6533b7d1fe1ef96bd125d950
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Directed Assembly of Soft Colloids through Rapid Solvent Exchange
Chris SosaRodney D. PriestleyAthanassios Z. PanagiotopoulosArash NikoubashmanArash NikoubashmanRobert K. Prud'hommeVictoria E. Leesubject
FabricationMaterials scienceMixing (process engineering)General Physics and AstronomyNanoparticleNanotechnology02 engineering and technology010402 general chemistry01 natural sciencesColloidComputer SimulationGeneral Materials ScienceColloidsParticle Sizechemistry.chemical_classificationGeneral EngineeringWaterPolymer021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology0104 chemical sciencesMicromixingSolutionsSolventKineticsModels ChemicalchemistryColloidal particleNanoparticlesPolystyrenesThermodynamics0210 nano-technologydescription
We studied the directed assembly of soft nanoparticles through rapid micromixing of polymers in solution with a nonsolvent. Both experiments and computer simulations were performed to elucidate the underlying physics and to investigate the role of various process parameters. In particular, we discovered that no external stabilizing agents or charged end groups are required to keep the colloids separated from each other when water is used as the nonsolvent. Furthermore, the size of the nanoparticles can be reliably tuned through the mixing rate and the ratio between polymer solution and nonsolvent. Our results demonstrate that this mechanism is highly promising for the mass fabrication of uniformly sized colloidal particles, using a wide variety of polymeric feed materials.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-12-28 | ACS Nano |