F unctionalization of surfaces with polymer brushes shows important promise for a range of applications in materials engineering [1, 2], nanotechnology [3, 4] and biotechnology [5, 6]. A particular area where these end-grafted polymer chains are receiving increasing attention is immobilization and assembly of colloidal NPs [7-9]. The ultra-smooth surfaces, mechanical robustness, long-term durability and ability to tune the chemistry, thickness and grafting density of the brushes present a highly useful platform for benefiting from the interesting properties of NPs that are available in precisely defined size, shape and material composition in massive quantities through wet chemistry approaches [10]. Tailoring the interaction of polymer brushes with NPs through the intrinsic properties such as the length of polymer chains [11] and external stimuli such as pH [12] allows for assembly of particles into specific architectures that can be dynamically tuned. Assembly of NPs into or-Article History: