Display options
Cite
Gong Z, Hueckel T, Yi GR, et al. Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion. Nature. 2017;550(7675):234-238doi: 10.1038/nature23901.
Gong, Z., Hueckel, T., Yi, G. R., & Sacanna, S. (2017). Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion. Nature, 550(7675), 234-238. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23901
Gong, Zhe, et al. "Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion." Nature vol. 550,7675 (2017): 234-238. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23901
Gong Z, Hueckel T, Yi GR, Sacanna S. Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion. Nature. 2017 Oct 12;550(7675):234-238. doi: 10.1038/nature23901. Epub 2017 Sep 18. PMID: 28922664.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Nature. 2017 Oct 12;550(7675):234-238. doi: 10.1038/nature23901. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion.

Nature

Zhe Gong, Theodore Hueckel, Gi-Ra Yi, Stefano Sacanna

Affiliations

  1. Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, 29 Washington Place, New York, New York 10003, USA.
  2. School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, South Korea.

PMID: 28922664 DOI: 10.1038/nature23901

Abstract

Patches on the surfaces of colloidal particles provide directional information that enables the self-assembly of the particles into higher-order structures. Although computational tools can make quantitative predictions and can generate design rules that link the patch motif of a particle to its internal microstructure and to the emergent properties of the self-assembled materials, the experimental realization of model systems of particles with surface patches (or 'patchy' particles) remains a challenge. Synthetic patchy colloidal particles are often poor geometric approximations of the digital building blocks used in simulations and can only rarely be manufactured in sufficiently high yields to be routinely used as experimental model systems. Here we introduce a method, which we refer to as colloidal fusion, for fabricating functional patchy particles in a tunable and scalable manner. Using coordination dynamics and wetting forces, we engineer hybrid liquid-solid clusters that evolve into particles with a range of patchy surface morphologies on addition of a plasticizer. We are able to predict and control the evolutionary pathway by considering surface-energy minimization, leading to two main branches of product: first, spherical particles with liquid surface patches, capable of forming curable bonds with neighbouring particles to assemble robust supracolloidal structures; and second, particles with a faceted liquid compartment, which can be cured and purified to yield colloidal polyhedra. These findings outline a scalable strategy for the synthesis of patchy particles, first by designing their surface patterns by computer simulation, and then by recreating them in the laboratory with high fidelity.

References

  1. Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Apr 5;110(14):148303 - PubMed
  2. Macromol Rapid Commun. 2010 Jan 18;31(2):150-68 - PubMed
  3. Nature. 2012 Nov 1;491(7422):51-5 - PubMed
  4. Science. 2003 Jul 25;301(5632):483-7 - PubMed
  5. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2006 Jun 15;298(2):663-71 - PubMed
  6. Faraday Discuss. 2015;181:139-46 - PubMed
  7. Nat Commun. 2012 Jul 24;3:975 - PubMed
  8. ACS Nano. 2014 Jan 28;8(1):931-40 - PubMed
  9. Langmuir. 2006 Feb 14;22(4):1822-7 - PubMed
  10. Nat Commun. 2013;4:1688 - PubMed
  11. Nature. 2011 Jan 20;469(7330):381-4 - PubMed
  12. Langmuir. 2008 Jan 15;24(2):355-8 - PubMed
  13. J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Jan 28;131(3):1182-6 - PubMed
  14. Nano Lett. 2004 Aug;4(8):1407-1413 - PubMed
  15. Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Oct 20;97(16):168301 - PubMed
  16. Langmuir. 2009 Aug 18;25(16):8915-8 - PubMed
  17. ACS Nano. 2015 Oct 27;9(10):9542-53 - PubMed
  18. J Am Chem Soc. 2014 May 14;136(19):6866-9 - PubMed

Publication Types