Name: synthesis and characterization of supramolecular colloids
Uploaded: 2016-04-22T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids at JoVE.com

The authors acknowledge The Netherlands Organization for Scientific research (NWO ECHO-STIP Grant 717.013.005, NWO VIDI Grant 723.014.006) for the financial support.

1. Synthesis of Core-shell Silica Particles
Note: Silica particles are synthesized according to the following procedure, which is based on the St&#246;ber method24,25.
<ol>
	<li>Synthesis of fluorescent silica seeds
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve 105 mg (0.27 mmol) of fluorescein-isothiocyanate in 5 ml of ethanol.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;l of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES, 0.43 mmol) to the previous solution.</li>
		<li>Sonicate the solution durin...

<ol>
	<li>Wang, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Colloids+with+valence+and+specific+directional+bonding.">Colloids with valence and specific directional bonding.</a> Nature. 491 (7422), 51-55 (2012).</li><li>Klinkova, A., Therien-Aubin, H., Choueiri, R. M., Rubinstein, M., Kumacheva, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Colloidal+analogs+of+molecular+chain+stoppers.">Colloidal analogs of molecular chain stoppers.</a> PNAS. 110 (47), 18775-18779 (2013).</li><li>Galisteo-L&#245;pez, J. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Self-assembled+photonic+structures.">Self-assembled photonic structures.</a> Adv. Mater. 23 (1), 30-69 (2011).</li><li>Kim, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+colour+printing+using+a+magnetically+tunable+and+lithographically+fixable+photonic+crystal.">Structural colour printing using a magnetically tunable and lithographically fixable photonic crystal.</a> Nat. Photonics. 3 (9), 534-540 (2009).</li><li>Dinsmore, A. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Colloidosomes:+Selectively+permeable+capsules+composed+of+colloidal+particles.">Colloidosomes: Selectively permeable capsules composed of colloidal particles.</a> Science. 298 (5595), 1006-1009 (2002).</li><li>Destribats, M., Rouvet, M., Gehin-Delval, C., Schmitt, C., Binks, B. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Emulsions+stabilised+by+whey+protein+microgel+particles:+Towards+food-grade+Pickering+emulsions.">Emulsions stabilised by whey protein microgel particles: Towards food-grade Pickering emulsions.</a> Soft Matter. 10 (36), 6941-6954 (2014).</li><li>Prevo, B. G., Hon, E. W., Velev, O. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assembly+and+characterization+of+colloid-based+antireflective+coatings+on+multicrystalline+silicon+solar+cells.">Assembly and characterization of colloid-based antireflective coatings on multicrystalline silicon solar cells.</a> J. Mater. Chem. 17 (8), 791-799 (2007).</li><li>Kitaev, V., Ozin, G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Self-assembled+surface+patterns+of+binary+colloidal+crystals.">Self-assembled surface patterns of binary colloidal crystals.</a> Adv. Mater. 15 (1), 75-78 (2003).</li><li>Plettl, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Non-Close-Packed+crystals+from+self-assembled+polystyrene+spheres+by+isotropic+plasma+etching:+adding+flexibility+to+colloid+lithography.">Non-Close-Packed crystals from self-assembled polystyrene spheres by isotropic plasma etching: adding flexibility to colloid lithography.</a> Adv. Funct. Mater. 19 (20), 3279-3284 (2009).</li><li>Yethiraj, A., Van Blaaderen, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+colloidal+model+system+with+an+interaction+tunable+from+hard+sphere+to+soft+and+dipolar.">A colloidal model system with an interaction tunable from hard sphere to soft and dipolar.</a> Nature. 421 (6922), 513-517 (2003).</li><li>Spruijt, E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reversible+assembly+of+oppositely+charged+hairy+colloids+in+water.">Reversible assembly of oppositely charged hairy colloids in water.</a> Soft Matter. 7 (18), 8281-8290 (2011).</li><li>Kraft, D. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surface+roughness+directed+self-assembly+of+patchy+particles+into+colloidal+micelles.">Surface roughness directed self-assembly of patchy particles into colloidal micelles.