Submicron Colloidosomes of Tunable Size and Wall Thickness

We present a simple method for the fabrication of colloidal capsules of different sizes ranging from below 100 nm up to one micron. The capsules are produced by self-assembling 5 nm gold nanoparticles at the interface of oil-in-water emulsion droplets. The size of the capsules is regulated by tuning the wetting properties of the nanoparticles by changing either the composition of their ligand shell or the composition of the oil phase. The modified wettability affects not only the size but also the thickness of capsule walls. The wall can be thin if it is made of a single layer of the nanoparticles or thick when composed of multilayers. The durability of such capsules is quite high, although it can be improved by chemical cross-linking with UV light. Such capsules have low permeability, so they can store a molecular cargo and then release it on demand.

Surfactant Behavior of Amphiphilic Polymer-Tethered Nanoparticles

In recent years, an emerging research area has been the surfactant behavior of polymer-tethered nanoparticles. In this feature article, we have provided a general introduction to the synthesis, self-assembly, and interfacial activity of polymer-tethered inorganic nanoparticles, polymer-tethered organic nanoparticles, and polymer-tethered natural nanoparticles. In addition, applications of the polymer-tethered nanoparticles in colloidal and materials science are briefly reviewed. All research demonstrates that amphiphilic polymer-tethered nanoparticles exhibit surfactant behavior and can be used as elemental building blocks for the fabrication of advanced structures by the self-assembly approach. The polymer-tethered nanoparticles provide new opportunities to engineer materials and biomaterials possessing specific functionality and physical properties.

Polystyrene-Core-Silica-Shell Hybrid Particles Containing Gold and Magnetic Nanoparticles

Polystyrene-core-silica-shell hybrid particles were synthesized by combining the self-assembly of nanoparticles and the polymer with a silica coating strategy. The core-shell hybrid particles are composed of gold-nanoparticle-decorated polystyrene (PS-AuNP) colloids as the core and silica particles as the shell. PS-AuNP colloids were generated by the self-assembly of the PS-grafted AuNPs. The silica coating improved the thermal stability and dispersibility of the AuNPs. By removing the "free" PS of the core, hollow particles with a hydrophobic cage having a AuNP corona and an inert silica shell were obtained. Also, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were encapsulated in the core, which resulted in magnetic core-shell hybrid particles by the same strategy. These particles have potential applications in biomolecular separation and high-temperature catalysis and as nanoreactors.

Plasmonic nanocomposites: polymer-guided strategies for assembling metal nanoparticles

Noble metal nanoparticles that support localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have the unique ability to manipulate and confine light at subwavelength dimensions. Utilizing these capabilities in devices and coatings requires the controlled organization of metal nanoparticles into ordered or hierarchical structures. Polymer grafts can be used as assembly-regulating molecules that bind to the nanoparticle surface and guide nanoparticle organization in solution, at interfaces, and within condensed phases. Here, we present an overview of polymer-directed assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles. We discuss how polymer grafts can be used to control short-range nanoparticle interactions that dictate interparticle gap distance and orientation. We also discuss how condensed polymer grafts can be used to control long-range order within condensed nanoparticle-polymer blends. The assembly of shaped plasmonic nanoparticles that have potential applications in enhanced spectroscopy and optical metamaterials is highlighted. We end with a summary of promising new directions toward the fabrication of plasmonic nanocomposites that are responsive and possess three-dimensional order.

Interface-directed self-assembly of gold nanoparticles and fabrication of hybrid hollow capsules by interfacial cross-linking polymerization

Amphiphilic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were produced at liquid-liquid interface via ligand exchange between hydrophilic AuNPs and disulfide-containing polymer chains. By using oil droplets as templates, hybrid hollow capsules with AuNPs on the surfaces were obtained after interfacial cross-linking polymerization. The volume ratio of toluene to water exerts an important effect on the size of capsules. The average size of the capsules increases with the volume ratio. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the hollow structures. In this research, not only one-component but also multicomponent hollow capsules were prepared by copolymerization of acrylamide and hybrid AuNPs at liquid-liquid interface. Because of the improvement in hydrophilicity of the hollow capsules, the average size of multicomponent capsules is bigger than one-component ones in aqueous solution.

