Issue 23, 2017

Colloidal joints with designed motion range and tunable joint flexibility

Abstract

The miniaturization of machines towards the micron and nanoscale requires the development of joint-like elements that enable and constrain motion. We present a facile method to create colloidal joints, that is, anisotropic colloidal particles functionalized with surface mobile DNA linkers that control the motion range of bonded particles. We demonstrate quantitatively that we can control the flexibility of these colloidal joints by tuning the DNA linker concentration in the bond area. We show that the shape of the colloidal joint controls the range of motion of bonded particles through a maximisation of the bond area. Using spheres, cubes, and dumbbells, we experimentally realize spherical joints, planar sliders, and hinges, respectively. Finally we demonstrate the potential of the colloidal joints for programmable bottom-up self-assembly by creating flexible colloidal molecules and colloidal polymers. The reconfigurability and motion constraint offered by our colloidal joints make them promising building blocks for the development of switchable materials and nanorobots.

Graphical abstract: Colloidal joints with designed motion range and tunable joint flexibility

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Oct 2016
Accepted
24 Apr 2017
First published
26 Apr 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Nanoscale, 2017,9, 7814-7821

Colloidal joints with designed motion range and tunable joint flexibility

I. Chakraborty, V. Meester, C. van der Wel and D. J. Kraft, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 7814 DOI: 10.1039/C6NR08069C

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