|
Authors: E. Rosseeva, P. Simon, I. A. Baburin, L. Liebscher, S. G. Hickey, R. Cardoso-Gil, A. Eychmüller, R. Kniep, W. Carrillo-Cabrera The present work focuses on the investigation of an organic coated (OA/TOP) PbS- colloidal superlattice assembly exhibiting a facet-shaped habit of aggregates on the micrometer scale. This kind of material is closely related to so-called "mesocrystals" which are superstructures of nanoparticles with a specific preferable mutual orientation. To understand the general principles governing the self-assembly processes of nanoparticles and their structural organization within the supperlattice array, we have performed several steps of detailed structural characterization of PbS-organic(OA/TOP) colloidal superlattice on different length scales revealing the ordering of the nanoparticles and their orientational relationships within the 3D colloidal superlattice array. Based on these experimental observations we have also built up a hierarchy of atomistic models describing the structure of the colloidal superlattice. Following this combined approach we receive deeper insights into the general principles of morphogenesis of nanocomposite colloidal superlattices. |
|