Self-assembly

Self-assembly

Living systems provide compelling evidence that multi scale, adaptive architectures can be built simply by letting their smallest parts self-organize as dictated by their intrinsic properties. With a comprehensive understanding of the forces at play, building block features can be used to program selective, inducible top-down self-disassembly steps, giving synthetic assembled structures a wide variety of dynamic, reversible, responsive behaviors. 

Projects

Publications

2025

Lim KRG, Owen CJ, Kaiser SK, Routh PK, Mendoza M, Park K-CK, Kim T-S, Garg S, Gardener JA, Russotto L, et al. Nanoscale wetting controls reactive Pd ensembles in synthesis of dilute PdAu alloy catalysts. Nature Communications. 2025;16:6293.
Lim KRG, Owen CJ, Kaiser SK, Routh PK, Mendoza M, Park K-CK, Kim T-S, Garg S, Gardener JA, Russotto L, et al. Nanoscale wetting controls reactive Pd ensembles in synthesis of dilute PdAu alloy catalysts. Nature Communications. 2025;16:6293.

2024

Shneidman A V, T Y Zhang C, Mandsberg NK, Picece VCTM, Shirman E, Paink GK, Nicolas NJ, Aizenberg J. Functional supraparticles produced by the evaporation of binary colloidal suspensions on superhydrophobic surfaces. Soft matter. 2024;20(37):7502–7511. doi:10.1039/d4sm00458b
Shneidman A V, T Y Zhang C, Mandsberg NK, Picece VCTM, Shirman E, Paink GK, Nicolas NJ, Aizenberg J. Functional supraparticles produced by the evaporation of binary colloidal suspensions on superhydrophobic surfaces. Soft matter. 2024;20(37):7502–7511. doi:10.1039/d4sm00458b

2023

Zhou X, Zheng Y, Zhang H, Yang L, Cui Y, Krishnan BP, Dong S, Aizenberg M, Xiong X, Hu Y, et al. Reversibly growing crosslinked polymers with programmable sizes and properties. Nature communications. 2023;14(1):3302. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38768-z
Zhou X, Zheng Y, Zhang H, Yang L, Cui Y, Krishnan BP, Dong S, Aizenberg M, Xiong X, Hu Y, et al. Reversibly growing crosslinked polymers with programmable sizes and properties. Nature communications. 2023;14(1):3302. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38768-z

2022

Yao Y, Bennett RKA, Xu Y, Rather AM, Li S, Cheung TC, Bhanji A, Kreder MJ, Daniel D, Adera S, et al. Wettability-based ultrasensitive detection of amphiphiles through directed concentration at disordered regions in self-assembled monolayers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022;119(43):e2211042119. doi:10.1073/pnas.2211042119
Yao Y, Bennett RKA, Xu Y, Rather AM, Li S, Cheung TC, Bhanji A, Kreder MJ, Daniel D, Adera S, et al. Wettability-based ultrasensitive detection of amphiphiles through directed concentration at disordered regions in self-assembled monolayers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022;119(43):e2211042119. doi:10.1073/pnas.2211042119
van der Hoeven JES, Shneidman A V, Nicolas NJ, Aizenberg J. Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly of Metal Oxide Inverse Opals: From Synthesis to Applications. Accounts of chemical research. 2022;55(13):1809–1820. doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00087
van der Hoeven JES, Shneidman A V, Nicolas NJ, Aizenberg J. Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly of Metal Oxide Inverse Opals: From Synthesis to Applications. Accounts of chemical research. 2022;55(13):1809–1820. doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00087
Han JH, Shneidman A V, Kim DY, Nicolas NJ, van der Hoeven JES, Aizenberg M, Aizenberg J. Highly Ordered Inverse Opal Structures Synthesized from Shape-Controlled Nanocrystal Building Blocks. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). 2022;61(3):e202111048. doi:10.1002/anie.202111048
Han JH, Shneidman A V, Kim DY, Nicolas NJ, van der Hoeven JES, Aizenberg M, Aizenberg J. Highly Ordered Inverse Opal Structures Synthesized from Shape-Controlled Nanocrystal Building Blocks. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). 2022;61(3):e202111048. doi:10.1002/anie.202111048

