Research
 

	Figure 4 – Silica particles functionalized with a positively-charged periphery and a photolabile core. Upon irradiation, a charge inversion from positive to negative occurs upon liberation of the photolabile moiety.

Photoresponsive Colloids

In collaboration with researchers at the UIUC Materials Research Laboratory, a molecular toolkit of phototriggered and photoreversible colloidal building blocks is under development. Initial experiments are focused on monodisperse spherical colloids whose surface functionalization is controlled via photocleavable, self-assembled monolayers. New directions include photo-induced shape changes to generate anisotropic colloidal building blocks, the synthesis of patchy colloids and their assembly into three-dimensional structures.

Representative Publications

1. Plunkett, K. N.; Mohraz, A.; Haasch, R. T.; Lewis, J. A.; Moore, J. S. "Light-Regulated Electrostatic Interactions in Colloidal Suspensions," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127(42), 14574-14575. DOI: 10.1021/ja054666a