From Chains to Monolayers: Nanoparticle Assembly Driven by Smectic Topological Defects
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: In this Letter, we show how advanced hierarchical structures of topological defects in the so-called smectic oily streaks can be used to sequentially transfer their geometrical features to gold nanospheres. We use two kinds of topological defects, 1D dislocations and 2D ribbon-like topological defects. The large trapping efficiency of the smectic dislocation cores not only surpasses that of the elastically distorted zones around the cores but also surpasses the one of the 2D ribbon-like topological defect. This enables the formation of a large number of aligned NP chains within the dislocation cores that can be quasi-fully filled without any significant aggregation outside of the cores. When the NP concentration is large enough to entirely fill the dislocation cores, the LC confinement varies from 1D to 2D. We demonstrate that the 2D topological defect cores induce a confinement that leads to planar hexagonal networks of NPs. We then draw the phase diagram driven by NP concentration, associated with the sequential confinements induced by these two kinds of topological defects. Owing to the excellent large-scale order of these defect cores, not only the NP chains but also the NP hexagonal networks can be oriented along the desired direction, suggesting a possible new route for the creation of either 1D or 2D highly anisotropic NP networks. In addition, these results open rich perspectives based on the possible creation of coexisting NP assemblies of different kinds, localized in different confining areas of a same smectic film that would thus interact thanks to their proximity but also would interact via the surrounding soft matter matrix.
Source: Nano Letters
Authors: Syou-P’heng Do, Amine Missaoui, Alessandro Coati, Delphine Coursault, Haifa Jeridi, Andrea Resta, Nicolas Goubet, Michal M. Wojcik, Arnaud Choux, Sébastien Royer, Emrick Briand, Bertrand Donnio, Jean Louis Gallani, Brigitte Pansu, Emmanuel Lhuillier, Yves Garreau, David Babonneau, Michel Goldmann, Doru Constantin, Bruno Gallas, Bernard Croset, Emmanuelle Lacaze
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Synchrotron SOLEIL, Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine, University of Warsaw, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire de physique des Solides, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques, Institut Pprime, Université de Poitiers
Language: English
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3000339976