Self-assembly of nanoparticles represents a simple yet efficient route to synthesize designer materials with unusual properties. However, the previous assembled structures whether by surfactants, polymer, or DNA ligands are “static” or “frozen” building block structures. Here, we report the growth of transformable self-assembled nanosheets which could enable reversible switching between two types of nanosheets and even evolving into diverse third generation nanosheet structures without losing pristine periodicity. Such in situ transformation of nanoparticle building blocks can even be achieved in a free-standing two-dimensional system and three-dimensional origami. The success in such in situ nanocrystal transformation is attributed to robust “plant-cell-wall-like” ion-permeable reactor arrays from densely packed polymer ligands, which spatially define and confine nanoscale nucleation/growth/etching events. Our strategy enables efficient fabrication of nanocrystal nanosheets with programmable building blocks for innovative applications in adaptive tactile metamaterials, optoelectronic devices, and sensors.

中文翻译：

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自组装纳米片和纳米折纸中构成基块的形状转化

纳米粒子的自组装代表了合成具有异常特性的设计器材料的简单而有效的途径。但是，先前通过表面活性剂，聚合物或DNA配体组装而成的结构是“静态”或“冻结”的构建基块结构。在这里，我们报道了可转化的自组装纳米片的增长，这种增长可以实现两种类型的纳米片之间的可逆转换，甚至演变成多种多样的第三代纳米片结构，而不会丢失原始的周期性。纳米粒子构件的这种原位转化甚至可以在独立的二维系统和三维折纸中实现。在原地成功纳米晶体的转化归因于由紧密堆积的聚合物配体组成的坚固的“植物细胞壁状”离子渗透反应器阵列，该阵列在空间上限定并限制了纳米级成核/生长/蚀刻事件。我们的策略可以有效地制造具有可编程构造块的纳米晶体纳米片，用于自适应触觉超材料，光电器件和传感器的创新应用。