Direct observation of nanoparticle multiple-ring pattern formation during droplet evaporation with dark-field microscopy

Abstract

Controllable protocols towards nanoparticle self-assembly are important for applications of functional nanomaterials. Evaporation is a simple yet effective method to realize a gold nanoparticle ordered self-assembly, but until now, little attention has been paid to viewing the corresponding assembly process. Herein, with the help of dark-field microscopy, we in situ monitored the whole dynamic process of gold nanorod (GNR) assembly as the solvent evaporated. Differently from the previous coffee-ring effect, rod-shaped hydrophilic GNRs, within certain concentrations, spontaneously assembled into a multiple-ring pattern on a hydrophobic substrate via droplet drying. The self-assembly mechanism is consistent with a diffusion-driven kinetics, and the influencing factors, including the GNR surface modification, the colloid concentration, the surface property of the substrate, and the shape of the nanoparticles, were systematically investigated.