Field-directed self-assembly with locking nanoparticles.

Motornov, Mikhail; Malynych, Sergiy Z; Pippalla, Deepthi S; Zdyrko, Bogdan; Royter, Halyna; Roiter, Yuri; Kahabka, Mathew; Tokarev, Alexander et al. · Nano Lett · 2012

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

A reversible locking mechanism is established for the generation of anisotropic nanostructures by a magnetic field pulse in liquid matrices by balancing the thermal energy, short-range attractive and long-range repulsive forces, and dipole-dipole interactions using a specially tailored polymer shell of nanoparticles. The locking mechanism is used to precisely regulate the dimensions of self-assembled magnetic nanoparticle chains and to generate and disintegrate three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured materials in solvents and polymers.

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