Researchers in the Molecular Design Institute have developed a synthetic strategy to construct colloidal molecules with specific features and capabilities. "Customized Chiral Colloids" was published in JACS, where the work has been spotlighted. Authors include doctoral students Mingzhu Liu, Fangyuan Dong and Nicolle Jackson, as well as professors Mike Ward and Marcus Weck.
Read the article: Customized Chiral Colloids
Read the JACS spotlight: Colloidal Clusters Made to Order
Abstract: This contribution describes a synthetic strategy for the fabrication of multicomponent colloidal “molecules” with controllable complex morphologies and compositionally distinct lobes. Using 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TPM) as the building block, the methodology enables a scalable bulk synthesis of customized chiral colloidal particles with geometric and compositional chirality by a sequential seeded growth method. The synthetic protocol presents a versatile platform for constructing colloidal molecules with multiple components having customized shapes and functionalities, with the potential to impact the design of chromatic patchy particles, colloidal swimmers, and chiral optical materials, as well as informing programmable assembly.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, through its Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) program, and the U.S. Department of Energy.