Dynamic Template for Assembling Nanoparticles into Highly Ordered Two-Dimensional Arrays of Different Structures

The proper assembly of nanoparticles can enhance their properties and improve their applicability. Likewise, imprudent assembly can damage the unique properties of the nanomaterials. Accordingly, finding robust techniques for making ordered assemblies of nanoparticles is a hot topic in materials science research. In this work, the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique was used to assemble polyethylene glycol (PEG)-functionalized gold nanocubes (AuNCs) into highly packed two-dimensional (2D) arrays with different structures. This technique is based on creating polymeric micelles within the AuNC monolayer, which drives the nanocubes to assemble into a highly packed structure even at low LB surface pressures. Interestingly, the micelles could be made more diffuse by changing the LB trough surface pressure, which allowed for tuning the width and the structure of the AuNC 2D arrays. The areas occupied by the micelles appeared as voids that separated the AuNC arrays and prevented the formation of a uniform monolayer of AuNCs. The polymer micelles were therefore able to act as dynamic soft templates, and the separation distances between individual nanocubes as well as the 2D array structure were controlled by changing the chain length of the PEG functionalization on the surface of the nanocubes. Theoretical calculations of the attractive and repulsive forces and the balance between them presented a good prediction for the optimum separation distance between the AuNCs inside the 2D arrays.