Foam and cluster structure formation by latex particles at the air/water interface

We report the formation of two-dimensional foam and cluster structures by spherical polystyrene particles trapped at the air/water interface. The colloidal foam is a transient structure that evolves to the formation of clusters, but clusters can also be formed after deposition of the sample. We also observed the formation of small aggregates, whose formation along with the cluster stabilization can be explained in terms of a balance between electrostatic repulsive and van der Waals attractive interactions.