Phys.org August 19, 2024 Nanoparticle self-assembly offers a scalable and versatile means to fabricate next-generation materials. The prevalence of metastable and nonequilibrium states during the assembly process makes the final structure and function directly dependent upon formation pathways. A team of researchers in the US (Indiana University, University of Michigan) used liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy to image complete self-assembly processes of gold nanocubes, a model shape-anisotropic nanocolloidal system, into distinct superlattices. Theoretical analysis and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the electrostatic screening of the medium dictated self-assembly pathways by its effects on the interactions between nanocubes. They leveraged this understanding […]
Tag Archives: Adaptive materials
Molecular sponge for the electronics of the future
EurekAlert June 17, 2024 Porous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) enable the realization of functional materials with molecular precision. Past research has typically focused on generating rigid frameworks where structural and optoelectronic properties are static. Constructing dynamic, yet crystalline and robust frameworks require a well-controlled degree of flexibility. An international team of researchers (UK, Germany, USA – Stony Brook University) has developed dynamic 2D COFs that can open and close their pores upon uptake or removal of guests while retaining their crystalline long-range order. The process requires a well-controlled degree of flexibility. They achieved this through a ‘wine rack’ design where […]
Next generation material that adapts to its history
Nanowerk November 15, 2022 The responses of living systems dynamically adapt based on the repetition, intensity, and history of stimuli. Such plasticity is ubiquitous in biology, which is profoundly linked to memory and learning. Inspired by living systems, researchers in Finland synthesised micrometre-sized magnetic beads which were then stimulated by a magnetic field. When the magnet was on, the beads stacked up to form pillars. The strength of the magnetic field affects the shape of the pillars, which in turn affects how well they conduct electricity. When they exposed the beads to a quickly pulsing magnetic field, the material became […]