Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 18, 2025
09:26
Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
10.3K
Self-assembly of finite-sized colloidal aggregates
Pritam Kumar Jana1, Bortolo Matteo Mognetti
1Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Interdisciplinary Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Campus Plaine, CP 231, Blvd. du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. Pritam.Kumar.Jana@ulb.ac.be Bortolo.Matteo.Mognetti@ulb.be.
Soft Matter
|June 16, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a versatile method for precise colloidal self-assembly using DNA linkers. This approach controls the formation of specific aggregate structures, like molecules and clusters, from bulk suspensions.
Area of Science:
- Colloid science
- Materials science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Precise control over colloidal aggregate morphology is challenging.
- Microfluidic platforms offer solutions by precise particle loading.
- Existing methods require exact positioning to avoid off-target structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a versatile design for fabricating diverse finite-sized colloidal aggregates.
- To demonstrate control over aggregate morphology using tunable DNA-mediated interactions.
- To explore the formation of colloidal molecules and core-shell clusters from bulk suspensions.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling and simulations of colloidal interactions.
- Utilizing DNA linkers with mobile tethering points for particle interaction.
- Investigating systems with DNA oligomers and hydrophobic complexes in supported bilayers.
- Fine-tuning linker strength and number to control aggregate formation.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of various finite-sized aggregates, including colloidal molecules and core-shell clusters.
- Demonstrated control over aggregate morphology, specifically molecular valency and cluster size.
- Validated a versatile design for self-assembly from finite density suspensions.
- Showcased how multivalent interactions drive microphase separation under equilibrium.
Conclusions:
- The proposed design offers a versatile approach to colloidal self-assembly.
- Tunable DNA-mediated interactions are key to controlling aggregate morphology.
- Multivalent interactions can effectively induce microphase separation in equilibrium systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Colloidal precipitates
4.2K
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
4.2K
03:22Colloids
20.3K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
20.3K
01:18Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments
26.9K
Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
26.9K
02:41Protein Complex Assembly
16.4K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
16.4K
01:06Coagulation
1.1K
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
1.1K