Self-assembly of rod-like bionanoparticles at interfaces and in solution

Abstract

Rod-like nanoparticles show unique self-assembly behavior benefiting from their anisotropic properties. As a classic example of a one-dimensional (1D) rod-like plant virus, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) can either assemble in a head-to-tail manner to form 1D long fibers, or align parallel to form crystal-like structures at interfaces or in solution. Here, the self-assembly behaviors of TMV at oil–water or air–liquid interfaces are summarized. In addition, the self-assembly of TMV with polymers in solution is also discussed in this chapter.