UNS: Liquid crystal templated three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies

CBET-1507551PI：Hirst，Linda该项目的目标是设计和表征具有多功能的新型微胶囊。微胶囊的制造是基于纳米颗粒的自组装，纳米颗粒使用液晶来指导组装。液晶是有序的流体，最为人所知的是它们在计算机显示器中的用途。对纳米颗粒进行修饰，使其形成富含纳米颗粒的液晶液滴。这些液滴作为模板，将纳米颗粒自组装成球形外壳，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对公众的接触。该项目将使用基于液晶(LC)的自组装方法设计定制的纳米颗粒(NP)3D组件。将探索一种新技术，以形成直径从200纳米到5微米的紧密排列的量子点的薄壳，其壁厚从20纳米到100纳米不等。制备过程由液晶相变控制。向列型液晶是介元功能化的纳米粒子(半导体、金属和磁性粒子)分散的主体相。这些颗粒经过表面修饰，加入了介晶(类液晶性)配体。介元功能化纳米颗粒是一类可以在液晶/纳米颗粒杂化相中组装的新型材料。一旦形成，胶囊就可以从宿主向列相中提取出来，并重新分散在不同的溶剂中，用于各种应用。该项目的目标是利用半导体、金属和磁性纳米颗粒在宿主液晶相中设计不同的具有介晶配体的纳米粒子进行3D组装，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来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.