Self-assembly of nanoscopic components into higher-order architectures defines the forefront of fundamental nanoscience research and is important for the development of new materials with potential applications in optoelectronics, high-density data storage, catalysis, and biological sensing. In my talk, I will discuss how the peculiar nature of electrostatic, photoinduced dipole-dipole, and other forces acting between nanoscale components can mediate their self-assembly into various superstructures and materials. I will show how the interactions underlying self-assembly can be studied and understood in quantitative detail, and how they can be tailored  to synthesize unusual higher-order architectures: ionic-like crystals of nanoparticles,  crystalline aggregates that can be assembled and disassembled by light, as well as extremely durable and yet very flexible metallic structures. Since these materials display a range of novel optical, electrical and mechanical properties, the discussion of experimental results will be accompanied by theoretical analyses combining elements of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, electrodynamics and elasticity.

Equilibrium and non-equilibrium self-assembly of nanostructured materials

245th National Meeting (2013)

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