Asymmetric nanoparticles have attracted increasing attention from the communities of materials science, chemistry, physics and biology. In this talk, we will discuss synthesis and self assembly behavior of multicompartment nanparticles (McNPs) obtained using a newly developed polymer-single-crystal-templating (PSCryT) method.  End-functionalized polymers are crystallized into thin lamellar single crystals. Since the end groups are different from the rest of the polymer chain, they are excluded onto the lamellar surface upon crystallization. These surface-functionalized single crystals can then be used to immobilize various nanoparticles. Using atom transfer radical polymerization, different polymer brushes will then be formed on the opposite side of the nanoparticle. The resultant McNPs have a uniform, spherical central core, and the shell is made up of multicompartment polymer brushes. A library of McNPs has been synthesized. Nanoparticles that have been used including Au, FeO, CdSe, and Pt nanoparticles. Polyethylene oxide and polycaprolatone have been used as the single crystal forming polymers and various temperature- and pH-sensitive polymer brushes have also been incorporated into these McNPs. Using these McNPs as the building blocks, responsive nanoparticle dimers and chains can be formed via either chemical coupling or self assembly approaches. Compared with other techniques to fabricate patchy particles, PSCryT method is advantageous, because (1) it can be applied to sub-10 nm nanoparticles; (2) it can be used in solution, and is therefore amenable to large quantity particle synthesis; (3) the synthetic process is simple; and (4) grafting density of polymer brushes in each compartment can be well controlled.

Synthesis and self assembly of multicompartment hairy nanoparticles using a polymer-single-crystal-templating (PSCryT) method

246th National Meeting (2013)

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