Forming supramolecular networks from nanoscale rods in binary, phase-separating mixtures
Simulations show that when low-volume fractions of nanoscale rods are immersed in a binary, phase-separating blend, the rods self-assemble into needle-like, percolating networks. The interconnected network arises through the dynamic interplay of phase-separation between the fluids, through preferential adsorption of the minority component onto the mobile rods, and through rod-rod repulsion. Such cooperative effects provide a means of manipulating the motion of nanoscopic objects and directing their association into supramolecular structures. Increasing the rod concentration beyond the effective percolation threshold drives the system to self-assemble into a lamellar morphology, with layers of wetted rods alternating with layers of the majority-component fluid. This approach can potentially yield organic/inorganic composites that are ordered on nanometer scales and exhibit electrical or structural integrity.
Peng
G
Chemical Engineering Department and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Qiu
F
Ginzburg
VV
Jasnow
D
Balazs
AC