</a> PNAS. 109 (27), 10787-10792 (2012).</li><li>Rossi, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cubic+crystals+from+cubic+colloids.">Cubic crystals from cubic colloids.</a> Soft Matter. 7 (9), 4139-4142 (2011).</li><li>Erb, R. M., Son, H. S., Samanta, B., Rotello, V. M., Yellen, B. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Magnetic+assembly+of+colloidal+superstructures+with+multipole+symmetry.">Magnetic assembly of colloidal superstructures with multipole symmetry.</a> Nature. 457 (7232), 999-1002 (2009).</li><li>Vutukuri, H. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Colloidal+analogues+of+charged+and+uncharged+polymer+chains+with+tunable+stiffness.">Colloidal analogues of charged and uncharged polymer chains with tunable stiffness.</a> Angew. Chem. Int. Edit. 51 (45), 11249-11253 (2012).</li><li>De Greef, T. F. A., Meijer, E. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Materials+science:+Supramolecular+polymers.">Materials science: Supramolecular polymers.</a> Nature. 453 (7192), 171-173 (2008).</li><li>De Feijter, I., Albertazzi, L., Palmans, A. R. A., Voets, I. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stimuli-responsive+colloidal+assembly+driven+by+surface-grafted+supramolecular+moieties.">Stimuli-responsive colloidal assembly driven by surface-grafted supramolecular moieties.</a> Langmuir. 31 (1), 57-64 (2015).</li><li>Celiz, A. D., Lee, T. C., Scherman, O. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polymer-mediated+dispersion+of+cold+nanoparticles:+using+supramolecular+moieties+on+the+periphery.">Polymer-mediated dispersion of cold nanoparticles: using supramolecular moieties on the periphery.</a> Adv. Mater. 21 (38-39), 3937-3940 (2009).</li><li>Cantekin, S., De Greef, T. F. A., Palmans, A. R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide:+A+versatile+ordering+moiety+for+supramolecular+chemistry.">Benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide: A versatile ordering moiety for supramolecular chemistry.</a> Chem. Soc. Rev. 41 (18), 6125-6137 (2012).</li><li>Mes, T., Van Der Weegen, R., Palmans, A. R. A., Meijer, E. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single-chain+polymeric+nanoparticles+by+stepwise+folding.">Single-chain polymeric nanoparticles by stepwise folding.</a> Angew. Chem. Int. Edit. 50 (22), 5085-5089 (2011).</li><li>van Blaaderen, A., Vrij, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+characterization+of+monodisperse+colloidal+organo-silica+spheres.">Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse colloidal organo-silica spheres.</a> J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 156 (1), 1-18 (1993).</li><li>Van Helden, A. K., Jansen, J. W., Vrij, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preparation+and+characterization+of+spherical+monodisperse+silica+dispersions+in+nonaqueous+solvents.">Preparation and characterization of spherical monodisperse silica dispersions in nonaqueous solvents.</a> J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 81 (2), 354-368 (1981).</li><li>Israelachvili, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intermolecular+and+Surface+Forces.">Intermolecular and Surface Forces.</a> Van der Waals forces between particles and surfaces. , 253-289 (2011).</li><li>van Blaaderen, A., Vrij, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+characterization+of+colloidal+dispersions+of+fluorescent,+monodisperse+silica+spheres.">Synthesis and characterization of colloidal dispersions of fluorescent, monodisperse silica spheres.</a> Langmuir. 8 (12), 2921-2931 (1992).</li><li>Giesche, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+of+monodispersed+silica+powders+II.+Controlled+growth+reaction+and+continuous+production+process.">Synthesis of monodispersed silica powders II. Controlled growth reaction and continuous production process.</a> J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 14 (3), 205-214 (1994).</li><li>Wu, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Correlations+between+the+Rayleigh+ratio+and+the+wavelength+for+toluene+and+benzene.">Correlations between the Rayleigh ratio and the wavelength for toluene and benzene.</a> Chem. Phys. 367 (1), 44-47 (2010).</li></ol>

