Well-defined nanofibers with tunable morphology from spherical colloidal building blocks

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Colloid Science

Background:

• Supraparticular assembly offers a route to ordered nanostructures.
• Magnetic nanoparticles can be guided into specific arrangements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate nanofibers with controlled morphologies and periodicities.
• To investigate the relationship between assembly parameters and resulting fiber structure.

Main Methods:

• Self-assembly of magnetic spherical nanoparticles.
• Linear sintering process to consolidate assembled structures.
• Characterization of resulting nanofiber morphology and periodicity.

Main Results:

• Nanofibers with varying morphologies and periodicities were successfully fabricated.
• The linear sintering process effectively merged assembled nanoparticles.
• Process parameters and nanoparticle building block morphology dictate fiber structure.

Conclusions:

• Supraparticular assembly of magnetic nanoparticles is a viable method for nanofiber fabrication.
• Controlled manipulation of process parameters and building blocks allows for tailored nanofiber structures.