed by specular neutron reflectivity

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2020 Mar 18;22(11):6449-6456. doi: 10.1039/d0cp00465k.

Abstract

Structuring of aqueous suspensions of colloidal silica nanoparticles near an isolated planar silica-water interface is studied by specular neutron reflectivity. The reflectivity data clearly show that the suspensions develop a damped, oscillatory concentration profile in the normal direction to the interface. The wavelengths of these oscillations agree well with those independently determined by direct force measurements in the slit-geometry. The reflectivity data further demonstrate that the oscillatory structure persists over several layers and that the first particle layer is separated from the interface by a particle-free region.