When cyclohexane, with a refractive index of 1.426, is used as a solvent to disperse the BTA-colloids, van der Waals interactions are very weak, since the refractive indices of colloids and solvent are nearly the same. Note that the concentration of functionalized colloids used for the SLS experiments in cyclohexane is much higher compared to the bare silica colloids in water. This is necessary to obtain a sufficiently strong scattering due to the low contrast as the refractive indices are almost matched. Trace amounts o...

Mesostructured colloidal materials find widespread application in science and technology, as model systems for fundamental studies on atomic and molecular materials1,2, as photonic materials3,4, as drug delivery systems5,6, as coatings7 and in lithography for surface patterning8,9. Since lyophobic colloids are metastable materials that eventually aggregate irreversibly due to the omnipresent van der Waals interactions, their manipulation into specific target structures is notoriously difficult. Numerous strategies have been developed to control colloidal self-assembly including the use of additives to tune the electrostatic10,11 or depletion interactions12,13, or external triggers such as magnetic14 or electric15 fields. A sophisticated alternative strategy to achieve control over the structure, dynamics and mechanics of these systems is their functionalization with molecules interacting through specific and directional forces. Supramolecular chemistry offers a comprehensive toolbox of small molecules exhibiting site-specific, directional and strong yet reversible interactions, which can be modulated in strength by solvent polarity, temperature and light16. Since their properties have been studied extensively in bulk and in solution, these molecules are attractive candidates to structure soft materials into exotic phases in a predictable manner. Despite the clear potential of such an integrated approach to orchestrate colloidal assembly via supramolecular chemistry, these disciplines have rarely interfaced to tailor the properties of mesostructured colloidal materials17,18.
A solid platform of supramolecular colloids must fulfill three main requirements. Firstly, coupling of the supramolecular moiety should be done under mild-conditions to prevent degradation. Secondly, surface forces at separations larger than direct contact should be dominated by the tethered motifs, which means that uncoated colloids should nearly exclusively interact via excluded-volume interactions. Therefore, the physico-chemical properties of the colloids should be tailored to suppress other interactions inherent in colloidal systems, such as van der Waals or electrostatic forces. Thirdly, characterization should allow for an unequivocal attribution of the assembly to the presence of the supramolecular moieties. To meet these three prerequisites, a robust two-step synthesis of supramolecular colloids was developed (Figure 1a). In a first step, hydrophobic NVOC-functionalized silica particles are prepared for dispersion in cyclohexane. The NVOC group can be easily cleaved, yielding amine-functionalized particles. The high reactivity of amines enables straightforward post-functionalization with the desired supramolecular moiety using a wide range of mild reaction conditions. Herein, we prepare supramolecular colloids by functionalization of silica beads with stearyl alcohol and a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derivative20. The stearyl alcohol plays several important roles: it makes the colloids organophilic and it introduces short-range steric repulsions which aids to reduce the nonspecific interaction between colloids21,22. van der Waals forces are further reduced because of the close match between the refractive index of the colloids and the solvent23. Light-and thermoresponsive short-range attractive surface forces are generated by incorporation of o-nitrobenzyl protected BTAs20. O-nitrobenzyl moiety is a photo-cleavable group that blocks the formation of hydrogen bonds between adjacent BTAs when incorporated on the amides in the discotics (Figure 1b). Upon photocleavage by UV-light, the BTA in solution is able to recognize and interact with identical BTA molecules through a 3-fold hydrogen bond array, with a binding strength that is strongly temperature dependent17. Since the van der Waals attractions are minimal for stearyl coated silica particles in cyclohexane as well as light- and temperature-independent, the observed stimuli-responsive colloidal assembly must be BTA-mediated.
This detailed video demonstrates how to synthesize and characterize supramolecular colloids and how to study their self-assembly upon UV-irradiation by confocal microscopy. In addition, a simple image analysis protocol to distinguish colloidal singlets from clustered colloids and to determine the amount of colloids per clusters is reported. The versatility of the synthetic strategy allows to readily vary particle size, surface coverage as well as the introduced binding moiety, which opens up new avenues for the development of a large family of colloidal building blocks for mesostructured advanced materials.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1805">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">APTES</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">FTIC</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">TEOS</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">LUDOX AS-40</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Silica particles of 13 nm in radius</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">MilliQ</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">---</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">---</td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">18.2 M&#937;&#183;cm at 25 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Ethanol</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">SolvaChrom</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Ammonia (25% in water)</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Chloroform</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">SolvaChrom</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Cyclohexane</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Dimethylformamide (DMF)</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Stearyl alcohol</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">N,N-Diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA)</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Benzotriazol-1-yl-oxytripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate (PyBOP)</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP)</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Dithiothreitol (DTT)&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">---</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">NVOC-C11-OH</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Synthesized</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">---</td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">I. de Feijter, 2014 Responsive materials from adaptive supramolecular constructs, Doctoral thesis, Technical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">BTA</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Synthesized</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">---</td>
			<td style="width:1035px;">I. de Feijter, 2014 Responsive materials from adaptive supramolecular constructs, Doctoral thesis, Technical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Centrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Heraeus Megafuge 1.0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Ultrasound bath</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">VWR</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Ultrasonic cleaner</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Peristaltic pumps</td>
			<td>Harvard Apparatus</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>PHD Ultra Syringe Pump</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:524px;">UV-oven</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Luzchem</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>LZC-a V UV reactor equipped with 8x8 UVA light bulbs (&#955;max=354 nm)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Stirrer-heating plate</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Heidolph</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>MR-Hei Standard</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Light Scattering</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">ALV</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>CGS-3 MD-4 compact goniometer system, equipped with a Multiple Tau digital real time correlator (ALV-7004) and a solid-state laser (&#955;=532 nm, 40 mW)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">UV-Vis spectrophotometer</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>NanoDrop 1000 Spectrophotometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;">Confocal microscope</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Nikon</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Ti Eclipse with an argon laser with &#955;excitation=488 nm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Slide spacers</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Grace BioLabs Secure seal imaging spacer (1 well, diam. &#215; thickness 13 mm &#215; 0.12 mm)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Syringes</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">BD Plastipak</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>20 mL syringe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Plastic tubing</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">SCI</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BB31695-PE/5</td>
			<td>Ethylene oxide gas sterilizable micro medical tubing</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:524px;">Pulsating vortex mixer</td>
			<td style="width:128px;">VWR</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Electrical: 120V, 50/60Hz, 150W Speed Range: 500&#8211;3000 rpm</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

