Molecular Engineering of Colloidal Atoms

Abstract

AbstractCreation of architectures with exquisite hierarchies actuates the germination of revolutionized functions and applications across a wide range of fields. Hierarchical self‐assembly of colloidal particles holds the promise for materialized realization of structural programing and customizing. This review outlines the general approaches to organize atom‐like micro‐ and nanoparticles into prescribed colloidal analogs of molecules by exploiting diverse interparticle driving motifs involving confining templates, interactive surface ligands, and flexible shape/surface anisotropy. Furthermore, the self‐regulated/adaptive co‐assembly of simple unvarnished building blocks is discussed to inspire new designs of colloidal assembly strategies.