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Zhang J, Song P, Zhu Z, Li Y, Liu G, Henderson MJ, Li J, Wang W, Tian Q, Li N. Evaporation-induced self-assembly of Janus pyramid molecules from fractal network to core-shell nanoclusters evidenced by small-angle X-ray scattering. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 674:437-444. [PMID: 38941936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembly of nanoclusters (NCs) is an effective synthetic method for preparing functionalized nanomaterials. However, the assembly process and mechanisms in solutions still remain ambiguous owing to the limited strategies to monitor intermediate assembled states. Herein, the self-assembly process of amphiphilic molecule 4POSS-DL-POM (consisting of four polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, a dendritic linker, and one polyoxometalate) by evaporation of acetone in a mixed acetone/n-decane solution is monitored by time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Scattering data assessments, including Kratky analysis, pair distance distribution function, and model fitting, track the self-assembly process of 4POSS-DL-POM from a fractal network to compact NCs, then to core-shell NCs, and finally to superlattice structure. The calculated average aggregation number of a core-shell NC is 11 according to the parameters obtained from core-shell model fitting, in agreement with electron microscopy. The fundamental understanding of the self-assembly dynamics from heterocluster into NCs provides principles to control building block shape and guide target aggregation, which can further promote the design and construction of highly ordered cluster-assembled functional nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqiao Zhang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Panqi Song
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhu
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yiwen Li
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Guangfeng Liu
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Mark Julian Henderson
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
| | - Jixiang Li
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Centre for Synthetic Soft Materials, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education and Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Qiang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.
| | - Na Li
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201210, China.
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Narayanan T. Recent advances in synchrotron scattering methods for probing the structure and dynamics of colloids. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 325:103114. [PMID: 38452431 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent progress in synchrotron based X-ray scattering methods applied to colloid science is reviewed. An important figure of merit of these techniques is that they enable in situ investigations of colloidal systems under the desired thermophysical and rheological conditions. An ensemble averaged simultaneous structural and dynamical information can be derived albeit in reciprocal space. Significant improvements in X-ray source brilliance and advances in detector technology have overcome some of the limitations in the past. Notably coherent X-ray scattering techniques have become more competitive and they provide complementary information to laboratory based real space methods. For a system with sufficient scattering contrast, size ranges from nm to several μm and time scales down to μs are now amenable to X-ray scattering investigations. A wide variety of sample environments can be combined with scattering experiments further enriching the science that could be pursued by means of advanced X-ray scattering instruments. Some of these recent progresses are illustrated via representative examples. To derive quantitative information from the scattering data, rigorous data analysis or modeling is required. Development of powerful computational tools including the use of artificial intelligence have become the emerging trend.
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