Combinatorial two-dimensional architectures from nanocrystal building blocks: controlled assembly and their applications

Abstract

Promoted by the controllable synthesis of nanomaterials, nanocrystal self-assembly has attracted much attention for both scientific interest and potential applications. In this article, we highlight the recent advances in applying the breath figure (BF) method—a traditional technique to prepare patterned porous polymer films—to nanocrystal self-assembly. This new combined strategy leads to hierarchically ordered structures from nanocrystal superlattices to micrometer patterns, showing appealing prospects in various fields.