Shape Alloys of Nanorods and Nanospheres from Self-Assembly
Engel M, Ye X, Millan JA, Chen J, Diroll BT, Glotzer SC, Murray CB (2013)
Publication Language: English
Publication Status: Published
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2013
Journal
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Book Volume: 13
Pages Range: 4980-4988
Journal Issue: 10
DOI: 10.1021/nl403149u
Abstract
Mixtures of anisotropic nanocrystals promise a great diversity of superlattices and phase behaviors beyond those of single-component systems. However, obtaining a colloidal shape alloy in which two different shapes are thermodynamically coassembled into a crystalline superlattice has remained a challenge. Here we present a joint experimental computational investigation of two geometrically ubiquitous nanocrystalline building blocks-nanorods and nanospheres-that overcome their natural entropic tendency toward macroscopic phase separation and coassemble into three intriguing pluses over centimeter scales, including an AB(2)-type binary superlattice. Monte Carlo simulations reveal that, although this shape alloy is entropically stable at high packing fraction, demixing is favored at experimental densities. Simulations with short-ranged attractive interactions demonstrate that the alloy is stabilized by interactions induced by ligand stabilizers and/or depletion effects. An asymmetry in the relative interaction strength between rods and spheres improves the robustness of the self-assembly process.
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United States (USA) (US)How to cite
APA:
Engel, M., Ye, X., Millan, J.A., Chen, J., Diroll, B.T., Glotzer, S.C., & Murray, C.B. (2013). Shape Alloys of Nanorods and Nanospheres from Self-Assembly. Nano Letters, 13(10), 4980-4988. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl403149u
MLA:
Engel, Michael, et al. "Shape Alloys of Nanorods and Nanospheres from Self-Assembly." Nano Letters 13.10 (2013): 4980-4988.
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