Linker-mediated bonding between nanocrystals (NCs) presents one strategy for reversibly forming low-density "equilibrium" colloidal gel networks [1]. Properties of such materials can be macroscopically controlled via linker concentration and microscopically influenced by linker characteristics (e.g., stiffness, molecular weight) [2]. Changes in gel network structure modulate infrared optical properties via localized surface plasmon resonance coupling of the NCs [1,3] and, together with linker characteristics, e.g., length, stiffness, are expected to influence mechanical properties. In this work, we explore these structure-property relations and suggest how to design mixtures of linkers to tune mechanical and optical properties, or the mechano-optical response, of NC gels.

Linker based strategies for tuning optical and mechanical properties of nanocrystal gels

ACS Spring 2022

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