Dynamic Self‐Assembly of Homogenous Microcyclic Structures Controlled by a Silver‐Coated Nanopore. Issue 25 (16th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Rui; Lin, Yao; Ying, Yi‐Lun; Liu, Xiao‐Yuan; Shi, Xin; Hu, Yong‐Xu; Long, Yi‐Tao; Tian, He
• Is Part Of: Small. Volume 13:Issue 25(2017)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-05-16
• Subjects: electrochemistry -- microcyclic structures -- microscale self‐assembly -- nanopores; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanoparticles -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201700234
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1613-6810

Abstract

Abstract : The self‐assembly of nanoparticles is a challenging process for organizing precise structures with complicated and ingenious structures. In the past decades, a simple, high‐efficiency, and reproducible self‐assembly method from nanoscale to microscale has been pursued because of the promising and extensive application prospects in bioanalysis, catalysis, photonics, and energy storage. However, microscale self‐assembly still faces big challenges including improving the stability and homogeneity as well as pursuing new assembly methods and templates for the uniform self‐assembly. To address these obstacles, here, a novel silver‐coated nanopore is developed which serves as a template for electrochemically generating microcyclic structures of gold nanoparticles at micrometers with highly homogenous size and remarkable reproducibility. Nanopore‐induced microcyclic structures are further applied to visualize the diffusion profile of ionic flux. Based on this novel strategy, a nanopore could potentially facilitate the delivery of assembled structures for many practical applications including drug delivery, cellular detection, catalysis, and plasmonic sensing. Abstract : The microcyclic structures of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are dynamically induced by a silver‐coated nanopore. The well‐defined silver‐coated nanopore acts as a nanotemplate for electrochemically guiding the self‐assembly of AuNPs in the microscale highly homogeneously and with good reproducibility. The size distribution of the microcyclic structures is consistent with the electrokinetic diffusion profile of Ag + ions.