In‐Flight Inkjet Self‐Assembly of Spherical Nanoparticle Aggregates

Abstract Recently, there has emerged a growing interest in many disciplines to use the principle of self‐assembly in order to manufacture ensembles of nanostructures. Self‐assembly processes organize autonomously building blocks into patterns or structures without human intervention. We report on combining inkjet printing and self‐assembly as a manufacturing method for spherical aggregates. The aggregates consist of a high number of colloidal nanospheres arranged as stable ball‐shaped structures. The method allows the patterned deposition of spherical aggregates on any surface due to an in‐flight self‐assembly process of the nanospheres.