Science Daily  February 18, 2022 By using reversibly bonded molecular linkers, gelation can be realized in nanocrystal gels that can be made into responsive and tunable materials. However, there is no experimental means to monitor linking leading to gelation. Researchers at UT Austin developed a metal coordination linkage with a distinct optical signature that allowed them to quantify linking in situ and establish structural and thermodynamic bases for assembly. Because of coupling between linked indium tin oxide nanocrystals, their infrared absorption shifted abruptly at a chemically tunable gelation temperature. They quantified bonding spectroscopically and used molecular simulation to understand temperature-dependent […]