Self-Assembly and Collective Properties of Resorcinarene-encapsulated Nanoparticles

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Professor Alexander Wei of Purdue University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to study resorcinarene-encapsulated nanoparticles of gold, silver and cobalt. The PI is developing resorcinarene as a macrocyclic surfactant to enhance the dispersion and self-assembly of metal nanoparticles into materials with tunable physical properties. The idea is to use surface ligands designed to attach to particular particle faces (100) or (111) that will lead to specific predictable lattice structures when the particles are compressed into a 2D array or 3D superlattice. Arrays or so-called nanocrystals composed of nanoparticles can be developed for a variety of new applications. For example, ones that have tunable plasmonic resonances can be used for chemical sensing. Chiral magnetic nanodomains can be used as nonvolatile data storage elements. In addition to the broader impacts of the work in areas such as national security and computing, the project will involve students in the newly established Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue, which combines a number of activities including education and outreach.