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Particle self-assembly

Superstructures simplified

Nature Nanotechnology volume 11, pages 1002–1003 (2016)Cite this article

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A general method for particle assembly allows access to a diverse range of modular microscale supraparticles from nanoparticles, nanowires and even cells.

In 1913, University of Bristol researcher James W. McBain postulated the existence of spherically shaped 'colloidal ions' as an explanation for the high electrolytic conductivity of aqueous solutions of fatty acid salts1. This was the first example of modular particles that spontaneously self-assemble from individual building blocks, exemplified by fatty acids with hydrocarbon chains and highly charged head-groups. This discovery gave rise to an amazing diversity of micelles and other nano-, meso- and microscale assemblies of surfactant molecules.

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Figure 1: Terminal assemblies made from different building blocks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nicholas A. Kotov is in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA,

    Nicholas A. Kotov

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  1. Nicholas A. Kotov
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Correspondence to Nicholas A. Kotov.

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Kotov, N. Superstructures simplified. Nature Nanotech 11, 1002–1003 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2016.229

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