Size-dependent LCST transitions of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles: cooperative aggregation and surface assembly.

Controlling the self-assembly of nanoparticles in higher-order structures and guiding their deposition in defi ned arrays on surfaces are key challenges in nanoscience and important e.g. for applications in diagnosis and sensing. [ 1 , 2 ] To make ever more complex nanosystems, it is desirable to control (or “trigger”) nanoparticle assembly upon application of a specifi c stimulus. Mirkin et al., for example, demonstrated that gold nanoparticles decorated with specifi c DNA sequences can self-assemble upon addition of complementary oligonucleotide strands. [ 3 ]