Controlled Self-Assembly of Gold Nanotetrahedra into Quasicrystals and Complex Periodic Supracrystals

Wang Y, Chen J, Li R, Götz A, Drobek D, Przybilla T, Hübner S, Pelz P, Yang L, Apeleo Zubiri B, Spiecker E, Engel M, Ye X (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Journal of the American Chemical Society American Chemical Society

Book Volume: 145

Pages Range: 17902-17911

Journal Issue: 32

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05299

Abstract

The self-assembly of shape-anisotropic nanocrystals into large-scale structures is a versatile and scalable approach to creating multifunctional materials. The tetrahedral geometry is ubiquitous in natural and manmade materials, yet regular tetrahedra present a formidable challenge in understanding their self-assembly behavior as they do not tile space. Here, we report diverse supracrystals from gold nanotetrahedra including the quasicrystal (QC) and the dimer packing predicted more than a decade ago and hitherto unknown phases. We solve the complex three-dimensional (3D) structure of the QC by a combination of electron microscopy, tomography, and synchrotron X-ray scattering. Nanotetrahedron vertex sharpness, surface ligands, and assembly conditions work in concert to regulate supracrystal structure. We also discover that the surface curvature of supracrystals can induce structural changes of the QC tiling and eventually, for small supracrystals with high curvature, stabilize a hexagonal approximant. Our findings bridge the gap between computational design and experimental realization of soft matter assemblies and demonstrate the importance of accurate control over nanocrystal attributes and the assembly conditions to realize increasingly complex nanopolyhedron supracrystals.

Authors with CRIS profile

Alexander Götz Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Dominik Drobek Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Thomas Przybilla Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Sabine Hübner Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Philipp Pelz Professur für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Computational Materials Microscopy) Benjamin Apeleo Zubiri Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Erdmann Spiecker Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Michael Engel Lehrstuhl für Multiscale Simulation of Particulate Systems (MSS)

Additional Organisation(s)

Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Interdisziplinäres Zentrum, Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM)

Related research project(s)

Microscopic 3D characterisation of functional particles and pore structures (SFB 1411 - C01) Design of particulate products (SFB 1411) Jan. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2023

Involved external institutions

Brookhaven National Laboratory US United States (USA) (US) Indiana University US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Wang, Y., Chen, J., Li, R., Götz, A., Drobek, D., Przybilla, T.,... Ye, X. (2023). Controlled Self-Assembly of Gold Nanotetrahedra into Quasicrystals and Complex Periodic Supracrystals. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145(32), 17902-17911. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c05299

MLA:

Wang, Yi, et al. "Controlled Self-Assembly of Gold Nanotetrahedra into Quasicrystals and Complex Periodic Supracrystals." Journal of the American Chemical Society 145.32 (2023): 17902-17911.

BibTeX: Download