In-flight inkjet self-assembly of spherical nanoparticle aggregates

Recently, there has emerged a growing interest in many disciplines to use the principle of self-assembly in order to manufacture ensembles of nanostructures. Self-assembly processes organize autonomously building blocks into patterns or structures without human intervention. We report on combining inkjet printing and self-assembly as a manufacturing method for spherical aggregates. The aggregates consist of a high number of colloidal nanospheres arranged as stable ball-shaped structures. The method allows the patterned deposition of spherical aggregates on any surface due to an in-flight self-assembly process of the nanospheres.