Role of Atomic Layer Functionalization in Building Scalable Bottom-Up Assembly of Ultra-Low Density Multifunctional...

Building three-dimensional (3D) structures from their constituent zero-, one-, and two-dimensional nanoscale building blocks in a bottom-up assembly is considered the holey grail of nanotechnology. However, fabricating such 3D nanostructures at ambient conditions still remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate an easily scalable facile method to fabricate 3D nanostructures made up of entirely zero-dimensional silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles. By combining functional groups and vacuum filtration, we fabricate lightweight and highly structural stable 3D SiO₂ materials. Further synergistic effect of material is shown by addition of a 2D material, graphene oxide (GO) as reinforcement which results in 15-fold increase in stiffness. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to understand the interaction between silane functional groups (3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane) and SiO₂ nanoparticles thus confirming the reinforcement capability of GO. In addition, the material is stable under high temperature and offers a cost-effective alternative to both fire-retardant and oil absorption materials.