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Chemists create microscopic and malleable building blocks
A team of chemists at New York University has created malleable and microscopic self-assembling particles that can serve as the next generation of building blocks in the creation of synthetic materials. Their research focused on engineering particles a micrometer in width -- about 1/200th the width of a strand of human hair -- on which the particles [pink and blue] are placed in this image.
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A team of New York University (NYU) researchers has created malleable and microscopic self-assembling particles that can serve as the next generation of building blocks in the creation of synthetic materials.
"Our work turns the tiniest of particles from inflexible, Lego-like pieces into ones that can transform themselves into a range of shapes," explains Stefano Sacanna, an assistant professor in NYU's Department of Chemistry and the senior author of a published paper on the study. "With the ability to change their contours, these particles mimic alterations that occur in nature."
The research focused on engineering particles a micrometer in width -- about 1/200th the width of a strand of human hair. Specifically, it aimed to enhance the adaptability of colloids -- small particles suspended within a fluid medium. Everyday items such as paint, milk, gelatin, glass and porcelain are composed of colloidal dispersions, but it’s their potential to control the flow of light that has scientists focused on creating exotic colloidal geometries.
By triggering specific morphological changes in the singular colloidal unit, the Sacanna Group hopes to advance colloidal crystal engineering.
The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering program (grant DMR 14-20073).
To learn more about this research, see the NYU news release Tiny Transformers: Chemists Create Microscopic and Malleable Building Blocks. (Date image taken: June 2016; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: Oct. 4, 2016)
Credit: Stefano Sacanna, NYU
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