Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joe G. Donaldson, Peter Schall, Laura Rossi
Summary: The study demonstrates a novel approach to material design by utilizing preassembled magnetic building blocks that can self-organize into complex structures. Different shapes of magnetic particles produce varied magnetic configurations under fixed conditions and can form highly reproducible cluster structures.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joseph R. Maestas, Fuduo Ma, Ning Wu, David T. Wu
Summary: This study explores the mechanism of colloidal particles assembling into quasi-two-dimensional materials under externally applied electric fields. The research identifies previously unobserved structures and proposes a simple method to control the ratio of particles between different planes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Haiyang Zhang, Xuan Feng, Xiuyang Xia, Jiao Zhu, Huaguang Wang, Ran Ni, Zexin Zhang
Summary: The self-assembly of hybrid colloids, driven by chemical concentration gradients generated by photocatalytic reactions, is investigated. Different shapes of the colloids lead to the formation of assemblies with distinct lattice structures, validated by computer simulations. Moreover, the assemblies transition from lattices to chains as the attraction between the colloids increases. These findings demonstrate the unique capability of photoresponsive hybrid colloids in shape-dependent self-assembly, offering a practical and versatile approach to control self-assembly at the microscale.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wesley Flavell, Andreas Neophytou, Angela Demetriadou, Tim Albrecht, Dwaipayan Chakrabarti
Summary: This article presents a method for programmed self-assembly of single colloidal gyroid crystals using rationally designed patchy spheres. The single colloidal gyroid has a wide photonic bandgap and rich chiroptical properties, making it an attractive chiral photonic crystal.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johannes Menath, Jack Eatson, Robert Brilmayer, Annette Andrieu-Brunsen, D. Martin A. Buzza, Nicolas Vogel
Summary: Researchers have successfully designed two-dimensional assemblies with structural complexity by utilizing the distinct interfacial morphology of soft particles. They found that core-shell particles can form complex chain and cluster structures under interfacial compression. Through a combination of experimental, simulation, and theoretical analysis, the interaction parameter of the system was narrowed down to between 0.9 and 2.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tongtao Li, Angang Dong, Siyu Wan, Xiangyun Xi, Heyang Zhang, Jing Ning, Ziyue Zheng, Zhebin Zhang, Ying Long, Yuwei Deng, Pengshuo Fan, Dong Yang
Summary: This contribution describes the self-assembly of colloidal nanodumbbells (NDs) with tunable shapes within cylindrical channels. The intrinsic concave geometry of NDs endows them with peculiar packing and interlocking behaviors, leading to a variety of super-structures. A mechanistic investigation reveals that the phase behavior of NDs under strong confinement can be rationalized by the entropy-driven maximization of the packing efficiency. An empirical phase diagram is generated based on the experimental results, which could provide general guidance in the design of intended superstructures from NDs. This study provides essential insight into how the interplay between the particle shape and confinement conditions can be exploited to direct the orientationally ordered assembly of concave nanoparticles into unusual superlattices.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander Hensley, William M. Jacobs, W. Benjamin Rogers
Summary: DNA-coated colloids can self-assemble into various crystal structures, and we have used microfluidics to quantify the kinetics of crystallization. Our study shows that classical theories can accurately predict nucleation and growth rates, and we have successfully designed large single crystals with specific structural coloration.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daichi Hayakawa, Thomas E. Videbaek, Douglas M. Hall, Huang Fang, Christian Sigl, Elija Feigl, Hendrik Dietz, Seth Fraden, Michael F. Hagan, Gregory M. Grason, W. Benjamin Rogers
Summary: This article explores new design principles for making self-limiting architectures using self-assembly. The authors use DNA origami to create triangular subunits with specific interactions and binding angles, and study their assembly into tubules with a self-limited width. They demonstrate that the tubules can reach significant lengths and that their width can be controlled through geometric programming. They also find that the width and chirality of the tubules can be manipulated by increasing the number of subunit species. These findings provide insights into the role of assembly complexity and geometry in self-limiting assembly and have potential applications in other self-limiting architectures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gabriel Cossio, Raul Barbosa, Brian Korgel, Edward T. Yu
Summary: An innovative aerosolized method for self-assembling nano and microparticle monolayers is presented. The technique demonstrates high self-assembly rates and new physical mechanisms governing the process. It has the potential to greatly increase production efficiency and reduce costs for submicron nanomanufacturing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Baipeng Yin, Wubin Wu, Chenghu Dai, Hao Jia, Chuang Zhang, Jiannian Yao
Summary: A general approach for assembling colloidal microspheres into coupled microcavities using magnetostatic interactions under an external field has been reported. By designing the local field gradient around microspheres, virtual templates can be formed to produce various coupled photonic structures. This method shows promise for easily and efficiently fabricating coupled microstructures for photonic and optoelectronic applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zuochen Wang, Zhisheng Wang, Jiahui Li, Yufeng Wang
Summary: Colloidal particles with surface patches can self-assemble with high directionality but must be reconfigured using external fields. By synthesizing metallodielectric patchy particles and assembling them under an electric field, we have achieved structures directed by patches yet reconfigurable by the field.
