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Particles and Fields

EPJ E Colloquium: nanoparticles, nanorods and nanosheets at fluid interfaces

pH-induced, SWCNT segregation transition

In this EPJ E Review, Toor, Feng and Russel present many examples of self-assembly of nanoscale materials (both synthetic and biological) such as nanoparticles, nanorods and nanosheets at liquid/liquid interfaces. For biological nanoparticles, the nanoparticle assembly at fluid interfaces provide a simple route for directing nanoparticles into 2-D or 3-D constructs with hierarchical ordering.

The interfacial assembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at liquid interfaces would play a key role in applications such as nanotube fractionation, flexible electronic thin-film fabrication and synthesis of porous SWCNT/polymer composites foams. Liquids can be structured by the jamming of nanoparticle surfactants at fluid interfaces. By controlling the interfacial packing of nanoparticle surfactants using external triggers, a new class of materials can be generated that combines the desirable characteristics of fluids such as rapid transport of energy carriers with the structural stability of a solid.

Among the many areas that remain to be explored the authors identify as the most exciting in-situ characterization and control of thin-film morphology and studies of thin-films mechanical properties through cutting-edge techniques in interfacial rheology.

Editors-in-Chief
E. Dudas, M. Elsing, F. Forti, J. Monroe, D.J. Schwarz and G. Zanderighi

We thank you and the Editorial Office for the editorial work during the submission and revision of the manuscripts. We are particularly grateful to the Referee for his/her valuable work which has contributed improving the scientific content of the manuscripts.

Claudio Cremaschini and Massimo Tessarotto, Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic

ISSN: 1434-6052 (Electronic Edition)

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