Superstructures of functional colloids: Chemistry on the nanometer scale

Chemistry is classically concerned with the connection of atoms and molecules into new functional units. The rules of connection are yet to be extended to the generation and connection of larger objects, whose dimensions are measured in nanometers. However, linking objects of this size through molecules approaching each other randomly is inefficient, instead the principle of self-assembly is decisive, in which lyotropic structure formation or amphiphilic interaction play a significant role. As a result of the nature of the energetic driving forces, the objects generated in this way are often well-defined aggregate structures or highly symmetric volume phases. In contrast to "molecular chemistry", the linking of larger objects also disregards the inherent borders of classical fields of chemistry: for example, the nanoscale association of inorganic colloids with polymers affords hybrid materials that combine the physical properties of both partners. In such a way, catalytic, optical, and electronic features of inorganic colloids might be combined with the mechanical characteristics of polymers such as film formation, elasticity, and melt processibility.