Controlling the two components modified on nanoparticles to construct nanomaterials

Abstract

Nanoparticle self-assembly technology has made great progress in the past 30 years. Many kinds of self-assembly strategies of modifiable nanoparticles have been developed and used to construct nano-aggregates by designing...

Preparation and physical properties of CeO2 doped and modified epoxy resin composites

“…However, the excessive addition of nanoparticles might also lead to particle aggregation and the formation of large clusters. These clusters might cause severe cracks and deformation in the matrix when it is subjected to external forces, contributing to macroscopic fracture and the reduction of mechanical properties 17,18 . Epoxy resin was co‐modified with novel linear polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and nanoparticles by Hong Chi et al 19 The Young's modulus, and the strength of modified epoxy‐cured material increased by 27%, and 130%, respectively, compared to the unmodified epoxy composite.…”

Enhancing Crystallization of DNA-Functionalized Nanoparticles by Polymer Chains

“…32,40−43 A way to achieve more robust and versatile self-assembly capable of driving particle crystallization is the integration of grafted polymer and DNA molecules, which allows for precisely tuning the NP interactions and greatly expanding the parameter space for the achievement of crystal superlattices. 4,10,44,45 Nevertheless, the a priori prediction of the superlattices of NPs from rationally designed molecules still lacks a general roadmap and is yet to be demonstrated. Motivated by the above issues, we herein report the investigation of novel nanoconjugates, comprising the nanoscale particles both functionalized with DNA and polymer chains under a comparable size for the construction of superlattices of NPs through scale-accurate coarse-grained simulations.…”

“…Introduction of polymer molecules can provide additional design parameters to tune the behaviors of driven self-assembly by modulating the strength of interactions. − The type, length, rigidity, and grafting density of the polymer on the nanoparticle surface are highly adjustable through multiple strategies. − The location of nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the areal density of the polymeric ligand modified on nanoparticles . Through a similar evaporation-induced interfacial assembly process, polymer-capped gold nanoparticles can be assembled into ordered structures (such as a hexagonal lattice and other close-packed structures), which are also beneficial for studying the relationship between the crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of nanomaterials. , Although the strategies of NPs grafted with the polymer molecules have been well documented, these methods are most commonly studied in the formation of disordered clusters or close-packed nanostructures due to the lack of high selectivity and thermos-reversibility of interactions. ,− A way to achieve more robust and versatile self-assembly capable of driving particle crystallization is the integration of grafted polymer and DNA molecules, which allows for precisely tuning the NP interactions and greatly expanding the parameter space for the achievement of crystal superlattices. ,,, Nevertheless, the a priori prediction of the superlattices of NPs from rationally designed molecules still lacks a general roadmap and is yet to be demonstrated.…”

Designing Multimodal ON–OFF Nanoswitches of DNA-Functionalized Nanoparticles by Stimuli-Responsive Polymers

“…28 Such a multicomponent system of functionalized NPs integrates the specific recognition ability of DNA strands and the stimuli-responsive characteristics of polymer chains, which extremely expand the design parameter space of DNA-NPs for their programmable self-assembly. 34 the transition of ON/OFF states, especially the reversibly multimodal nanoswitches in response to the external triggers. In particular, the ON/OFF state diagrams for the rational design of DNA-based nanoswitches are yet to be established.…”

“…Stimuli-responsive polymers undergo the change of conformation or oligomerization which responds to the environment by an introduction of physical and chemical signals (e.g., light, thermal, and pH) and use this information to transduce the signals into a specific chemical output. − Motivated by the impressive performance of these smart polymers, significant efforts have gone into the design of DNA-based nanoswitches with high reversibility. − In particular, poly­( N -isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) as a temperature-responsive material has the capability to undergo a reversible conformational transition from an extended solvated state to a compact hydrophobic state at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). − Correspondingly, gold NPs, both functionalized by DNA and pNIPAM molecules, were proposed to realize the reversible switches through the exposure and hiding of DNA strands from the surface of polymer chains in response to a temperature trigger. , Beyond the thermal stimuli, the pH can also be harnessed to reversibly trigger the conformational transitions of smart polymers (e.g., poly­(2-vinylpyridine) and poly­(acrylic acid)) . Such a multicomponent system of functionalized NPs integrates the specific recognition ability of DNA strands and the stimuli-responsive characteristics of polymer chains, which extremely expand the design parameter space of DNA-NPs for their programmable self-assembly . So far, little is known about the design principles of DNA-based nanoswitches including the configuration information of functionalization molecules and the transition of ON/OFF states, especially the reversibly multimodal nanoswitches in response to the external triggers.…”