FACETED COLLOIDAL RASPBERRY

SEM image of a spherical raspberry-like particle, obtained by UV-polymerization of a nanoparticle-decorated
liquid oil droplet. We have demonstrated that the positions of nanoparticles on such droplets are precisely
controlled by the elasticity of a 2nm-thick curved monolayer crystal, spontaneously self-assembling on the surface of these droplets. The discovered mechanism may allow ligand-decorated particles to be formed, with the ligands located at precise locations of the particles` surfaces, for a wide range of future nanotechnological applications.