Self-assembly and crystallization of hairy (f-star) and DNA-grafted nanocubes

Nanoparticle superlattices are key to realizing many of the materials that will solve current technological challenges. Particularly important for their optical, mechanical or catalytic properties are superlattices of anisotropic (nonspherical) nanoparticles. The key challenge is how to program anisotropic nanoparticles to self-assemble into the relevant structures. In this Article, using numerical simulations, we show that "hairy" (f-star) or DNA grafted on nanocubes provides a general framework to direct the self-assembly into phases with crystalline, liquid crystalline, rotator, or noncrystalline phases with both long-range positional and orientational order. We discuss the relevance of these phases for engineering nanomaterials or micromaterials displaying precise orientational order, realization of dry superlattices as well as for the field of programmed self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles in general.