Self-assembly of nanoparticles

The empirical definition of self-assembly is typically given as a phenomenon where the components of a system assemble themselves to form a larger functional unit. This spontaneous organization can be due to direct specific interaction, collective effects, and/or occur indirectly through their environment. This definition mirrors the one provided by Nature.com and is applicable to a variety of components regardless of their dimensions. The thermodynamics-based definition of self-assembly was introduced by Nicholas A. Kotov and describes self-assembly as a process where components of the system acquire non-random spatial distribution with respect to each other and the boundaries of the system. This definition allows one to account for mass and energy fluxes taking place in the self-assembly processes and is specifically applicable to the processes of spontaneous organization of nanoparticles with each other and with the boundaries of the system. The empirical definition of self-assembly is typically given as a phenomenon where the components of a system assemble themselves to form a larger functional unit. This spontaneous organization can be due to direct specific interaction, collective effects, and/or occur indirectly through their environment. This definition mirrors the one provided by Nature.com and is applicable to a variety of components regardless of their dimensions. The thermodynamics-based definition of self-assembly was introduced by Nicholas A. Kotov and describes self-assembly as a process where components of the system acquire non-random spatial distribution with respect to each other and the boundaries of the system. This definition allows one to account for mass and energy fluxes taking place in the self-assembly processes and is specifically applicable to the processes of spontaneous organization of nanoparticles with each other and with the boundaries of the system. Due to the proliferation of nanoparticle synthesis techniques, the study and design of nanoparticle self-assembly has become widespread. The spatial arrangements of these self-assembled nanoparticles can be potentially used to build increasingly complex structures leading to a wide variety of materials that can be used for different purposes. At the molecular level, intermolecular force hold the spontaneous gathering of molecules into a well-defined and stable structure together. In chemical solutions, self-assembly is an outcome of random motion of molecules and the affinity of their binding sites for one another. In the area of nanotechnology, developing a simple, efficient method to organize molecules and molecular clusters into precise, pre-determined structure is crucial. In 1959, physicist Richard Feynman gave a talk titled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom to the American Physical Society.  He imagined a world in which “we could arrange atoms one by one, just as we want them.” This idea set the stage for the bottom-up synthesis approach in which constituent components interact to form higher-ordered structures in a controllable manner. The study of self-assembly of nanoparticles began with recognition that some properties of atoms and molecules enable them to arrange themselves into patterns. A variety of applications where the self-assembly of nanoparticles might be useful. For example, building sensors or computer chips. Nanoparticles have been observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction to self-assemble in real-time. Definition