Figure 2. Structure of gradient-interface particle brush colloidal crystal.

(a) Bright-field transmission electron microscopy image of particle brush film revealing projection of a four particle-stack. In the micrograph, the sixfold intersection of contrast regions is indicative of fcc packing. The inset shows a magnified image of individual brush particles enlightening the ‘inner shell' of extended polymer segments (faint ring in the image). The scheme illustrates the conformational transition and interdigitation of tethered polymer chains on silica spheres. (b) Schematic of fcc packing structure of brush particles with interparticle distance d along with an illustration of the projection image that is expected for fcc structure along [111] direction (black arrow in left panel).