Self-assembly in an evaporating nanofluid droplet: rapid transformation of nanorods into 3D fibre network structures.

Supporting Information Self-assembly in a drying nanofluid droplet: Spontaneous formation of 3D fibre network structures

Controllable two-stage droplet evaporation method and its nanoparticle self-assembly mechanism.

Bottom-up self-assembly is able to constitute a variety of structures and has been thought to be a promising way for advanced nanofabrication. Droplet evaporation, as the simplest method, has been used in various self-assemblies. However, the assembled area is not large enough and the order is still not well controlled. Here we show a facile and controllable two-stage droplet evaporation method...

Observations of internal flow inside an evaporating nanofluid sessile droplet in the presence of an entrapped air bubble

Using a unique, near-field microscopy technique, fringe patterns and nanoparticle motions are visualized immediately following a nanofluid droplet deposition on a glass substrate in which an air bubble is entrapped. The nanofluid consists of DI-water, 0.10% Aluminum Oxide nanoparticles with an average diameter of 50 nm, and 0.0005% yellow-green polystyrene fluorescent particles of 1 μm diameter...

Dynamic Control of Particle Deposition in Evaporating Droplets by an External Point Source of Vapor

The deposition of particles on a surface by an evaporating sessile droplet is important for phenomena as diverse as printing, thin-film deposition, and self-assembly. The shape of the final deposit depends on the flows within the droplet during evaporation. These flows are typically determined at the onset of the process by the intrinsic physical, chemical, and geometrical properties of the dro...

Reconfigurable assemblies of shape-changing nanorods.

Reconfigurable nanostructures represent an exciting new direction for materials. Applications of reversible transformations between nanostructures induced by molecular conformations under external fields can be found in a broad range of advanced technologies including smart materials, electromagnetic sensors, and drug delivery. With recent breakthroughs in synthesis and fabrication techniques, ...