As an emerging concept for the development of new materials with nanoscale features, nanoarchitectonics has received significant recent attention.A mongt he various approaches that have been developed in this area, the fixeddirection construction of functional materials, such as layered fabrication, offers ah elpful starting point to demonstrate the huge potentialo fn anoarchitectonics. In particular, the combination of nanoarchitectonics with layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly and al arge degree of freedomi nc omponent availability and technical applicability would offer significant benefits to the fabrication of functional materials. In this Minireview,r ecent progress in LbL assembly is briefly summarized. After introducing the basicso fL bL assembly,r ecent advances in LbL research are discussed, categorized according to physical, chemical, and biological innovations, along with the fabrication of hierarchical structures.E xamples of LbL assemblies with graphene oxide are also described to demonstrate the broad applicability of LbL assembly,e ven with afixed material.Scheme1.Outline of the nanoarchitectonics concept:afusion of nanotechnology and the other research fields, the harmonization of various actions, and the conversion of simple self-assemblyinto hierarchical structures.
We developed micelles with superior stability by integrating a novel hydrophobic, pH-responsive epoxide monomer, tetrahydropyranyl glycidyl ether.
Hybrid electrodes are widely used in various energy storage and conversion devices. However, conventional fabrication methods like simple mixing allow only limited control over the internal electrode structure, and it is often difficult to elucidate the structure-property relationship among the electrode components. Taking advantage of the versatile layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method, herein we report the preparation of electrocatalytic thin film electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), highlighting the importance of nanoscale composition in multidimensional hybrid electrodes. The fabrication utilized the electrostatic interaction between the two components: catalytically active two-dimensional MoS nanosheets and conductive, one-dimensional multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) support. The electrocatalytic activity was found to be highly tunable by adjusting the thickness of the electrode, suggesting structural dependence of electron transfer and mass transport between the electrolyte and electrode, which is otherwise difficult to investigate in electrodes fabricated by simple conventional methods. Furthermore, the detailed mechanism of HER on the hybrid electrode was also investigated, revealing the fine balance between the catalytic activity of MoS and conductivity of MWNT. We anticipate that this unique approach will offer new insights into the nanoscale control of electrode architecture and the development of novel electroactive catalysts.
With its superior electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties, graphene offers a versatile platform for fabricating innovative hybrid composite materials with diverse potential applications. The preparation of graphene-based composites, particularly as thin films with nanoscale precision, is highly important for fabricating electrodes for energy and electronic devices as well as for facilitating understanding of the interplay between each component within the composites. In this context, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique offers a simple and versatile process for the fabrication of highly ordered multilayer film structures from various types of materials in a controllable manner. This paper presents details of the preparation and functionalization of these materials and the techniques for the LbL assembly of different graphenebased nanocomposites using polymers and nanoparticles. We anticipate that the protocols presented in this paper will guide researchers in the reproducible assembly of various high-quality graphene-based nanocomposites for fundamental researches and for diverse potential applications.
In the construction of dental restorative polymer composite materials, surface priming on mineral fillers is essential to improve the mechanical performance of the composites. Here we present bioinspired catechol-functionalized primers for a tougher dental resin composite containing glass fillers. The catecholic primers with different polymerizable end groups were designed and then coated on glass surfaces using a simple drop-casting or dip-coating process. The surface binding ability and possible cross-linking (coupling or chemical bridging between the glass substrate and the dental resin) of the catecholic bifunctional primers were evaluated using atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and the knife shear bonding test and compared to a state-of-the-art silane-based coupling agent. Various mechanical tests including shrinkage and compression tests of the dental resin composites were also conducted. Compression tests of the composites containing the catecholic primed fillers exhibited enhanced mechanical properties, owing to the bidentate hydrogen bonding of catechol moieties to the oxide mineral surface. Furthermore, the superior biocompatibility of the primed surface was confirmed via cell attachment assay, thus providing applicability of catecholic primers for practical dental and biomedical applications.
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