UNS: Liquid crystal templated three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies

CBET -1507551 PI：赫斯特，琳达该项目的目标是设计和表征新的微胶囊，具有多功能的能力。 微胶囊的制造是基于使用液晶来引导组装的纳米颗粒的自组装。 液晶是一种有序的流体，以其在计算机显示器中的应用而闻名。 纳米颗粒被改性，使得它们形成富含纳米颗粒的液晶液滴。 这些液滴充当纳米颗粒自组装成球壳的模板，然后可以用于各种应用，包括流体光子器件和分子封装和释放。研究人员将利用该项目开发新的物理实验室模块，向本科生介绍纳米科学，研究团队将通过组织社区大学级别的纳米技术研讨会来扩大其与公众的联系。该项目将使用基于液晶（LC）的自组装方法设计定制纳米颗粒（NP）3D组件。 将探索一种新技术，以形成紧密堆积的量子点的薄壳，直径从200纳米到5微米不等，壁厚从20纳米到100纳米不等。制造过程由液晶相变控制。 一种介晶液晶作为主体相，介晶官能化的纳米粒子（半导体，金属和磁性颗粒）分散在其中。颗粒经表面改性以掺入介晶（LC样）配体。介晶官能化纳米颗粒是一类新兴的材料，可以组装在LC/NP混合相。一旦形成，胶囊可以从主相萃取并重新分散在不同的溶剂中用于各种应用。该项目的目标是使用半导体，金属和磁性纳米粒子在主液晶相中进行3D组装，设计具有介晶配体的不同NP，充分阐明组装过程中的控制参数，并开发这种新的组装方法，以创建和测试独特的光子结构和活性多功能胶囊。

CBET - 1507551PI: Hirst, LindaThe goal of this project is to design and characterize new microcapsules that have multifunctional capabilities. The fabrication of the microcapsules is based on the self-assembly of nanoparticles that uses liquid crystals to direct the assembly. Liquid crystals are ordered fluids that are best known for their use in computer displays. The nanoparticles are modified so that they form nanoparticle-rich liquid crystal droplets. These droplets act as a template for the self-assembly of nanoparticles into spherical shells, which can then be used in a variety of applications, including fluid photonic devices and molecular encapsulation and release. The investigators will use the project to develop new physics laboratory modules to introduce undergraduates to nanoscience, and the research team will expand its outreach to the public by organizing community college level workshops in nanotechnology.This project will design custom nanoparticle (NP) 3D assemblies using a liquid crystal (LC) based self-assembly method. A new technique will be explored to form thin shells of closely packed quantum dots ranging in diameter from 200 nanometers to 5 microns with walls that vary in thickness from 20 to 100 nanometers. The fabrication process is controlled by a liquid crystal phase transition. A nematic liquid crystal acts as the host phase into which mesogen-functionalized NPs (semiconducting, metallic and magnetic particles) are dispersed. The particles are surface-modified to incorporate a mesogenic (LC-like) ligand. Mesogen-functionalized NPs are an emerging class of materials that can assemble in LC/NP hybrid phases. Once formed, the capsules can be extracted from the host nematic phase and re-dispersed in different solvents for a variety of applications. The project goals are to design different NPs with mesogenic ligands using semiconducting, metallic and magnetic nanoparticles for 3D assembly in a host liquid crystal phase, fully elucidating the controlling parameters in the assembly process, and developing this new assembly method to create and test unique photonic structures and active multifunctional capsules.