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Mesoscale Modeling of Agglomeration of Molecular Bottlebrushes: Focus on Conformations and Clustering Criteria. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14122339. [PMID: 35745920 PMCID: PMC9227207 DOI: 10.3390/polym14122339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Using dissipative particle dynamics, we characterize dynamics of aggregation of molecular bottlebrushes in solvents of various qualities by tracking the number of clusters, the size of the largest cluster, and an average aggregation number. We focus on a low volume fraction of bottlebrushes in a range of solvents and probe three different cutoff criteria to identify bottlebrushes belonging to the same cluster. We demonstrate that the cutoff criteria which depend on both the coordination number and the length of the side chain allows one to correlate the agglomeration status with the structural characteristics of bottlebrushes in solvents of various qualities. We characterize conformational changes of the bottlebrush within the agglomerates with respect to those of an isolated bottlebrush in the same solvents. The characterization of bottlebrush conformations within the agglomerates is an important step in understanding the relationship between the bottlebrush architecture and material properties. An analysis of three distinct cutoff criteria to identify bottlebrushes belonging to the same cluster introduces a framework to identify both short-lived transient and long-lived agglomerates; the same approach could be further extended to characterize agglomerates of various macromolecules with complex architectures beyond the specific bottlebrush architecture considered herein.
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2
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Durhuus FL, Wandall LH, Boisen MH, Kure M, Beleggia M, Frandsen C. Simulated clustering dynamics of colloidal magnetic nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:1970-1981. [PMID: 33443246 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08561h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Magnetically guided self-assembly of nanoparticles is a promising bottom-up method to fabricate novel materials and superstructures, such as, for example, magnetic nanoparticle clusters for biomedical applications. The existence of assembled structures has been verified by numerous experiments, yet a comprehensive theoretical framework to explore design possibilities and predict emerging properties is missing. Here we present a model of magnetic nanoparticle interactions built upon a Langevin dynamics algorithm to simulate the time evolution and aggregation of colloidal suspensions. We recognise three main aggregation regimes: non-aggregated, linear and clustered. Through systematic simulations we have revealed the link between single particle parameters and which aggregates are formed, both in terms of the three regimes and the chance of finding specific aggregates, which we characterise by nanoparticle arrangement and net magnetic moment. Our findings are shown to agree with past experiments and may serve as a stepping stone to guide the design and interpretation of future studies.
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3
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Stanković I, Dašić M, Otálora JA, García C. A platform for nanomagnetism - assembled ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic dipolar tubes. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:2521-2535. [PMID: 30604809 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr06936k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We report an interesting case where magnetic phenomena can transcend mesoscopic scales. Our system consists of tubes created by the assembly of dipolar spheres. The cylindrical topology results in the breakup of degeneracy observed in planar square and triangular packings. As far as the ground state is concerned, the tubes switch from circular to axial magnetization with increasing tube length. All magnetostatic properties found in magnetic nanotubes, in which the dipolar interaction is comparable to or dominant over the exchange interaction, are reproduced by the dipolar tubes including an intermediary helically magnetized state. Besides, we discuss the antiferromagnetic phase resulting from the square arrangement of the dipolar spheres and its interesting vortex state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Stanković
- Scientific Computing Laboratory, Center for the Study of Complex Systems, Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia.
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4
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Yu L, Shi R, Qian HJ, Lu ZY. Versatile fabrication of patchy nanoparticles via patterning of grafted diblock copolymers on NP surface. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:1417-1427. [DOI: 10.1039/c8cp06699j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Patchy nanoparticle formation via the patterning of grafted diblock copolymers on NP surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxiuzi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
| | - Rui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
| | - Hu-Jun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
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5
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Zhang Y, Huang H, Zhao B, Deng J. Preparation and Applications of Chiral Polymeric Particles. Isr J Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201800023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
| | - Huajun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
| | - Biao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
| | - Jianping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
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6
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Morphew D, Chakrabarti D. Correction: Hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal magnetic particles into reconfigurable spherical structures. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:15410. [PMID: 30066711 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr90159g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Correction for 'Hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal magnetic particles into reconfigurable spherical structures' by Daniel Morphew et al., Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 8343-8350.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Morphew
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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7
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Morphew D, Chakrabarti D. Programming hierarchical self-assembly of colloids: matching stability and accessibility. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:13875-13882. [PMID: 29993063 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr09258j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Encoding hierarchical self-assembly in colloidal building blocks is a promising bottom-up route to high-level structural complexity often observed in biological materials. However, harnessing this promise faces the grand challenge of bridging hierarchies of multiple length- and time-scales, associated with structure and dynamics respectively along the self-assembly pathway. Here we report on a case study, which examines the kinetic accessibility of a series of hollow spherical structures with a two-level structural hierarchy self-assembled from charge-stabilized colloidal magnetic particles. By means of a variety of computational methods, we find that for a staged assembly pathway, the structure, which derives the strongest energetic stability from the first stage of assembly and the weakest from the second stage, is most kinetically accessible. Such a striking correspondence between energetics and kinetics for optimal design principles should have general implications for programming hierarchical self-assembly pathways for nano- and micro-particles, while matching stability and accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Morphew
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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8
