Nanoparticle Self-Assembly at Interfaces

配体保护的金属纳米颗粒，已被确定为新兴纳米技术的一类有前途的材料，现在可以化学合成具有无数的大小和形状可调的光学，电子和磁性。金属纳米颗粒阵列在纳米光子学、太阳能电池和生物医学传感器件等领域的应用潜力受到广泛关注。实现这些应用的一个主要障碍是制备具有不同复杂性和可调空间参数的阵列的方法数量很少。首先，对所得纳米颗粒图案的控制非常有限;其次，对纳米颗粒间距的控制通常限于保护涂层的厚度。这项研究将通过研究纳米颗粒单层在水和疏水介质界面的组装来解决这些挑战。纳米粒子的核心尺寸，涂层类型和温度将系统地探讨其对单组分和多组分阵列的自组装的影响。此外，将通过改变疏水介质（即空气与油）来探索纳米颗粒、水和疏水介质之间存在的力的平衡。同时测量薄膜的集体光学特性将用于跟踪薄膜组装过程。在将这些薄膜转移到固体基底上后，电子显微镜和原子力显微镜将用于可视化薄膜内单个纳米颗粒的排列。阐明纳米粒子自组装的规则有几个令人兴奋的结果。组装纳米颗粒阵列并独立控制纳米颗粒尺寸、形状和间距的能力目前是前所未有的。在这样做的过程中，人们将根据应用程序的要求访问其单独或集体的材料属性。

Ligand-protected metal nanoparticles, which have been identified as a promising class of materials for emerging nanotechnologies, can now be chemically synthesized with a myriad of size- and shape-tunable optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. Metal nanoparticle arrays are under intense investigation for their potential in a variety of applications, including nanophotonics, solar cells, and biomedical sensing devices. A major hindrance to the realisation of these applications is the small number of accessible methods for making arrays with varying complexity and tunable spatial parameters.Currently, the preparation of nanoparticle arrays faces two major challenges. First, there is very limited control over the resulting nanoparticle pattern; and secondly, control over nanoparticle spacing is generally limited to the thickness of the protective coating. This research will address these challenges by studying the assembly of nanoparticle monolayers at the interface of water and a hydrophobic medium. Nanoparticle core size, coating type and temperature will be systematically explored for their influence on the self-assembly of single and multi-component arrays. Furthermore, the balance of forces present between the nanoparticles, water, and hydrophobic media will be explored by changing the hydrophobic medium (i.e. air vs. oil). Simultaneous measurements of the film's collective optical properties will be used to track the film assembly process. After transferring these films to solid substrates, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy will be used to visualise the arrangement of individual nanoparticles within the films. Elucidating the rules which govern nanoparticle self-assembly has several exciting consequences. The capability to assemble nanoparticle arrays with independent control over the nanoparticle size, shape, and spacing, is currently unprecedented. In doing so, one will gain access to either their individual or collective materials properties, as required by the application.