Superlattice assembly by interpolymer complexation

Abstract

We present a coarse grained model for a system where nanocrystals are functionalized with a polymer that is a hydrogen bond acceptor, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), and are dispersed in a solution with a polymer whose monomers consist of a hydrogen bond donor, such as polyacrylic acid (PAA) at low pH (interpolymer complexation). We determine the minimum concentration of the polymer donor to induce aggregation and the structure and dynamics of the induced (fcc) superlattice. Our results are compared to previous and new experiments.