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Deißenbeck F, Löwen H, Oğuz EC. Ground state of dipolar hard spheres confined in channels. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:052608. [PMID: 29906819 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.052608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the ground state of a classical two-dimensional system of hard-sphere dipoles confined between two hard walls. Using lattice sum minimization techniques we reveal that at fixed wall separations, a first-order transition from a vacuum to a straight one-dimensional chain of dipoles occurs upon increasing the density. Further increase in the density yields the stability of an undulated chain as well as nontrivial buckling structures. We explore the close-packed configurations of dipoles in detail, and we find that, in general, the densest packings of dipoles possess complex magnetizations along the principal axis of the slit. Our predictions serve as a guideline for experiments with granular dipolar and magnetic colloidal suspensions confined in slitlike channel geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Deißenbeck
- Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Weiche Materie: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hartmut Löwen
- Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Weiche Materie: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Erdal C Oğuz
- School of Mechanical Engineering and The Sackler Center for Computational Molecular and Materials Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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9
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Abstract
A general formulation for constructing addressable atomic clusters is introduced, based on one or more reference structures. By modifying the well depths in a given interatomic potential in favour of nearest-neighbour interactions that are defined in the reference(s), the potential energy landscape can be biased to make a particular permutational isomer the global minimum. The magnitude of the bias changes the resulting potential energy landscape systematically, providing a framework to produce clusters that should self-organise efficiently into the target structure. These features are illustrated for small systems, where all the relevant local minima and transition states can be identified, and for the low-energy regions of the landscape for larger clusters. For a 55-particle cluster, it is possible to design a target structure from a transition state of the original potential and to retain this structure in a doubly addressable landscape. Disconnectivity graphs based on local minima that have no direct connections to a lower minimum provide a helpful way to visualise the larger databases. These minima correspond to the termini of monotonic sequences, which always proceed downhill in terms of potential energy, and we identify them as a class of biminimum. Multiple copies of the target cluster are treated by adding a repulsive term between particles with the same address to maintain distinguishable targets upon aggregation. By tuning the magnitude of this term, it is possible to create assemblies of the target cluster corresponding to a variety of structures, including rings and chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Wales
- University Chemical Laboratories, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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10
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Morphew D, Shaw J, Avins C, Chakrabarti D. Programming Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Patchy Particles into Colloidal Crystals via Colloidal Molecules. ACS NANO 2018; 12:2355-2364. [PMID: 29457457 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b07633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal self-assembly is a promising bottom-up route to a wide variety of three-dimensional structures, from clusters to crystals. Programming hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal building blocks, which can give rise to structures ordered at multiple levels to rival biological complexity, poses a multiscale design problem. Here we explore a generic design principle that exploits a hierarchy of interaction strengths and employ this design principle in computer simulations to demonstrate the hierarchical self-assembly of triblock patchy colloidal particles into two distinct colloidal crystals. We obtain cubic diamond and body-centered cubic crystals via distinct clusters of uniform size and shape, namely, tetrahedra and octahedra, respectively. Such a conceptual design framework has the potential to reliably encode hierarchical self-assembly of colloidal particles into a high level of sophistication. Moreover, the design framework underpins a bottom-up route to cubic diamond colloidal crystals, which have remained elusive despite being much sought after for their attractive photonic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Morphew
- School of Chemistry , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , U.K
| | - James Shaw
- School of Chemistry , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , U.K
| | - Christopher Avins
- School of Chemistry , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , U.K
| | - Dwaipayan Chakrabarti
- School of Chemistry , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , U.K
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11
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Hernández-Rojas J, Calvo F. Temperature- and field-induced structural transitions in magnetic colloidal clusters. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:022601. [PMID: 29548195 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.022601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic colloidal clusters can form chain, ring, and more compact structures depending on their size. In the present investigation we examine the combined effects of temperature and external magnetic field on these configurations by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations and a dedicated analysis based on inherent structures. Various thermodynamical, geometric, and magnetic properties are calculated and altogether provide evidence for possibly multiple structural transitions at low external magnetic field. Temperature effects are found to overcome the ordering effect of the external field, the melted stated being associated with low magnetization and a greater compactness. Tentative phase diagrams are proposed for selected sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hernández-Rojas
- Departamento de Física and IUdEA, Universidad de La Laguna, 38205, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - F Calvo
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, Université Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, 140 Av. de la physique, 38402 St Martin d'Hères, France
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12
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Beyond icosahedral symmetry in packings of proteins in spherical shells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9014-9019. [PMID: 28790186 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706825114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of quasi-spherical cages from protein building blocks is a remarkable self-assembly process in many natural systems, where a small number of elementary building blocks are assembled to build a highly symmetric icosahedral cage. In turn, this has inspired synthetic biologists to design de novo protein cages. We use simple models, on multiple scales, to investigate the self-assembly of a spherical cage, focusing on the regularity of the packing of protein-like objects on the surface. Using building blocks, which are able to pack with icosahedral symmetry, we examine how stable these highly symmetric structures are to perturbations that may arise from the interplay between flexibility of the interacting blocks and entropic effects. We find that, in the presence of those perturbations, icosahedral packing is not the most stable arrangement for a wide range of parameters; rather disordered structures are found to be the most stable. Our results suggest that (i) many designed, or even natural, protein cages may not be regular in the presence of those perturbations and (ii) optimizing those flexibilities can be a possible design strategy to obtain regular synthetic cages with full control over their surface properties.
