Helical assembly of Au nanoparticles in 1D nanocylinders confirmed by 3D transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

The configuration of the inorganic nanoparticles(NPs) is an essential parameter for determining the electrical properties of optoelectronic devices. In this line, the polymer tethering can provide elaborate arrangement to nanoparticles and improve stability against agglomeration by external stimuli. By designing the molecules, the polymer-tethered NPs can produce novel complex self-assembled nanostructures. However, due to its complexity, it is difficult to clearly explain the complex organization of NPs by conventional TEM. Herein, we demonstrate the direct visualization of supramolecular assemblies of icosahedral polymer-tethered NPs fabricated by emulsion system using TEM tomography. This analysis provides a strategy to design novel complex self-assembled nanostructures with controllable configuration to tune electrical properties and reduce the scientific errors in identifying the correlation between nanostructures and their functions.