Letter abstract
Nature Materials 3, 302 - 306 (2004)
doi:10.1038/nmat1110
Subject Categories: Nanoscale materials | Design synthesis and processing
Hierarchical nanoparticle assemblies formed by decorating breath figures
Alexander Böker1, Yao Lin1, Kristen Chiapperini2, Reina Horowitz3, Mike Thompson4, Vincent Carreon5, Ting Xu1, Clarissa Abetz6, Habib Skaff1, A. D. Dinsmore7, Todd Emrick1 and Thomas P. Russell1
The combination of two self-assembly processes on different length scales leads to the formation of hierarchically structured nanoparticle arrays. Here, the formation of spherical cavities, or 'breath figures'—made by the condensation of micrometre-sized water droplets on the surface of a polymer solution—that self-assemble into a well-ordered hexagonal array, is combined with the self-assembly of CdSe nanoparticles at the polymer solution–water droplet interface. Complete evaporation of the solvent and water confines the particle assembly to an array of spherical cavities and allows for ex situ investigation. Fluorescence confocal, transmission electron and scanning electron microscope images show the preferential segregation of the CdSe nanoparticles to the polymer solution–water interface where they form a 5–7-nm-thick layer, thus functionalizing the walls of the holes. This process opens a new route to fabricating highly functionalized ordered microarrays of nanoparticles, potentially useful in sensory, separation membrane or catalytic applications.
- Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
- Brockton High School, Brockton, Massachusetts 02301, USA
- Springfield Central High School, Springfield, Massachusetts 01109, USA
- Amherst Regional High School, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002, USA
- Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
- Bayreuther Institut für Makromolekülforschung, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
Correspondence to: A. D. Dinsmore7 e-mail: dinsmore@physics.umass.edu
Correspondence to: Todd Emrick1 e-mail: tsemrick@mail.pse.umass.edu
Correspondence to: Thomas P. Russell1 e-mail: russell@mail.pse.umass.edu
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Nanostructures Drip painting on a hot canvasNature Nanotechnology News and Views (01 Jun 2007)
Imperial raimentNature News and Views (03 May 1990)
RESEARCH
Surfactant-assisted fabrication of free-standing inorganic sheets covering an array of micrometre-sized holesNature Materials Article (01 Sep 2007)
Kinetically driven self assembly of highly ordered nanoparticle monolayersNature Materials Letter (01 Apr 2006)
See all 21 matches for Research