Step-growth polymerization of inorganic nanoparticles.
Self-organization of nanoparticles is an efficient strategy for producing nanostructures with complex, hierarchical architectures. The past decade has witnessed great progress in nanoparticle self-assembly, yet the quantitative prediction of the architecture of nanoparticle ensembles and of the kinetics of their formation remains a challenge. We report on the marked similarity between the self-assembly of metal nanoparticles and reaction-controlled step-growth polymerization. The nanoparticles act as multifunctional monomer units, which form reversible, noncovalent bonds at specific bond angles and organize themselves into a colloidal polymer. We show that the kinetics and statistics of step-growth polymerization enable a quantitative prediction of the architecture of linear, branched, and cyclic self-assembled nanostructures; their aggregation numbers and size distribution; and the formation of structural isomers.
Liu
Kun
K
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Nie
Zhihong
Z
Zhao
Nana
N
Li
Wei
W
Rubinstein
Michael
M
Kumacheva
Eugenia
E
D000077286:Cetrimonium; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003102:Colloids; D003500:Cyclization; D006046:Gold; D007536:Isomerism; D007700:Kinetics; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry
D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds; D003102:Colloids; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D006046:Gold; D000077286:Cetrimonium