We study optical properties of near-infrared absorbing colloidal plasmonic nanostructures that are of interest for biomedical theranostic applications: SiO2@Au core-shell particles, Au nanocages and Au nanorods. Full-wave field analysis is used to compare the absorption spectra and field enhancement of these structures as a function of their dimensions and orientation with respect to the incide...

Photonic and phononic crystals are metamaterials with repeating unit cells that result in internal resonances leading to a range of wave guiding and filtering properties and are opening up new applications such as hyperlenses and superabsorbers. Here we show the first, to our knowledge, 3D colloidal phononic crystal that is reconfigurable in real time and demonstrate its ability to rapidly alte...

A well-known property of superhydrophobic surfaces, such as an array of hydrophobic nanoposts, is to allow only limited surface contact of a liquid to the tips of the nanoposts. Herein we demonstrate that material deposition from solution, whether solid precipitation, surface adsorption or colloidal adhesion in static system, or dynamic "writing", can be limited to these specific areas of the s...

Life secrets lie in invisible world which excites imagine to study. Nowadays, nanotechnology became public terminology for applications of nano-size (nm = 10 meter) in all sciences. Nano-particles already present in nature such as living cell structures (proteins, DNA, polysaccharides, membranes, etc.) and natural structures such as casein micelles or starch, the folding of globular proteins an...

Colloidal crystals of polymeric or inorganic microspheres are of extensive interest due to their potential applications in such as sensing, optics, photonic bandgap and surface patterning. The article highlights a set of approaches developed in our group, which are efficient to prepare colloidal crystals with ordered voids, patterned colloidal crystals on non-planar surfaces, heterogeneous coll...

In this paper, we review the state of the art of a simple, easily controlled convective assembly technique for rapid deposition of structured micrond nano-particle coatings. The advantages afforded by this method are improved process efficiency and reduced material consumption relative o standard dipcoating techniques. Structured coatings larger than a few square centimeters are deposited in mi...

Proper force calibration is a critical step in atomic and lateral force microscopies (AFM/LFM). The recently published torsional Sader method [C. P. Green et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 1988 (2004)] facilitates the calculation of torsional spring constants of rectangular AFM cantilevers by eliminating the need to obtain information or make assumptions regarding the cantilever's material propert...

Paul Alivisatos Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science University of California, Berkeley There are numerous situations in which a light weight composite with high energy absorbing capabilities can be of use in the Air Force mission, for protection against impact of projectiles or laser beams. Advances in nanoscience have created a new opportunity to design such composites, as it is now p...

We have developed intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array (IPCCA) chemical-sensing materials for detection of Pb(2+) in high ionic-strength environments such as body fluids with a detection limit of <500 nmol L(-1) Pb(2+) (100 ppb). This IPCCA lead sensor consists of a mesoscopically periodic array of colloidal particles polymerized into an acrylamide hydrogel. The array Bragg-diffr...

L12IO leukemic cells were treated with either vitamin A alcohol or neuraminidase. Ascites cells in vivo and cultures of an L1210 cell line in vitro were used. In untreated cells stained with ruthenium red, the glycoprotein surface coat appears as a thick, uninterrupted, electron-dense band. Positive colloidal iron staining results in deposition of particles in similar continuous fashion. No gap...