Technology Opportunities

Method for organizing inorganic nanorods into complex structures featuring unique properties

Highlights

• Applications in solar cells, diagnostics, photonics and others are driving interest in and development of organized nanoparticle/polymer composites.
• The self-assembly of block copolymers into well-defined structures provides a powerful platform that enables control of the morphology of the nanoparticle ensemble.
• To date, research has focused mainly on block copolymer-based nanocomposites consisting of spherical nanoparticles.
• Now a method for organizing inorganic rod-shaped nanoparticles has been developed.
• The organization of inorganic nanorods is of particular importance since the collective properties are strongly affected by rod alignment and internal organization.

Our Innovation

Two-dimensional, hierarchical assemblies of semiconductor nanorods obtained by exploiting the structures afforded by block copolymers in ultrathin films.

Key Features

• Enables production of complex structures within structures of rod-shaped nanoparticles
• Demonstrated control over three morphological parameters (nanorod location, orientation, and number of nanorods across the domain)
• General method: applicable to other types of block copolymers and nanorods
• A true bottom-up methodology: the structure evolves spontaneously by simply incubating a disordered composite film in solvent vapor.

Development Milestones

• Seeking funding for ongoing research directed at improving the long range ordering of these structures, which will enable the performance of optical and conductance measurements and study of their unique (photo)physical properties. This will lead to a better understanding of the type of applications that could benefit the most from such structures, and enable focus on the development of the corresponding devices.