Forming nanomaterials as layered functional structures toward materials nanoarchitectonics

Although progress in nanotechnology is anticipated to stimulate the development of innovative materials, the areas of nanotechnology and materials science are somehow separated with little common ground in current technologies. Nanotechnology has some analytical aspects that are beneficial mainly to the nanoscopic sciences at the atom or molecular levels. Experience of these advanced techniques has only been applied in synthetic approaches to macroscopic materials in rather immature level. Forming nanomaterials into hierarchic and organized structures is a rational way of preparing advanced functional materials. Recently, one of us coined the term materials' nanoarchitectonics to express this innovation. This review focuses on recent research to develop functional materials by forming nanomaterials into organized structures, especially in well-ordered layered structural motifs. This layered nanoarchitectonics can be achieved by using the versatile technology of layer-by-layer assembly. Reassembly of bulk materials into novel layered structures through layered nanoarchitectonics has created many innovative functional materials in a wide variety of fields as can be seen in ferromagnetic nanosheets, sensors, flame-retardant coatings, transparent conductors, electrodes and transistors, walking devices, drug release surfaces, targeting drug carriers and cell culturing. NPG Asia Materials (2012) 4, e17; doi:10.1038/am.2012.30; published online 18 May 2012