Self-assembly creates 2D materials

• Autores: Matthias Ballauff
• Localización: Science, ISSN 0036-8075, Vol. 352, Nº 6286, 2016, págs. 656-657
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Self-assembly (1) of suitable molecules and of polymers is a central issue in modern nanotechnology: Once in solution, suitable building blocks should assemble in a highly precise manner to yield much larger, supramolecular objects tailored for a particular function (2). Self-assembly into one-dimensional (1D) micelles with defined length and composition has been achieved (3, 4), but on page 697 of this issue, Qiu et al. (5) describe a decisive step toward 2D systems: By combining the self-assembly by epitaxial crystallization of semicrystalline block copolymers (BCPs) mixed with homopolymers in judiciously chosen solvents, they created a process that leads to highly defined rectangular platelets. Manipulation of these nearly defect-free platelets gives rise to a new class of nanoscale objects that may have a wide range of applications.