Doping Liquid Crystals of Colloidal Inorganic Nanotubes by Additive-Free Metal Nanoparticles

Abstract

Doping liquid-crystal phases with nanoparticles is a fast-growing field with potential breakthroughs due to the combination of the properties brought by the two components. One of the main challenges remains the long-term stability of the hybrid system, requiring complex functionalization of the nanoparticles at the expense of their self-assembly properties. Here we demonstrate the successful synthesis of additive-free noble-metal nanoparticles at the surface of charged inorganic nanotubes. Transmission electron microscopy and UV−visible spectroscopy confirm the stabilization of metallic nanoparticles on nanotubes. Meanwhile, the spontaneous formation of liquid-crystals phases induced by the nanotubes is observed, even after surface modification with metallic nanoparticles. Smallangle X-ray scattering experiments reveal that the average interparticle distance in the resulting hybrids can be easily modulated by controlling electrostatic interactions. As a proofof-concept, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for the preparation of homogeneous transparent hybrid films with a high degree of alignment.

Imogolite Nanotubes and Their Permanently Polarized Bifunctional Surfaces for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

“…[52,64,65] The peculiar structure of INTs with inner and outer hydroxyl groups also makes them excellent candidates for surface modification. It has been widely documented that the outer wall can be functionalized with various coupling agents such as nobleand/or transition metals [66][67][68] and polymers. [55,69] More interestingly, the inner cavity of hydrophilic INTs can be rendered hydrophobic by a postsynthesis chemical modification.…”

Synthesis of mesogen-nanoparticle composites by doping 4-decyloxybenzoic acid with substrate-functionalized ZnO nanoparticle

“…Liquid crystals and metal-oxide nanoparticles composite is a fast-growing field of research for design of new functional materials [1,2]. Liquid crystals are self-aggregated anisotropic fluids that can acquire a range of mesophases while transiting between the isotropic liquid phase and the crystalline solid phase [3].…”

In2S3 Growth Templated by Aluminogermanate Double‐Walled Imogolite Nanotubes Toward Efficient Visible Light Photocatalysts

“…[17,18] In addition, the synthesis process is relatively straightforward, enabling to control the morphology (single vs double-walled structures, aspect ratio…) and the surface properties of the inner cavity by changing the nature of the precursors. [19][20][21] Thanks to their unique colloidal properties, [22] INTs have demonstrated their ability to effectively stabilize metal nanoparticles on their external surface [23][24][25] but, to date, the growth of semiconductor nanowires with INTs has not been truly explored.…”