Shape-Dependent Oriented Trapping and Scaffolding of Plasmonic Nanoparticles by Topological Defects for Self-Assembly of Colloidal Dimers in Liquid Crystals
详细信息 查看全文
- 作者：Bohdan Senyuk ; Julian S. Evans ; Paul J. Ackerman ; Taewoo Lee ; Pramit Manna ; Leonid Vigderman ; Eugene R. Zubarev ; Jao van de Lagemaat ; Ivan I. Smalyukh
- 刊名：Nano Letters
- 出版年：2012
- 出版时间：February 8, 2012
- 年：2012
- 卷：12
- 期：2
- 页码：955-963
- 全文大小：555K
- 年卷期：v.12,no.2(February 8, 2012)
- ISSN：1530-6992
文摘
We demonstrate scaffolding of plasmonic nanoparticles by topological defects induced by colloidal microspheres to match their surface boundary conditions with a uniform far-field alignment in a liquid crystal host. Displacing energetically costly liquid crystal regions of reduced order, anisotropic nanoparticles with concave or convex shapes not only stably localize in defects but also self-orient with respect to the microsphere surface. Using laser tweezers, we manipulate the ensuing nanoparticle-microsphere colloidal dimers, probing the strength of elastic binding and demonstrating self-assembly of hierarchical colloidal superstructures such as chains and arrays.