Temporal Evolution of Superlattice Contraction and Defect-Induced Strain Anisotropy in Mesocrystals during Nanocube Self-Assembly

Kapuscinski, Martin; Agthe, Michael; Lv, Zhongyang; Liu, Yingxin; Segad, Mo; Bergström, Lennart

doi:10.1021/acsnano.9b07820

Cited by 35 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…More recent work highlights the controlled self-assembly of oleic acid (OLA) stabilized iron oxide nanocubes into highly ordered arrays with lateral dimensions on the micrometer scale [ 30 ]. The detailed investigation of this process, which was carried out by Brunner et al and Bergström et al, yielded findings that are crucial for understanding the packing arrangement and orientational ordering of cubic magnetite nanoparticles in two- and three-dimensional superlattices [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesocrystals from Platinum Nanocubes

Jenewein

Cölfen

2021

Nanomaterials

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Platinum nanoparticles are widely known for their numerous electrochemical and catalytic applications. Enhanced or novel properties that may arise when ordering such particles in a highly defined manner, however, are still subject to ongoing research, as superstructure formation on the mesoscale is still a major challenge to be overcome. In this work, we therefore established a reproducible method to fabricate micrometer-sized superstructures from platinum nanocubes. Through small-angle X-ray scattering and electron diffraction methods we demonstrate that the obtained superstructures have a high degree of ordering up to the atomic scale and, therefore, fulfill all criteria of a mesocrystal. By changing the solvent and stabilizer in which the platinum nanocubes were dispersed, we were able to control the resulting crystal habit of the mesocrystals. Aside from mesocrystal fabrication, this method can be further utilized to purify nanoparticle dispersions by recrystallization with respect to narrowing down the particle size distribution and removing contaminations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesocrystals from Platinum Nanocubes

Jenewein

Cölfen

2021

Nanomaterials

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“…Within few 100 s the toluene evaporated, leaving a dry hollow capsule of assembled NPs. The assembly was found to be mainly diffusion‐controlled, [ 273 ] leading to a two‐step assembly process. First, the NPs form disordered clusters in the bulk.…”

Section: X‐ray Scattering Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Notable Approaches to Study Self‐Assembly of Nanoparticles with X‐Ray Scattering and Electron Microscopy

Schulz

Lokteva

Parak

et al. 2021

Part & Part Syst Charact

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several issues far from being resolved: for many systems long-range periodic order is not routinely achieved, reproducibility is often not optimal and truly emergent and new properties arising from the supercrystal formation could be demonstrated for just a few systems. [3][4][5][6][7] From the materials science perspective there is no established figure of merit or common set of parameters allowing to quantify "quality" of NP superlattices and supercrystals. In lieu of such standard procedures, terms as well-ordered, crystalline order, quasicrystalline, etc., are usually used in literature. However, there exist no commonly accepted definitions of what qualifies, e.g., as "well-ordered."In this review, we want to highlight some recent experimental developments and new approaches to study self-assembly of NPs or structure formation of NP supercrystals and their final structure. We focus on NP, the broad field of photonic materials prepared by self-assembly of larger colloidal particles is not covered herein. [8][9][10] The introduction of the basic concepts of NP self-assembly will be kept short and should be considered as an overview, for more background and details excellent comprehensive reviews are available. [2,11] We will then briefly address and discuss the expectations associated with self-assembled materials, especially the proposed emergence of new properties directly related to order. In the second part of the review, we will present recent innovative approaches for the investigation of self-assembly and self-assembled structures that go beyond the standard characterization. We focus mainly on structure and structure formation and less on properties, so most of the studies are based on scattering and electron microscopy. Figure 1 provides an overview roughly following this outline. Self-Assembly of NanoparticlesSelf-assembly is a broad term and occurs on all scales from atoms, ions, and molecules to galaxies, as pointed out by Whitesides and Grzybowski. [12] It can be defined as the autonomous organization of multiple discrete components into ordered structures, driven by energetics or entropy or both. [2,13] In nature, countless examples of highly complex and functional structures resulting from self-assembly can be found, Self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) has evolved into a powerful tool for the synthesis of superstructures with tailored properties. The quality, diversity, and complexity of synthesized structures are continuously improving and fascinating new collective properties are demonstrated. At the same time, the rapid development of electron microscopy and synchrotron sources for X-rays has enabled new exciting experimental approaches to study structure and structure formation in the context of NP self-assembly. In this review, some recent studies and what can be learned from them are highlighted and discussed. It is started with a general introduction covering important concepts, experimental approaches, commonly obtained structures, the ideas of artificial atoms, and emerging properties a...

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“…The droplet environment was surrounded by an acrylic glass chamber with four openings to allow the X-ray beam to pass through, and to allow the video recording of the droplets using a USB camera (1.3 Mpixels,200Â magnification). The influence of internal flow and droplet rotation was assumed to be negligible, as a previous study 39 showed identical assembled structures formed in levitating drops and by drop casting. The processing of the resulting videos was performed using ImageJ software.…”

Section: Drop Levitationmentioning

confidence: 99%