Interfacial self-assembly of nanoparticles: bridging the gap between nano and micro properties

Some typical examples of how thefunctionalities of these novel nanomaterials can be exploited are thendemonstrated in various applications across different research fields.The research is based on a simple but versatile method previously developedwithin the group that allows the templated assembly of charged nanoparticles(NPs) at the interface of oil and water.

In contrast to conventional interfacial selfassemblystrategies where both the surface charge and hydrophobicity of NPsneed to be taken into consideration, the only requirement of this novel method isfor the assembled NPs to be charged. This is an obvious advantage compared tothe conventional methods in that it circumvents the need for surface modificationand thus allows the possibility of modulating the surface properties of assembledNPs.