Synthesis and Assembly of Building Blocks

Abstract

Introduction to commonly used wet chemistry methods for the synthesis of inorganic and polymeric particles of defined sizes and shapes, and concepts for assembling these building blocks into larger structures of varying complexity over multiple length scales.

Objective

The aim is a) to learn how to design and create objects as building blocks with a particular composition, size and shape, b) to understand the chemistry that allows for the creation of such hard and soft objects, and c) to master the concepts to assemble these objects into materials over several length scales.

Content

The course is divided into two parts: I) synthesis of 0-, 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional building blocks with a length scale from nm to µm, and II) assembly of these building blocks into 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional structures over several length scales up to cm. In part I, various methodologies for the synthesis of the building blocks will be discussed, including Turkevich and Brust-Schiffrin-method for gold nanoparticles, hot-injection for semiconducting quantum dots, aqueous and nonaqueous sol-gel chemistry for metal oxides, or gas-and liquid-phase routes to carbon nanostructures. Part II is focused on self- and directed assembly methods that can be used to create higher order architectures from those building blocks connecting the microscopic with the macroscopic world. Examples include photonic crystals, nanocrystal solids, colloidal molecules, mesocrystals or particle-based foams and aerogels.

Resources