Colloidal crystals devices properties

The self-organization of nanopartides is a powerful tool for the constmction of highly ordered colloidal crystals, biologically active substrates, and optical and electronic devices. Most studies of nano/micropartide assembly have focused on metal or silica partides due to their ideal properties for electronics and optics. One example is the self-assembly of polymeric partides by Wang et whereby the sdf-assembly of PS nanopartides... 

In the 1980s, CdSe quantum dots vere prepared by top-dovm techniques such as lithography ho vever, size variations, crystal defects, poor reproducibility, and poor optical properties of quantum dots made them inadequate for advanced applications. Introduction of bottom-up colloidal synthesis of CdSe quantum dots by Murray et al. [3] and its further advancements brought radical changes in the properties of quantum dots and their applications in devices and biology. The colloidal syntheses of CdSe quantum dots are broadly classified into organic-phase synthesis and aqueous-phase synthesis. 

Colloidal crysfals can be viewed as the mesoscopic counterpart of atomic or molecular crystals. They have been used to explore diverse phenomena such as crystal growth [52-54] and glass transition [55,56], and have many interesting applications for sensors [57], in catalysis [58,59], advanced coatings [60], and for optical/electro-optical devices for information processing and storage [61,62]. In particular, their unusual optical properties, namely the diffraction of visible light and the existence of a photonic stop band, make them ideal candidates for the development of photonic materials [61,63-66]. They may lead to the fabrication... 

There is also a distinction to be drawn between nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanoscience is the sub-discipline of science that involves the study of nanoscale materials, processes, phenomena and/or devices. Nanoscience includes materials and phenomena at the nanoscale (typically 0.1-100 nm) hence, it includes areas such as carbon nanoscience (e.g. fullerenes), molecular scale electronics, molecular self-assembly, quantum size effects and crystal engineering. Nanotechnology involves the design, characterization, manipulation, incorporation and/or production of materials and structures in the nanoscale range. These applications exploit the properties of the nanoscale components, distinct from bulk or macroscopic systems. Naturally, there is a substantial overlap of scale between nanotechnology and colloid technology. 

Metal containing polyynes are multifunctional materials which combine the properties of organic polymers with those of metal centers coordinated to the organic moiety and are able to form nanotemplates, colloidal photonic crystals, multilayer capsules and hollow vesicles [127, 128], An example of a rod-like polymetallayne self-assembly in hollow nanorods has been recently reported [129] the computer simulations of the nanostructure show that the polymer chains are ordered in parallel lines that give rise to a tubular morphology rather unusual for these materials, but promising for sensor devices applications. 

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