| When microparticles are placed on the interface of an isotropic liquid, they interact owing to capillarity. Microparticles with complex shapes can orient and assemble to form regular structures. Geometry can be used to fine tune near field interactions, to create elastic or brittle structures, to create near field repulsions or enhanced attractions. On curved interfaces, particles migrate owing to capillarity to sites of high curvature. We demonstrate these phenomena at interfaces of isotropic liquids using confining geometries to mold the interface shape. Recent results for microparticles at interfaces of nematic liquid crystals are then described, in which the director field can influence the particle interactions, trajectories and structures. |
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