Controlling the Assembly of Silver Nanocubes through Selective Functionalization of Their Faces

Silver nanocubes are self-assembled into unique structures via hydrophobic interactions. The structures could be predesigned by selectively functionalizing the faces of each nanocube with hydrophobic and hydrophilic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The cubic lattice shown in this SEM image was formed at an air-water interface from Ag nanocubes whose entire surface had been derivatized with a hydrophobic SAM.