Polystyrene spheres (2450 Å in diameter) are trapped in a surface energy well at water/air interface. Because of asymmetry of charge distribution, electrical dipoles are associated with each interfacial particle. The dipole-dipole repulsive interactions organize the polystyrene spheres into a two-dimensional triangular lattice. The direct microscopic observations of such an interfacial colloidal crystal are reported for the first time.

• Received 15 May 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.45.569