Autocatalytic Nucleation and Self-Assembly of Inorganic Nanoparticles into Complex Biosimilar Networks.

Self-replication of  molecules and microdroplets have been explored as models in prebiotic chemistry. An analogous process for inorganic nanomaterials would involve the autocatalytic nucleation of  nanoparticles-an area that remains largely uncharted. Demonstrating such systems would be both fundamentally intriguing and practically relevant, especially if the resulting particles self-assemble.

Self-Organization of Iron Sulfide Nanoparticles into Complex Multicompartment Supraparticles.

Self-assembled compartments from nanoscale components are found in all life forms. Their characteristic dimensions are in 50-1000 nm scale, typically assembled from a variety of bioorganic "building blocks". Among the various functions that these mesoscale compartments carry out, protection of the content from the environment is central.

Spanning Network Gels from Nanoparticles and Graph Theoretical Analysis of Their Structure and Properties.

Gels self-assembled from colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) translate the size-dependent properties of nanostructures to materials with macroscale volumes. Large spanning networks of NP chains provide high interconnectivity within the material necessary for a wide range of properties from conductivity to viscoelasticity. However, a great challenge for nanoscale engineering of such gels lies in being able to accurately and quantitatively describe their complex non-crystalline structure that combines order and disorder.

Self-Assembly Mechanism of Complex Corrugated Particles.

A variety of inorganic nanoscale materials produce microscale particles with highly corrugated geometries, but the mechanism of their formation remains unknown. Here we found that uniformly sized CdS-based hedgehog particles (HPs) self-assemble from polydisperse nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of 1.0-4.

Structural Analysis of Nanoscale Network Materials Using Graph Theory.

Many materials with remarkable properties are structured as percolating nanoscale networks (PNNs). The design of this rapidly expanding family of composites and nanoporous materials requires a unifying approach for their structural description. However, their complex aperiodic architectures are difficult to describe using traditional methods that are tailored for crystals.

Biomorphic structural batteries for robotics.

Batteries with conformal shape and multiple functionalities could provide new degrees of freedom in the design of robotic devices. For example, the ability to provide both load bearing and energy storage can increase the payload and extend the operational range for robots. However, realizing these kinds of structural power devices requires the development of materials with suitable mechanical and ion transport properties.

Hydrogel containing nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes for topical antimicrobial delivery.

Adsorbing small charged nanoparticles onto the outer surfaces of liposomes has become an effective strategy to stabilize liposomes against fusion prior to "seeing" target bacteria, yet allow them to fuse with the bacteria upon arrival at the infection sites. As a result, nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes have become an emerging drug delivery platform for treatment of various bacterial infections. To facilitate the translation of this platform for clinical tests and uses, herein we integrate nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes with hydrogel technology for more effective and sustained topical drug delivery.