Inorganic Nanoparticles may feature unique size-, shape-, and composition-dependent plasmonic, excitonic, or magnetig properties. From the assembly of these nanoscale entities into ordered supracolloidal clusters, these properties may be further enhanced or completely new phenomena may emerge, as a result of interparticle coupling effects. Therefore, controlling nanoparticle self-assembly is of utmost importance.
This presentation will highlight approaches toward nanoparticle patterning through the recently established approach of constrained de-wetting in polymer grafted nanoparticles. It will be shown how adaptive polymer ligands can be used to achieve surface patterning through distinct stimuli (like solvent environment, temperature, chemical triggers). Building on that, it will be demonstrated how diblock copolymers can be employed to achieve colloidally stable, asymmetrical polymer-coated nanoparticles, and their directional self-assembly into supracolloidal clusters.
Finally, an alternative paradigm for directional nanoparticle self-assembly that does not rely on prior surface patterning with polymer ligands will be discussed. It will be shown that polystyrene-coated gold nanorods can undergo directional tip-to-tip self-assembly, even when they are uniformly coated with a polymer ligand layer. The importance of electrostatic forces for the observed directional colloidal interactions will be discussed.