Programming hierarchical self-assembly of colloids: matching stability and accessibility

Self-assembly of colloids with liquid protrusions.

A facile and flexible synthesis for colloidal molecules with well-controlled shape and tunable patchiness is presented. Cross-linked polystyrene spheres with a liquid protrusion were found to assemble into colloidal molecules by coalescence of the liquid protrusions. Similarly, cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate) particles carrying a wetting layer assembled into colloidal molecules by coales...

Triblock colloids for directed self-assembly.

Methods for functionalizing micrometer-sized colloidal spheres with three or more zones of chemical functionality (ABA or ABC) are described. To produce ABA triblock colloids, we functionalized the north pole, south pole, and equator to produce what we call X, Y, and K functionality according to the number of allowed nearest neighbors and their spatial arrangements. These synthesis methods allo...

Self-Assembly: From Nanoscale to Microscale Colloids

Self-assembly is a fundamental mechanism by which structures form in materials. Over the past decades, a primary focus has been to relate materials’ behaviors to the spatial arrangement of their fundamental building blocks. These building blocks may comprise atoms, molecules, macromolecules and colloidal particles. It is well known that the same chemical substance can have vastly different prop...

Hierarchical Self-Assembly

Hierarchical self-assembly Name: David Doty Affil./Addr. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. Supported by NSF grants CCF-1219274, CCF1162589, and 1317694.

Linking self-assembly, rheology, and gel transition in attractive colloids