Bridging functional nanocomposites to robust macroscale devices

Abstract

At the intersection of the outwardly disparate fields of nanoparticle science and three-dimensional printing lies the promise of revolutionary new “nanocomposite” materials. Emergent phenomena deriving from the nanoscale constituents pave the way for a new class of transformative materials with encoded functionality amplified by new couplings between electrical, optical, transport, and mechanical properties. We provide an overview of key scientific advances that empower the development of such materials: nanoparticle synthesis and assembly, multiscale assembly and patterning, and mechanical characterization to assess stability. The focus is on recent illustrations of approaches that bridge these fields, facilitate the design of ordered nanocomposites, and offer clear pathways to device integration. We conclude by highlighting the remaining scientific challenges, including the critical need for assembly-compatible particle–fluid systems that ultimately yield mechanically robust materials. The role of domain boundaries and/or defects emerges as an important open question to address, with recent advances in fabrication setting the stage for future work in this area.

Giant electrochemical actuation in a nanoporous silicon-polypyrrole hybrid material

“…Given the biocompatibility and biodegradability of both pSi ( 8 ) and PPy ( 34 ), along with the exceptionally small operation voltages, this integrated material system may be particularly suitable for biomedical actuoric functions. From a more general materials science perspective, our study demonstrates how the advent of self-organized porosity in solids in combination with self-assembly and functionalization on the single-pore scale allows one to bridge the gap between bottom-up and top-down approaches for the design of 3D mechanical robust materials, a particular challenge for embedding functional nanocomposites in macroscale devices ( 35 ).…”

Mapping the Mechanical Properties of Hierarchical Supercrystalline Ceramic-Organic Nanocomposites

“…These superlattices can be formed via self-assembly, a process by which a colloidal suspension forms an organized arrangement via specific local interactions [ 21 ]. Supercrystalline arrangements enable a variety of emergent functionalities [ 20 , 22 ], but also the production of bricks that are very suitable to build hierarchical structural materials. Even though initially developed in micro-sizes and featuring relatively low mechanical properties [ 23 , 24 ], recent progress has been made towards the production of bulk macro-scale supercrystalline ceramic-organic nanocomposites, with mechanical properties boosted thanks to an annealing-induced crosslinking of the organic phase [ 19 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Light‐Responsive Colloidal Crystals Engineered with DNA

“…Colloidal crystals are the basis for functional materials such as photonic lattices, electronic device components, advanced catalysts, and magnetic storage devices . Therefore, a variety of particle assembly techniques (e.g., interface/template‐assisted, field‐induced, diffusion‐controlled, and ligand‐directed strategies) have been developed to engineer their formation.…”