Tutorial NM07—Building Advanced Materials via Aggregation and Self-Assembly

Instructors: Ben Zhong Tang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; Nicholas Kotov, University of Michigan; Xiaoding Lou, China University of Geosciences; Xin Zhang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Haimei Zheng, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Haoke Zhang, Zhejiang University; Qian Chen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This tutorial will comprehensively cover a diverse range of topics centered around the construction of advanced materials through aggregation and/or self-assembly, encompassing both experimental and theoretical aspects. Aggregation or self-assembly represents a crucial pathway in the natural formation of minerals and has evolved into a pivotal method for fabricating advanced materials, both in laboratory and industrial settings. Over time, numerous materials synthesized via aggregation or self-assembly routes have found applications across various fields, including biomedicine, energy, environment, catalysis, optics, electronics, and magnetics. For instance, interconnected nanoparticle superlattices, formed through the self-assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, have been utilized as anodes to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Advanced luminescent materials have been developed through aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of intrinsically non-emissive molecules. This tutorial aims to provide researchers with updated information on fundamental aggregation or self-assembly research, covering theoretical foundations to practical experiments. 

The objectives of this tutorial are to: (1) enhance fundamental knowledge about the construction of advanced materials through aggregation and/or self-assembly; and (2) delve into the latest techniques, especially state-of-the-art in situ characterization tools crucial for understanding aggregation and self-assembly mechanisms, particularly for early-career researchers and students. The morning session of the tutorial will feature four instructors introducing the background and challenges in the field of AIE and aggregation-based crystallization. In the afternoon session, another set of four instructors will present on the background and challenges in the fields of AIE and particle assembly.