Phys.org  February 2, 2024 Despite remarkable advancements, the controlled assembly of highly anisotropic 2Dnanosheets is significantly challenging, primarily due to the limited availability of selective edge-to-edge connectivity compared to the abundant large faces. Researchers in South Korea have shown controlled self-assembly of 2D-silica nanosheets (2D-SiNSs) into hollow micron-sized soccer ball-like shells (SA-SiMS). The assembly was driven by the physical flexibility of the 2D-SiNSs and the differential electric double-layer charge gradient creating electrostatic bias on the edge and face regions. The resulting SA-SiMS structures exhibited high mechanical stability, even at high-temperatures, and exhibited excellent performance as catalyst support in the dry […]