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2019
Journal Article
Titel
Hierarchical supercrystalline nanocomposites through the self-assembly of organically-modified ceramic nanoparticles
Abstract
Biomaterials often display outstanding combinations of mechanical properties thanks to their hierarchical structuring, which occurs through a dynamically and biologically controlled growth and self-assembly of their main constituents, typically mineral and protein. However, it is still challenging to obtain this ordered multiscale structural organization in synthetic 3D-nanocomposite materials. Herein, we report a new bottom-up approach for the synthesis of macroscale hierarchical nanocomposite materials in a single step. By controlling the content of organic phase during the self-assembly of monodisperse organically-modified nanoparticles (iron oxide with oleyl phosphate), either purely supercrystalline or hierarchically structured supercrystalline nanocomposite materials are obtained. Beyond a critical concentration of organic phase, a hierarchical material is consistently formed. In such a hierarchical material, individual organically-modified ceramic nanoparticles (Level 0) self-assemble into supercrystals in face-centered cubic superlattices (Level 1), which in turn form granules of up to hundreds of micrometers (Level 2). These micrometric granules are the constituents of the final mm-sized material. This approach demonstrates that the local concentration of organic phase and nano-building blocks during self-assembly controls the final material's microstructure, and thus enables the fine-tuning of inorganic-organic nanocomposites' mechanical behavior, paving the way towards the design of novel high-performance structural materials.
Author(s)
Domènech, Berta
Institute of Advanced Ceramics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
Kampferbeck, Michael
Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
Larsson, Emanuel
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, 21502, Geesthacht, Germany
Krekeler, Tobias
Electron Microscopy Unit, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
Bor, Büsra
Institute of Advanced Ceramics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
Giuntini, Diletta
Institute of Advanced Ceramics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
Blankenburg, Malte
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, 21502, Geesthacht, Germany
Müller, Martin
Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, 21502, Geesthacht, Germany
Project(s)
M3 - Maßgeschneiderte multiskalige Materialsysteme