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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates
Published on: May 9, 2014
Open and Closed Layered Nanostructures with Sub-10 nm Periodicity Self-Assembled from Hydrophilic [60]Fullerene-Based
Peitao Ding1, Xiangfei Yin1, Qiyuan Wang1
1Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing National Laboratory of Nanostructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Giant surfactants have been identified as good candidates to produce sub-10 nm elaborate nanostructures, which could potentially realize complex functions in nanofabrication fields. Our theoretical simulation demonstrates the formation of open layered (pupa-like micelles) and closed layered (onion-like micelles) nanostructures, self-assembled from giant surfactants with comparably sized hydrophilic heads tethered by oligomers in solution. Directed by these simulation results, we synthesized giant surfactants consisting of hydrophilic [60]fullerene heads and oligostyrene (OS7) tails and produced the predicted nanostructures with periods of 9.5, 8.3, and 7.5 nm, experimentally. Adjusting the polarity of the solvent and corresponding concentration changed the nanostructures from onion-like micelles with closed layers to pupa-like micelles with open layers. The different morphologies and periods were caused by solvent inclusion and the overlap of OS chains. The above layered nanostructures remained stable after annealing at 120 °C. This work provides insights that computer simulation can play an important role in assisting the design and construction of complicated nanostructures in giant surfactant systems.