Formation of different gold nanocrystal core-resin shell structures through the control of the core assembly and shell polymerization

The formation of different Au nanocrystal core-resin shell structures through the control of the nanocrystal assembly and shell polymerization is investigated. 4-Mercaptophenol is employed together with formaldehyde as the resin monomers. 4-Mercaptophenol molecules bond to the surface of Au nanocrystals so that the resultant phenolic resin can intimately encapsulate Au nanocrystals. The morphologies of the obtained structures are determined by the nanocrystal assembly and the monomer polymerization behaviors, which are controlled by the solution pH as well as the monomer amounts. At pH = 8-9, Au nanorods are assembled and fused together under hydrothermal conditions in a preferential end-to-end manner. The fused structures are coated with a layer of resin, with the thickness controlled by the supplied amounts of the monomers. At pH = ∼10, Au nanorods are coated with resin of controllable thicknesses and separated from each other. The resin-coated Au nanorods are stable in both aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. At pH = ∼12, Au nanorods are coated with a thin layer of resin and assembled together in a side-by-side manner. A similar assembly and resin coating behavior is also observed with Au nanopolyhedrons. Moreover, plasmonic-fluorescent bifunctional structures are readily produced by incorporating CdTe nanocrystals in the resin shell that is coated on Au nanocrystals, owing to the presence of a number of thiol groups in the resin shell.

Thermoresponsive nanohydrogels cross-linked by gold nanoparticles

Thermoresponsive nanohydrogels cross-linked by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions and in situ reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. In order to synthesize thermoresponsive nanohydrogels, AuNPs decorated with azide groups (AuNPs-N(3)) were prepared through ligand exchange. Click reactions between AuNPs-N(3) and dialkynetrithiocarbonate yielded cross-linked AuNP aggregates. The size and cross-linking density of AuNP aggregates increased with the molar ratio of acetylene groups to azide groups. After click reactions, the absorption maximum of the plasmon band of AuNPs red-shifted to a long wavelength. Thermoresponsive nanohydrogels were prepared by in situ RAFT polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) using trithiocarbonate in the cross-linked AuNP aggregates as chain-transfer agents. The thermoresponsive nanohydrogels presented a low critical solution temperature at around 32 degrees C due to the "coil-to-globule" transition of connecting PNIPAM chains in the nanohydrogels. The size of the thermoresponsive nanohydrogels was determined by the molar ratio of acetylene groups to azide groups.

Self-assembly of gold nanoparticles and polystyrene: a highly versatile approach to the preparation of colloidal particles with polystyrene cores and gold nanoparticle coronae

Colloidal particles with polystyrene (PS) cores and gold nanoparticle (AuNP) coronae were prepared on the basis of the self-assembly of AuNP's and PS. Citrate-stabilized AuNP's were dispersed in aqueous solution, and PS with thiol terminal groups (PS-SH) was dissolved in toluene. A stable emulsion was obtained by mixing the two solutions. Optical microscope images indicate that after grafting of PS-SH to the citrate-stabilized AuNP's at liquid-liquid interface, the interfacial tension is reduced and the average size of toluene droplets in the emulsion decreases. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) results also prove the grafting of PS-SH to AuNP's and the location of the hybrid nanoparticles at the liquid-liquid interface. Colloidal particles with PS cores and AuNP coronae were prepared by adding the emulsion to excess methanol. The weight ratio of PS-SH to AuNP exerts a significant effect on the size of colloidal particles. TEM and dynamic light scattering results both indicate that the size of colloidal particles increases with the weight ratio. The application of the core-shell-structured colloidal particles to protein separation was also investigated in this research. Colloidal particles with PS-coated magnetic nanoparticles in the cores were also prepared by this strategy.