Using polymers to control the organizational behavior of nanoparticles

In order to create new nanomaterial technologies such as next-generation lighting, fundamental challenges underpinning the science and engineering of nanoparticles must be resolved. For example, many proposed technologies hinge on the organization of particles into layers, called films, that have a precise microstructure. However, fabrication of these films is a challenging feat to accomplish because it is difficult to control the structure of nanoparticle assemblies on micrometer scales. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found a solution—nanoparticles can be organized in a more predictable, organized fashion when surface-modified with polymer chains. By harnessing the intrinsic organizational properties of polymeric tethers, nanoparticles can be programmed to self-assemble into a variety of micron-sized domain structures in a reversible way.