3D Optical Heterostructure Patterning by Spatially Allocating Nanoblocks on a Printed Matrix

Abstract

Heterostructures have attracted enormous interest due to the properties arising from the coupling and synergizing between multiscale structures and the promising applications in electronics, mechanics, and optics. However, it is challenging for current technologies to precisely integrate cross-scale micro/nanomaterials in three dimensions (3D). Herein, we realize the precise spatial allocation of nanoblocks on micromatrices and programmable 3D optical heterostructure patterning via printing-assisted self-assembly. This bottom-up approach fully exploits the advantages of printing in on-demand patterning, low cost, and mass production, as well as the merits of solution-based colloidal assembly for simple structuring and high-precision regulating, which facilitates the patterned integration of multiscale materials. Importantly, the luminescent nanoparticle assembly can be accurately coupled to the dye-doped polymer matrix by regulating the interface wettability, enabling facile multicolor tuning in a single heterostructure. Thus, the heterostructure can be specially encoded for anticounterfeiting and encryption applications due to the morphology-dependent and interface-coupling-induced luminescence. Moreover, with the capability to achieve single-nanoparticle resolution, these findings have great potential for designing photonic superstructures and advanced optical devices.

Universal assembly of ordered Ag nanowire micromesh conductors on arbitrary substrates by manipulating the contact angle

“…Recently, studies on the addition of aesthetic functionality based on biomimetic application in active color changes have started to draw attention, such as the actual living creatures of frogs, chameleons, and owers, which can protect themselves from external enemies through color change or obtain attention from others. 6,34,35 Combined with the high-performance active thermal control system of the Ag NMs heater and thermochromic pigments, a direct and simple chameleon model was implemented for the articial camouage development. As shown in Fig.…”

Heterogeneous Self-Assembly of a Single Type of Nanoparticle Modulated by Skin Formation

“…The proposed strategy can be adopted in many scenarios. As demonstrated by reported literatures, the heterogeneous structures show great potential in applications including coding, anticounterfeiting, biosensor, encryption, display . In addition, the photonic crystal heterojunctions can also be used in the high-Q photonic nanocavities, light waveguides, and optical diode .…”

“…Based on the self-assembly approaches, heterogeneous structures can be fabricated by sequentially depositing different building blocks on a substrate. , While this approach is facile and easy to operate, it suffers from disadvantages including limited orderliness and predesigned various building blocks. The construction of the heterogeneous structure can also be realized with the assistance of a substrate with patterns in wettability, or topology, which can induce the formation of various structures in predesigned areas. However, the requirement for predesigned substrates limits the application of this strategy.…”

Ink-Drop Dynamics on Chemically Modified Surfaces

“…Modification molecules such as thiol- and amino-based silanes are mainly used for hydrophilic modification, while alkyl, vinyl, as well as perfluoro-based silanes are usually used for hydrophobic modification. , In a typical CVD process, the modification molecules and target substrates are placed in a vacuum environment and kept at 70–110 °C to accelerate the evaporation of the molecules and form a self-assembled monolayer on the substrate. For example, Li et al modified 1 H ,1 H ,2 H ,2 H -perfluoro­decyl­trimethoxy­silane on the substrate with CVD at 80 °C for 2 h to obtain a hydrophobic surface. He then printed polymer dots on the surface as templates to induce particle assembly, which can be applied to multicolor coding and high-precision anticounterfeiting.…”