Non-equilibrium anisotropic colloidal single crystal growth with DNA

Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 1;9(1):4558. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06982-9.

Abstract

Anisotropic colloidal crystals are materials with novel optical and electronic properties. However, experimental observations of colloidal single crystals have been limited to relatively isotropic habits. Here, we show DNA-mediated crystallization of two types of nanoparticles with different hydrodynamic radii that form highly anisotropic, hexagonal prism microcrystals with AB2 crystallographic symmetry. The DNA directs the nanoparticles to assemble into a non-equilibrium crystal shape that is enclosed by the highest surface energy facets (AB2(10[Formula: see text]0) and AB2(0001)). Simulations and theoretical arguments show that this observation is a consequence of large energy barriers between different terminations of the AB2(10[Formula: see text]0) facet, which results in a significant deceleration of the (10[Formula: see text]0) facet growth rate. In addition to reporting a hexagonal colloidal crystal habit, this work introduces a potentially general plane multiplicity mechanism for growing non-equilibrium crystal shapes, an advance that will be useful for designing colloidal crystal habits with important applications in both optics and photocatalysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anisotropy*
  • Colloids*
  • Crystallization*
  • Crystallography*
  • DNA*
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Nanoparticles*

Substances

  • Colloids
  • DNA