Chemistry Letters, Vol.42, No.5, 481-482, 2013
Effect of Base Molecules on One-dimensional Assembly of Silica Nanospheres Mediated by a Block Copolymer
Silica nanospheres (SNSs) synthesized with different base catalysts assemble into one-dimensional (1D) chain-like nanostructures at proper pH levels in the presence of the block copolymer F127. The addition of basic amino acids or the removal of base catalysts by dialysis influences the pH of 1D assembly. The base molecules affect assembly by modifying the electrostatic repulsion among the SNSs; however, they are not indispensable for this 1D assembly phenomenon.