Interparticle Forces Underlying Nanoparticle Self-Assemblies

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 11; no. 45; pp. 5984 - 6008
• Main Authors: Luo, Dan, Yan, Cong, Wang, Tie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 02.12.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Electromagnetic Fields; Hydrogen Bonding; interparticle forces; Ions; Mechanical Phenomena; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology - methods; self-assembly; Static Electricity; superlattices; self-assembly; nanoparticles; interparticle forces; superlattices
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201501783

Studies on the self‐assembly of nanoparticles have been a hot topic in nanotechnology for decades and still remain relevant for the present and future due to their tunable collective properties as well as their remarkable applications to a wide range of fields. The novel properties of nanoparticle assemblies arise from their internal interactions and assemblies with the desired architecture key to constructing novel nanodevices. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the interparticle forces of nanoparticle self‐assemblies is a pre‐requisite to the design and control of the assembly processes, so as to fabricate the ideal nanomaterial and nanoproducts. Here, different categories of interparticle forces are classified and discussed according to their origins, behaviors and functions during the assembly processes, and the induced collective properties of the corresponding nanoparticle assemblies. Common interparticle forces, such as van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, electromagnetic dipole‐dipole interactions, hydrogen bonds, solvophonic interactions, and depletion interactions are discussed in detail. In addition, new categories of assembly principles are summarized and introduced. These are termed template‐mediated interactions and shape‐complementary interactions. A deep understanding of the interactions inside self‐assembled nanoparticles, and a broader perspective for the future synthesis and fabrication of these promising nanomaterials is provided. Nanoparticle self‐assemblies are considered highly promising nanomaterials for future industrialization. Here, recent progress in the synthesis of nanoparticle self‐assemblies with respect to interparticle forces, which determine their collective properties, is highlighted. A comprehensive perspective for the future design and fabrication of nanoparticle assemblies with excellent properties and applications is presented.