Design and Self-Assembly of Open, Regular, 3D Mesostructures

• DOI: 10.1126/science.284.5416.948
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:40:50Z
• Authors: Tricia L. Breen; Joe Tien; Scott R. J.; Oliver; Tanja Hadzic; George M. Whitesides
• Keywords: Potassium bromide; Molding (decorative)

Self-assembly provides the basis for a procedure used to organize millimeter-scale objects into regular, three-dimensional arrays (“crystals”) with open structures. The individual components are designed and fabricated of polyurethane by molding; selected faces coated thin film liquid, metallic alloy. Under mild agitation in warm, aqueous potassium bromide solution, capillary forces between films alloy cause self-assembly. structures resulting, self-assembled determined structural features component parts: shape components, pattern on their surfaces, alloy-coated surfaces. appropriately chiral pieces generates helices.