Related papers: Shape-controlled growth of two-dimensional kagome-…
Targeting specific technological applications requires the control of nanoparticle properties, especially the crystalline polymorph. Freezing a nanodroplet deposited on a solid substrate leads to the formation of crystalline structures. We…
We demonstrate scaffolding of plasmonic nanoparticles by topological defects induced by colloidal microspheres to match their surface boundary conditions with a uniform far-field alignment in a liquid crystal host. Displacing energetically…
The shape of nanocrystals is crucial in determining their surface area, reactivity, optical properties, mechanical strength, and self-assembly behavior. Traditionally, shape control has been achieved through empirical methods, highlighting…
Biology is full of intricate molecular structures whose geometries are inextricably linked to their function. Many of these structures exhibit varying curvature, such as the helical structure of the bacterial flagellum, which is critical…
Anisotropic rod-like particles form liquid crystalline phases with varying degrees of orientational and translational order. When confined geometrically, these phases can give rise to topological defects, which can be selected and…
Capping ligands are crucial to synthesize colloidal nanoparticles with novel functional properties. However, the interaction between capping ligands and their interaction with the crystallographic surfaces of nanoparticles during colloidal…
The application of nanocrystals as heterogeneous catalysts and plasmonic nanoparticles requires fine control of their shape and chemical composition. A promising idea to achieve synergistic effects is to combine two distinct chemical and/or…
We report numerical investigations of a three-dimensional model of diffusive growth of fine particles, the internal structure of which corresponds to different crystal lattices. A growing cluster (particle) is immersed in, and exchanges…
We demonstrate a new approach for forming hybrid metal/carbonaceous nanostructures in a controlled direct laser planting process. Au-Ag nanoclusters in amorphous or crystalline carbonaceous matrices are formed with different morphology:…
The ordering of nanoparticles into predetermined configurations is of importance to the design of advanced technologies. In this work, we moderate the surface anchoring against the bulk elasticity of liquid crystals to dynamically shape…
Assembly of colloidal particles on fluid interfaces is a promising technique for synthesizing two-dimensional micro-crystalline materials useful in fields as diverse as biomedicine1, materials science2, mineral flotation3 and food…
Self-assembly of nanoparticles can enable composites with pre-designed properties but remains challenged by reproducing structural diversity of atomic and molecular crystals. We combine anisotropic elastic and weakly screened electrostatic…
Coupled colloidal quantum dot (CQD) dimers represent a new class of artificial molecules composed of fused core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals. The electronic coupling and wavefunction hybridization is enabled by the formation of an…
Engineering shape and interactions of nanoscopic building blocks allows for the assembly of rationally designed macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) materials with spatial accuracy inaccessible to top-down fabrication methods. Owing to its…
Establishing precise control over the shape and the interactions of the microscopic building blocks is essential for design of macroscopic soft materials with novel structural, optical and mechanical properties. Here, we demonstrate robust…
Colloidal self-assembly allows rational design of structures on the micrometer and submicrometer scale. One architecture that can generate complete 3D photonic band gaps is the diamond cubic lattice, which has remained difficult to realize…
Nanoparticle self-assembly is an efficient bottom-up strategy for the creation of nanostructures. In the standard approach, ligands are grafted on the surfaces of nanoparticles to keep them separated and control interparticle interactions.…
The ability to predict the morphology of crystals formed by chemical reactions is of fundamental importance for the shape-controlled synthesis of nanostructures. Based on the atomistic mechanism for crystal growth under different driving…
While DNA origami is a powerful bottom-up fabrication technique, the physical and chemical stability of DNA nanostructures is generally limited to aqueous buffer conditions. Wet chemical silicification can stabilise these structures but…
Colloidal lead sulfide is a versatile material with great opportunities to tune the bandgap by electronic confinement and to adapt the optical and electrical properties to the target application. We present a new and simple synthetic route…