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13
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Morphew D, Chakrabarti D. Clusters of anisotropic colloidal particles: From colloidal molecules to supracolloidal structures. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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14
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Morphew D, Chakrabarti D. Supracolloidal reconfigurable polyhedra via hierarchical self-assembly. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9633-9640. [PMID: 27858048 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01615d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Enclosed three-dimensional structures with hollow interiors have been attractive targets for the self-assembly of building blocks across different length scales. Colloidal self-assembly, in particular, has enormous potential as a bottom-up means of structure fabrication exploiting a priori designed building blocks because of the scope for tuning interparticle interactions. Here we use computer simulation study to demonstrate the self-assembly of designer charge-stabilised colloidal magnetic particles into a series of supracolloidal polyhedra, each displaying a remarkable two-level structural hierarchy. The parameter space for design supports thermodynamically stable polyhedra of very different morphologies, namely tubular and hollow spheroidal structures, involving the formation of subunits of four-fold and three-fold rotational symmetry, respectively. The spheroidal polyhedra are chiral, despite having a high degree of rotational symmetry. The dominant pathways for self-assembly into these polyhedra reveal two distinct mechanisms - a growth mechanism via sequential attachment of the subunits for a tubular structure and a staged or hierarchical pathway for a spheroidal polyhedron. These supracolloidal architectures open up in response to an external magnetic field. Our results suggest design rules for synthetic reconfigurable containers at the microscale exploiting a hierarchical self-assembly scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Morphew
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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15
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Zhang CY, Jian XL, Lu W. Ring formation in the quasi-two-dimensional system of the patchy magnetic spheres. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:145101. [PMID: 26965459 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/14/145101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Fabricating new functional materials has always been at the center of colloidal science, and how to form circular rings is a meaningful challenge due to their special electronic, magnetic and optical properties. Magnetic colloidal spheres can self-assemble into rings, but these rings have an uncontrollable length and shape and also have to coexist with chains and defected clusters. To make the most of magnetic spheres being able to self-assemble into rings, a patch is added to the surface of the sphere to form a chiral link between particles. The structural transition in the system of patchy magnetic spheres is studied using the Monte Carlo simulation. When the patch angle is in the interval 60° to 75°, rings become the dominant structure if the strength of patchy interaction exceeds a particular threshold and the shape of these rings is close to the circle. With an increase in the patch angle, the threshold of patchy interaction decreases and the average length of the circular ring increases approximately from 5 to 8.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-yu Zhang
- College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210031, People's Republic of China
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16
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He Q, Yuan T, Wang Y, Guleria A, Wei S, Zhang G, Sun L, Liu J, Yu J, Young DP, Lin H, Khasanov A, Guo Z. Manipulating the dimensional assembly pattern and crystalline structures of iron oxide nanostructures with a functional polyolefin. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:1915-1920. [PMID: 26754459 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07213a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Controlled crystalline structures (α- and γ-phase) and assembly patterns (1-D, 2-D and 3-D) were achieved in the synthesized iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) using polymeric surfactant-polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) with different concentrations. In addition, the change of the crystalline structure from the α- and γ-phase also led to the significantly increased saturation magnetization and coercivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingliang He
- Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
| | - Tingting Yuan
- Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
| | - Yiran Wang
- Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
| | - Abhishant Guleria
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas 77710, USA.
| | - Suying Wei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas 77710, USA.
| | - Guoqi Zhang
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, 10019, USA.
| | - Luyi Sun
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3136, USA
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3136, USA
| | - Jingfang Yu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3136, USA
| | - David P Young
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
| | - Hongfei Lin
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
| | - Airat Khasanov
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, USA
| | - Zhanhu Guo
- Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
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17
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Hernández-Rojas J, Chakrabarti D, Wales DJ. Self-assembly of colloidal magnetic particles: energy landscapes and structural transitions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:26579-26585. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp03085h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of colloidal magnetic particles is of particular interest for the rich variety of structures it produces and the potential for these systems to be reconfigurable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D. Chakrabarti
- School of Chemistry
- University of Birmingham
- Birmingham B15 2TT
- UK
| | - D. J. Wales
- University Chemical Laboratories
- Cambridge CB2 1EW
- UK
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