CRC TRR 61 A07 - Synthesis and self-assembly of colloidal molecules

Basic data for this project

Description

Most colloids are isotropic particles that assemble in close-packed crystal structures in solution and on surfaces. The general aim of this bilateral collaboration is to develop innovative methods to prepare colloidal molecules, i.e. well-defined Janus or patchy particles that interact in anisotropic fashion, and to investigate the self-assembly of such particles in solution and on surfaces. A central scientific challenge is the investigation of the self-assembly mechanisms of clusters of colloidal molecules ("colloidal supramolecules") in solution. Important applications of these complex self-assembled materials include the preparation of stimulus responsive colloidal molecules and photonic materials. Key objectives include the anisotropic functionalization of particles with recognition or reactive units by means of microcontact printing and dip-pen micromanipulation, the fabrication of monodisperse colloidal molecules with tunable physicochemical properties (optical, reactivity, molecular recognition), and finally the directed self-assembly of Janus and patchy colloidal molecules into photonic structures on surfaces. Key methods are microfluidics, dip-pen micromanipulation, microcontact printing and click chemistry. The colloidal molecules and their assemblies will be primarily characterized by SEM and fluorescence microscopy.