Figure 1: Schematics of chain formation.
From: Formation of printable granular and colloidal chains through capillary effects and dielectrophoresis
(a) Particles are pulled out of a dispersion to form a ‘pearl necklace’, by applying an electric field through a needle-shaped electrode. (b,c) A particle at the air–liquid interface experiences an upward dielectrophoretic force Fe and a downward capillary force Fsp stemming from the sphere–plane liquid bridge. (d) Once the particle is pulled out, it automatically forms a sphere–sphere bridge with the particle below it, and pulls that particle upwards with force Fss.
