Skip to main content
Log in

Synthesis of tetrahedral patchy nanoparticles with controlled patch size

  • Research paper
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Silica nanoparticles with four circular surface patches made of polystyrene (PS) and arranged in a tetrahedral symmetry are synthesized through the multistep growth of the silica core of silica/PS tetrapods. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis studies indicate that, as the silica core regrows, its surface conforms to the shape of the polystyrene nodules, allowing good control of the size of the emerged fraction of these. Patches with an angular width as small as 49° were achieved, which is a prerequisite for their assembly in the form of a diamond crystal phase.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Download references

Acknowledgments

STEM EDX experiments were performed at the Plateforme de Caractérisation des Matériaux (UMS 3626, Pessac, France).

Funding

This work was supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ENLARgER project, ANR-15-CE09-0010), the LabEx AMADEus (ANR-10-LABX-42) and IdEx Bordeaux (ANR-10-IDEX-03-02), that is, the Investissements d’Avenir programme of the French government. R. Khalaf thanks the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Campus France for her PhD grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Serge Ravaine.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

ESM 1

(DOCX 19 kb).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rouet, PE., Khalaf, R., Exiga, S. et al. Synthesis of tetrahedral patchy nanoparticles with controlled patch size. J Nanopart Res 22, 337 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05060-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05060-w

Keywords

Navigation