Droplet-based assembly of magnetic superballs

The self-assembly of materials driven by the inherent directionality of the constituent particles is of both practical and fundamental interest because it enables the fabrication of complex and hierarchical structures with tailored functionalities. By employing evaporation assisted self-assembly, we form opal-like structures with micro-sized...

Self-assembly of colloidal superballs under spherical confinement of a drying droplet

Understanding the relationship between colloidal building block shape and self-assembled material structure is important for the development of novel materials by self-assembly. In this regard, colloidal superballs are unique building blocks because their shape can smoothly transition between spherical and cubic. Assembly of colloidal...

Magnetic Coupling in Colloidal Clusters for Hierarchical Self-Assembly

Manipulating the way in which colloidal particles self-organize is a central challenge in the design of functional soft materials. Meeting this challenge requires the use of building blocks that interact with one another in a highly specific manner. Their fabrication, however, is limited by the complexity of the available synthesis procedures...

Shape anisotropic colloidal particle fabrication using 2-photon polymerization

Hypothesis: Our ability to dictate the colloid geometry is intimately related to self-assembly. The synthesis of anisotropic colloidal particles is currently dominated by wet chemistry and lithographic techniques. The wet chemical synthesis offers limited particle geometries at bulk quantities. Lithographic techniques, on the other hand,...