Review
Automation & Control Systems
Xun Tang, Martha A. Grover
Summary: A colloidal system consists of micrometer-sized particles suspended in a liquid, and its state can be measured in real time using imaging techniques and image processing. The assembly of particles is driven by interactions between particles and the surrounding liquid, as well as external fields. By understanding the system dynamics and manipulating the interactions, the assembly process can be controlled in real time using feedback control.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF CONTROL ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
B. P. Prajwal, Jen-Yu Huang, Meera Ramaswamy, Abraham D. Stroock, Tobias Hanrath, Itai Cohen, Fernando A. Escobedo
Summary: The study investigated the entropy-driven monolayer assembly of hexagonal prisms and cylinders under hard slit confinement, revealing distinct rotational states and a re-entrant melting transition. Both simulations and experiments showed the formation of phases with comparable fraction of flipped particles and structure.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Shalini Parihar, Bharti Gaur
Summary: This article reports on the development of two bio-based thermo-reversible polymers derived from gum rosin. The introduction of thermo-reversible linkages and Diels-Alder bonds improves the durability and self-healing capabilities of the material.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Philipp Schmid, Thomas Buchecker, Ali Khoshsima, Didier Touraud, Olivier Diat, Werner Kunz, Arno Pfitzner, Pierre Bauduin
Summary: Nanometric ions such as polyoxometalates and ionic boron clusters have been found to induce the self-assembly of organic solvents in water, significantly increasing their cloud point and aqueous solubility. At high concentrations, these ions can form complexes or colloids with the solvent, leading to the formation of different phases.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Antara Pal, Carlo Andrea De Filippo, Thiago Ito, Md Arif Kamal, Andrei Petukhov, Cristiano De Michele, Peter Schurtenberger
Summary: Our study investigates the influence of an external magnetic field on the self-assembly of hematite-silica core-shell prolate colloids, revealing a counterintuitive phenomenon where prolate colloids self-assemble into oblate liquid crystalline phases. We found that the formation of this unusual sequence of field-induced structures is dictated not only by the aspect ratio, but also by subtle deviations from the ideal ellipsoidal shape. This study demonstrates the importance of particle shape in the field-directed self-assembly of colloidal structures.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Machi Takeuchi, Tsuyoshi Mashima, Michael Sztucki, Abdrei Petukhov, Mark Vis, Heiner Friedrich, Remco Tuinier
Summary: Phosvitins are important egg yolk proteins found in food emulsions. They have both ion binding and emulsifying abilities and are influenced by pH and ionic strength. Our experiments using SAXS revealed that the interactions between charged phosvitin assemblies are strongly affected by pH and ionic strength. We also found that metal ions can induce the aggregation of phosvitin by electrostatic attraction.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiadong Xiao, Kang Cheng, Xiaobin Xie, Mengheng Wang, Shiyou Xing, Yuanshuai Liu, Thomas Hartman, Donglong Fu, Koen Bossers, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen, Ye Wang, Bert M. Weckhuysen
Summary: A new synthesis method for metal oxide-zeolite double-shelled hollow spheres is proposed, demonstrating superior catalytic performance in producing a variety of products without the need for separating or purifying intermediates. This research is expected to advance the rational synthesis and study of hierarchically hollow, core-shell, multifunctional catalyst materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seyed Naveed Hosseini, Xiaodan Chen, Patrick J. Baesjou, Arnout Imhof, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: The study successfully synthesized highly crystalline, organic-solvent-dispersible TiO2 nanorods through a modified nonhydrolytic sol-gel route, with some semi-spherical titania nanocrystals removed. The nanorods were predominantly anatase, while the semi-spherical crystals also contained the TiO2(B) phase.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessi E. S. van der Hoeven, Harith Gurunarayanan, Maarten Bransen, D. A. Matthijs de Winter, Petra E. de Jongh, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: The study introduces a new type of functional assembly called supraparticles, which are formed by the solvent-driven assembly of silica-coated gold nanorods into spherical ensembles. The plasmonic coupling and mass transport are controlled by adjusting the thickness and porosity of the silica shells. These novel materials have the potential to play an important role in sensing applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johanna C. van der Bok, P. Tim Prins, Federico Montanarella, D. Nicolette Maaskant, Floor A. Brzesowsky, Maaike M. van der Sluijs, Bastiaan B. Salzmann, Freddy T. Rabouw, Andrei Petukhov, Celso De Mello Donega, Daniel Vanmaekelbergh, Andries Meijerink
Summary: Researchers found through in situ studies that in the early stage of the CdSe nanoplatelet reaction, both isotropic nanocrystals and mini-nanoplatelets form in the absence of short-chain ligands, but most precursors are consumed in isotropic growth. The addition of acetate induces a dramatic shift towards nearly exclusive 2D growth of already existing mini-nanoplatelets. Therefore, mature nanoplatelets only grow through a subtle interplay between myristate and acetate, with the latter catalyzing fast lateral growth of the side facets of the mini-nanoplatelets.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dmitry Lapkin, Anatoly Shabalin, Janne-Mieke Meijer, Ruslan Kurta, Michael Sprung, Andrei Petukhov, Ivan A. Vartanyants