synthesis and characterization of supramolecular colloids

Control over colloidal assembly is of utmost importance for the development of functional colloidal materials with tailored structural and mechanical properties for applications in photonics, drug delivery and coating technology. Here we present a new family of colloidal building blocks, coined supramolecular colloids, whose self-assembly is controlled through surface-functionalization with a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derived supramolecular moiety. Such BTAs interact via directional, strong, yet reversible hydrogen-bonds with other identical BTAs. Herein, a protocol is presented that describes how to couple these BTAs to colloids and how to quantify the number of coupling sites, which determines the multivalency of the supramolecular colloids. Light scattering measurements show that the refractive index of the colloids is almost matched with that of the solvent, which strongly reduces the van der Waals forces between the colloids. Before photo-activation, the colloids remain well dispersed, as the BTAs are equipped with a photo-labile group that blocks the formation of hydrogen-bonds. Controlled deprotection with UV-light activates the short-range hydrogen-bonds between the BTAs, which triggers the colloidal self-assembly. The evolution from the dispersed state to the clustered state is monitored by confocal microscopy. These results are further quantified by image analysis with simple routines using ImageJ and Matlab. This merger of supramolecular chemistry and colloidal science offers a direct route towards light- and thermo-responsive colloidal assembly encoded in the surface-grafted monolayer.

&#160;Given that the two-step procedure used to synthesize the supramolecular colloids (Figure 1a), couples the BTA- derivatives (Figure 1b) in a second step at room temperature and in mild-reaction conditions, its stability is ensured.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/53934/53934fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. Scheme of the synthesis of supramolecular colloids. A) Coupli...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids at JoVE.com

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

A protocol for the synthesis and characterization of colloids coated with supramolecular moieties is described. These supramolecular colloids undergo self-assembly upon the activation of the hydrogen-bonds between the surface-anchored molecules by UV-light.

Control over colloidal assembly is of utmost importance for the development of functional colloidal materials with tailored structural and mechanical ...

Research

Education

JoVE Journal

JoVE Core

Chemistry

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

Fundamentals of Chemistry

Solutions and Colloids

SCIENTISTS IN ACTION

Split-and-pool Synthesis and Characterization of Peptide Tertiary Amide Library

Peptidomimetics are great sources of protein ligands. The oligomeric nature of these compounds enables us to access large synthetic libraries on solid ...

Nucleoside Triphosphates - From Synthesis to Biochemical Characterization

The  traditional strategy for the introduction of chemical functionalities is the  use of solid-phase synthesis by appending suitably modified ...

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks have attracted extraordinary amounts of research attention, as they are attractive candidates for numerous industrial and ...

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes

Herein we report the synthesis of a tridentate phosphine ligand N(CH2PPh2)3 (N-triphosPh) (1) via a phosphorus based Mannich reaction of the ...

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large ...

Preparation of Carbon Nanosheets at Room Temperature

Amphiphilic molecules equipped with a reactive, carbon-rich "oligoyne" segment consisting of conjugated carbon-carbon triple bonds self-assemble into ...

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of cyclic polymers and a protocol for characterizing their diffusive motion in a melt state at the single ...

Synthesis and Characterization of Fe-doped Aluminosilicate Nanotubes with Enhanced Electron Conductive Properties

The goal of the protocol is to synthesize Fe-doped aluminosilicate nanotubes of the imogolite type with the formula (OH)3Al2-xFexO3SiOH. Doping with Fe ...

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy

Phase-separated giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) exhibiting coexisting liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered domains are a common biophysical tool to ...

Protocol for the Solid-phase Synthesis of Oligomers of RNA Containing a 2'-O-thiophenylmethyl Modification and Characterization via Circular Dichroism

Protocol for the Solid-phase Synthesis of Oligomers of RNA Containing a 2'-O-thiophenylmethyl Modification and Characterization via Circular Dichroism

Solid-phase synthesis has been used to obtain canonical and modified polymers of nucleic acids, specifically of DNA or RNA, which has made it a popular ...