Advancements in nanotechnology rely on uniform and precise methods for self-assembly and syntheses. The controllable arrangement of nanoparticles (NPs) has been significantly challenging because of the difficulty in labeling the relatively uniform surface chemistry of the particles with different organization scaffoldings; this is especially true for anisotropic particles.<br/>To achieve differentiated surface chemistry on the NPs, we selectively blocked their surfaces with a diblock copolymer by tuning the surface energy of the NPs, resulting in different accessibilities to their surfaces. Modification of the polymer-free region on the surface of the NPs with DNA leads to controllable and site-specific functionalization. The directionality and arrangement of the DNA-functionalized NPs is thereby specific and programmable, allowing for increased order and complexity. This method has been shown to work on both isotropic and anisotropic particles of various shapes and sizes. Capitalizing on the anisotropy of these particles and developing new methods to label materials non-uniformly will increase the diversity of building blocks and provide novel tools for higher-dimensional self-assemblies. In addition, our group has recently improved the synthesis, purity, and uniformity of the novel gold bipyramid nanoparticles. We were able to synthesize and purify gold bipyramid nanoparticles with &gt;98% shape purity and &lt;2% monodispersity of the physical dimensions and aspect ratio. These particles exhibit interesting plasmonic properties, namely the ability to convert specific wavelengths of light into heat through a photothermal phenomenon very efficiently. We then show our progress using the bipyramids in the development of cheap, highly mobile, real-time, and energy-efficient methods for precise temperature control that will allow researchers to exploit the specificity and sensitivity of PCR at point-of-care.

Surface encoding of nanoparticles for self-assembly and plasmonic bioapplications

256th National Meeting (2018)

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