Summary: This work proposes an application of AXCCA to single-crystalline samples, providing insight into the structure of a single specimen, which is particularly useful for studying defect-rich samples.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nicholas H. P. Orr, Taiki Yanagishima, Igor P. Dolbnya, Andrei V. Petukhov, Roel P. A. Dullens
Summary: We studied the crystallization process of colloidal dispersions under capillary-action-induced shear and found that shear near the capillary walls can result in large hexagonal close-packed crystals with long-range orientational order. We observed partial crystallization under shear, starting with hexagonal planes at the capillary walls and followed by epitaxial crystal growth after the shear is stopped. The shear-induced crystallization leads to larger particle separations parallel to the shear and vorticity directions compared to the equilibrium structure.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Da Wang, Michiel Hermes, Stan Najmr, Nikos Tasios, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Yang Liu, Sara Bals, Marjolein Dijkstra, Christopher B. Murray, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: In this study, the structure of supraparticles self-assembled from nanoplatelets in slowly drying emulsion droplets was explored using experiments, advanced electron tomography, and computer simulations. The researchers demonstrated that the rich phase behavior of nanoplatelets and their sensitivity to subtle changes in shape and interaction potential can be utilized to guide the self-assembly into various structures, providing precise control over the orientation and position order of the nanoplatelets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tom A. J. Welling, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Kanako Watanabe, Daisuke Nagao, Joost de Graaf, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: This study investigates the frequency-dependent dynamic electrophoretic mobility of charged core particles within charged, porous shells in AC electric fields. Experimental results reveal three regimes of field-driven motion of the core particles, which can be explained by the matching between the time required to establish ionic gradients in the shell and the period of the AC field. The porosity of the shell, ionic strength, and inner-shell radius also affect the behavior of the core particles.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Letter
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pauline J. Kolbeck, Mihir Dass, Irina V. Martynenko, Relinde J. A. van Dijk-Moes, Kelly J. H. Brouwer, Alfons van Blaaderen, Willem Vanderlinden, Tim Liedl, Jan Lipfert
Summary: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique for high-resolution imaging of molecules, macromolecular complexes, and nanoparticles. However, the shape of the AFM tip can distort the images. In this study, we use a 3D DNA origami structure as a fiducial for tip reconstruction and image correction. The fiducial has sharp steps at different heights, allowing reliable tip reconstruction with as few as ten fiducials. This fiducial enables accurate and precise AFM imaging for a wide range of applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
P. Tim Prins, Johanna C. van Der Bok, Thomas P. van Swieten, Stijn O. M. Hinterding, Andy J. Smith, Andrei V. Petukhov, Andries Meijerink, Freddy T. Rabouw
Summary: The synthesis of beta-NaYF4 nanocrystals from alpha-NaYF4 precursor particles was investigated using in situ small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering and ex situ electron microscopy. It was observed that the particle size distribution evolved from unimodal to bimodal, and eventually back to unimodal, with the final distribution being narrower than the initial distribution. The splitting of the size distribution was attributed to variations in the reactivity of the precursor particles.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Albert Grau-Carbonell, Fabian Hagemans, Maarten Bransen, Nina A. Elbers, Relinde J. A. van Dijk-Moes, Sina Sadighikia, Tom A. J. Welling, Alfons van Blaaderen, Marijn A. van Huis
Summary: Researchers successfully determined the volume of PNIPAM microgels in water by labeling them and studied their thermoresponsive behavior and stability in water.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark J. J. Mangnus, Vincent R. M. Benning, Bettina Baumgartner, P. Tim Prins, Thomas P. van Swieten, Ayla J. H. Dekker, Alfons van Blaaderen, Bert M. Weckhuysen, Andries Meijerink, Freddy T. Rabouw
Summary: This study investigates the influence of solvent and gas environments on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals, and explains the changes in PL spectrum and excited-state lifetimes using energy transfer mediated by molecular vibrations. EVET-mediated quenching holds promise for probing the local chemical environment of nanocrystals dispersed in a liquid or exposed to gaseous molecules.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark J. J. Mangnus, Vincent R. M. Benning, Bettina Baumgartner, P. Tim Prins, Thomas P. van Swieten, Ayla J. H. Dekker, Alfons van Blaaderen, Bert M. Weckhuysen, Andries Meijerink, Freddy T. Rabouw
Summary: The photoluminescence of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals can be quenched by energy transfer to nearby molecular vibrations, which is often undesired but can provide information about molecular vibrations in the local environment. This study investigates the influence of solvent and gas environments on the photoluminescence properties of NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ upconversion nanocrystals and relates the changes to quenching by electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer. The results suggest that EVET-mediated quenching can be used as a mechanism to probe the local chemical environment in liquid and gas-phase systems.
