Preparation of colloidal films with different degrees of disorder from monodisperse spherical silica particles

The process of coagulation of suspensions of monodisperse spherical silica particles driven by appropriate coagulants (NH$_4$Cl, HCl, C$_{16}$H$_{33}$N(CH$_3$)$_3$Br) has been studied. Films of photonic crystals and photonic glasses have been grown by the sedimentation method. The possibility of controlling the degree of structural disorder in colloidal films by properly varying the resistance of the water suspension of particles to aggregation has been demonstrated.