Colloidal Nanoparticle Assemblies—Templating Electropolymerizations, Brushes and Viruses

Understanding self-assembly in nanomaterials requires hierarchical levels of ordering and structuring: from molecular to macroscopic. Perfect colloidal spheres are able to pack and pattern as thin films, enabling surface assemblies amenable for templating properties that lead to function: from lithographic to non-lithographic methods. Thse layered ordered systems can result in new material stimuli-responsive properties. This talk will highlight the colloidal nanosphere lithography and non-lithographic approaches used by our group to produce systems that include: 1) conjugated polymers, 2) electropolymerized molecularly imprinted sensors, 3) electronanopatterning, 4) polymer brush lithography, and 5) patterned virus assemblies. Novel surface-sensitive spectroscopic and microscopic analytical tools are applied rationally to highlight evidence of order and function. This enables platforms for developing practical devices on electrode surfaces, e.g. sensors and battery electrodes.