Flower‐Like Superstructures: Structural Features, Applications and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Mimicking natural objects such as flowers, is an objective of scientists not only because of their attractive appearance, but also to understand the natural phenomena that underpin real world applications such as drug delivery, enzymatic reactions, electronics, and catalysis, to name few. This article reviews the types, preparation methods, and structural features of flower‐like structures along with their key applications in various fields. We discuss the various types of flower‐like structures composed of inorganic, organic‐inorganic hybrid, inorganic‐protein, inorganic‐enzyme and organic compositions. We also discuss recent development in flower‐like structures prepared by self‐assembly approaches. Finally, we conclude our review with the future prospects of flower‐like micro‐structures in key fields, being biomedicine, sensing and catalysis.

Scalable Synthesis of Pt Nanoflowers on Solution‐Processed MoS2 Thin Film for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

“…The Pt NF consists of multiple petals that significantly increase the surface area compared to a spherical nanoparticle of similar volume. [ 20 ] This nanoscale morphology is greatly advantageous for maximizing the active sites available for catalyzing HER. In addition, the flower‐like nanoarchitecture can decrease the adhesion force between as‐formed H 2 bubbles and the Pt surface [15b] .…”

Engineering electrode microstructures for advanced lithium-ion batteries

“…Flower-shaped structures have gotten numerous attention among various forms inspired by nature. This is attributed to their notably larger surface area than circular particles, leading to more effective interactions at the surface [64] . The morphology and dimensions of artificially fabricated flower-like structures may be manipulated to regulate both the stability of the structure and the performance of surface activities [65] .…”