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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
Wet-Chemical Synthesis of Chiral Colloids
Samia Ouhajji1, Bas G P van Ravensteijn1, Carla Fernández-Rico1
1Van 't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science , Utrecht University , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We disclose a method for the synthesis of chiral colloids from spontaneously formed hollow sugar-surfactant microtubes with internally confined mobile colloidal spheres. Key feature of our approach is the grafting of colloid surfaces with photoresponsive coumarin moieties, which allow for UV-induced, covalent clicking of colloids into permanent chains, with morphologies set by the colloid-to-tube diameter ratio. Subsequent dissolution of tube confinement yields aqueous suspensions that comprise bulk quantities of a variety of linear chains, including single helical chains of polystyrene colloids. These colloidal equivalents of chiral (DNA) molecules are intended for microscopic study of chiral dynamics on a single-particle level.
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