2021

Nicolas N, Duffy MA, Hansen A, Aizenberg J. Inverse Opal Films for Medical Sensing: Application in Diagnosis of Neonatal Jaundice. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2021;10(4):2001326. doi:10.1002/adhm.202001326
Nicolas N, Duffy MA, Hansen A, Aizenberg J. Inverse Opal Films for Medical Sensing: Application in Diagnosis of Neonatal Jaundice. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2021;10(4):2001326. doi:10.1002/adhm.202001326
Adera S, Naworski L, Davitt A, Mandsberg N, Shneidman A, Alvarenga J, Aizenberg J. Enhanced condensation heat transfer using porous silica inverse opal coatings on copper tubes. Scientific Reports. 2021;11(1):1–11. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90015-x
Adera S, Naworski L, Davitt A, Mandsberg N, Shneidman A, Alvarenga J, Aizenberg J. Enhanced condensation heat transfer using porous silica inverse opal coatings on copper tubes. Scientific Reports. 2021;11(1):1–11. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90015-x
Li L, Goodrich C, Yang H, Phillips K, Jia Z, Chen H, Wang L, Zhang J, Liu A, Lu J, et al. Microscopic origins of the crystallographically preferred growth in evaporation-induced colloidal crystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021;118(32):e2107588118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2107588118
Li L, Goodrich C, Yang H, Phillips K, Jia Z, Chen H, Wang L, Zhang J, Liu A, Lu J, et al. Microscopic origins of the crystallographically preferred growth in evaporation-induced colloidal crystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021;118(32):e2107588118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2107588118

2020

Phillips KR, Zhang CT, Yang T, Kay T, Gao C, Brandt S, Liu L, Yang H, Li Y, Aizenberg J, et al. Fabrication of Photonic Microbricks via Crack Engineering of Colloidal Crystals. Advanced Functional Materials. 2020;(30):1908242. doi:10.1002/adfm.201908242
Phillips KR, Zhang CT, Yang T, Kay T, Gao C, Brandt S, Liu L, Yang H, Li Y, Aizenberg J, et al. Fabrication of Photonic Microbricks via Crack Engineering of Colloidal Crystals. Advanced Functional Materials. 2020;(30):1908242. doi:10.1002/adfm.201908242

2018

Shirman T, Lattimer J, Luneau M, Shirman E, Reece C, Aizenberg M, Madix RJ, Aizenberg J, Friend CM. New Architectures for Designed Catalysts: Selective Oxidation using AgAu Nanoparticles on Colloid-Templated Silica. Chem. Eur. J. 2018;24:1833 –1837 .
Shirman T, Lattimer J, Luneau M, Shirman E, Reece C, Aizenberg M, Madix RJ, Aizenberg J, Friend CM. New Architectures for Designed Catalysts: Selective Oxidation using AgAu Nanoparticles on Colloid-Templated Silica. Chem. Eur. J. 2018;24:1833 –1837 .
Phillips KR, Shirman T, Shirman E, Shneidman AV, Kay TM, Aizenberg J. Nanocrystalline Precursors for the Co-Assembly of Crack-Free Metal Oxide Inverse Opals. Adv. Mater. 2018;30:1706329.
Phillips KR, Shirman T, Shirman E, Shneidman AV, Kay TM, Aizenberg J. Nanocrystalline Precursors for the Co-Assembly of Crack-Free Metal Oxide Inverse Opals. Adv. Mater. 2018;30:1706329.

2017

Kaplan C, Noorduin W, Li L, Sadza R, Folkertsma L, Aizenberg J, Mahadevan L. Controlled growth and form of precipitating microstructures. Science. 2017;355(6332):1395–1399.
Kaplan C, Noorduin W, Li L, Sadza R, Folkertsma L, Aizenberg J, Mahadevan L. Controlled growth and form of precipitating microstructures. Science. 2017;355(6332):1395–1399.
Shirman E, Shirman T, Shneidman AV, Grinthal A, Phillips KR, Whelan H, Bulger E, Abramovitch M, Patil J, Nevarez R, et al. Modular Design of Advanced Catalytic Materials Using Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Raspberry Particles. Adv. Func. Mater. 2017:1704559.
Shirman E, Shirman T, Shneidman AV, Grinthal A, Phillips KR, Whelan H, Bulger E, Abramovitch M, Patil J, Nevarez R, et al. Modular Design of Advanced Catalytic Materials Using Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Raspberry Particles. Adv. Func. Mater. 2017:1704559.

2016

Grinthal A, Noorduin W, Aizenberg J. A Constructive Chemical Conversation. American Scientist. 2016;104(4):228–235.
Grinthal A, Noorduin W, Aizenberg J. A Constructive Chemical Conversation. American Scientist. 2016;104(4):228–235.