Top-down approaches are currently the main contributor of fabricating microelectronic devices. However, the prohibitive cost of numerous technological steps in these approaches is the main obstacle to further progress. Furthermore, a large number of applications necessitate fabrication of complex and ultra-small devices that cannot be made using these approaches. New approaches based on natural self-assembly of matter need to be developed to allow for fabrication of micro and nanoelectronic devices. Self-assembly of nanostructures is a dynamic field, which explores physics of these structures and new ways to fabricate them. However, the major problem is how to control the properties of the nanostructures resulting from low dimensionality. This book presents recent advances made to address this problem, and fabricate nanostructures using self-assembly.

Biological building blocks (i.e., proteins) are encoded with the information of target structure into the chemical and morphological patches, guiding their assembly into the levels of functional structures that are crucial for living organisms. Learning from nature, researchers have been attracted to the artificial analogues, ,Äúpatchy particles,,Äù which have controlled geometries of patches that serve as directional bonding sites. However, unlike the abundant studies of micron-scale patchy particles, which demonstrated complex assembly structures and unique behaviors attributed to the patches, research on patchy nanoparticles (NPs) has remained challenging. In the present chapter, we discuss the recent understandings on patchy NP design and synthesis strategies, and physical principles of their assembly behaviors, which are the main factors to program patchy NP self-assembly into target structures that cannot be achieved by conventional non-patched NPs. We further summarize the self-assembly of patchy NPs under external fields, in simulation, and in kinetically controlled assembly pathways, to show the structural richness patchy NPs bring. The patchy NP assembly is novel by their structures as well as the multicomponent features, and thus exhibits unique optical, chemical, and mechanical properties, potentially aiding applications in catalysts, photonic crystals, and metamaterials as well as fundamental nanoscience.

An introduction to the state-of-the-art of the diverse self-assembly systems Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles provides an effective entry for new researchers into this exciting field while also giving the state of the art assessment of the diverse self-assembling systems for those already engaged in this research. Over the last twenty years, self-assembly has emerged as a distinct science/technology field, going well beyond the classical surfactant and block copolymer molecules, and encompassing much larger and complex molecular, biomolecular and nanoparticle systems. Within its ten chapters, each contributed by pioneers of the respective research topics, the book: Discusses the fundamental physical chemical principles that govern the formation and properties of self-assembled systems Describes important experimental techniques to characterize the properties of self-assembled systems, particularly the nature of molecular organization and structure at the nano, meso or micro scales. Provides the first exhaustive accounting of self-assembly derived from various kinds of biomolecules including peptides, DNA and proteins. Outlines methods of synthesis and functionalization of self-assembled nanoparticles and the further self-assembly of the nanoparticles into one, two or three dimensional materials. Explores numerous potential applications of self-assembled structures including nanomedicine applications of drug delivery, imaging, molecular diagnostics and theranostics, and design of materials to specification such as smart responsive materials and self-healing materials. Highlights the unifying as well as contrasting features of self-assembly, as we move from surfactant molecules to nanoparticles. Written for students and academic and industrial scientists and engineers, by pioneers of the research field, Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles is a comprehensive resource on diverse self-assembly systems, that is simultaneously introductory as well as the state of the art.

Patchy particles are particles with precisely controlled dual or multiple surfaces of varying properties. Over the past decade, tremendous attentions have been paid on patchy particles due to their unique properties, anisotropic interactions and intriguing self-assembling behaviors. In this work, three molecular patchy particles based on precisely functionalized fullerenes (C60) were synthesized. Two of them contain ten amino groups on the surface of C60 but with different "patches", which are four hydroxyl groups (NC60-4OH) or two carboxylic acids groups (NC60-2COOH). Starting from C60, two mono-functionalized C60 derivatives containing two protected carboxylic acids (C60-2tBu) or four protected hydroxyl groups (C60-4pre-OH) were synthesized in the dilute solution of toluene under the typical condition of Bingel-Hirsch reactions. C60-2tBu and C60-4pre-OH were further functionalized with ten protected amino groups in concentrated solution of dichlrobenzene to give BNC60-4pre-OH and BNC60-2tBu with protected groups, respectively. The deprotection of BNC60-4pre-OH and BNC60-2tBu were achieved in the solution of trifluoroacetic acid/dichloromethane to afford the final products NC60-4OH and NC60-2COOH, respectively. Another patchy particle (AC60-2NH2), which contains ten carboxylic acid groups on the surface of C60 and two amino groups as a patch, was synthesized following the similar reaction. For these three patchy particles, the precisely defined structures of as-synthesized intermediates and final products were fully characterized by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscope, including 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The self-assembly behavior of these patchy particles were investigated in different polar solvent such as THF, H2O, DMF. It was found that AC60-2NH2 could form vesicles in THF and tubes in H2O. Finally, different from commonly reported colloid patchy particles, whose sizes are in micrometer scale, the molecular patchy particles we synthesized are in nanometer scale and might provide a new perspective for the nanostructure formation of patchy particles.

Named after the two-faced roman god, Janus particles have gained much attention due to their potential in a variety of applications, including drug delivery. This is the first book devoted to Janus particles and covers their methods of synthesis, how these particles self-assemble, and their possible uses. By following the line of synthesis, self-assembly and applications, the book not only covers the fundamental and applied aspects, but it goes beyond a simple summary and offers a logistic way of selecting the proper synthetic route for Janus particles for certain applications. Written by pioneering experts in the field, the book introduces the Janus concept to those new to the topic and highlights the most recent research progress on the topic for those active in the field and catalyze new ideas.

This is the third volume in a series of books on selected topics in Nanoscale Science and Technology based on lectures given at the well-known Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) schools of the same name. The present set of notes stems in particular from the participation and dedication of prestigious lecturers, such as Nunzio Motta, Fulvia Patella, Alexandr Toropov, and Anna Sgarlata. All lectures have been carefully edited and reworked, taking into account extensive follow-up discussions. A tutorial lecture by Motta et al. presents the analysis of the Poly(3-hexylthiophene) self assembly on carbon nanotubes and discusses how the interaction between the two materials forms a new hybrid nanostructure, with potential application to future solar cells technology. In their contribution, Patella et al. review quantum dots of III-V compounds, which offer appealing perspectives for more sophisticated applications in new generation devices such as single-photon emitters for nano-photonics and quantum computing. Focusing on self-assembled quantum dots, the chapter by Alexandr Toropov et al. provides a comprehensive review of some important aspects in the formation of quantum dots and presents the results of the authors’ extensive investigation of the features of droplet epitaxy. The fourth contribution, by Sgarlata et al., focuses on recent progress toward controlled growth of self-assembled nanostructures, dealing with the shaping, ordering and localization in Ge/Si heteroepitaxy and reviewing recent results on the self-organization of Ge nanostructures at Si surfaces.