The growth of complex nanostructures: Synergism of dipolar force and stacking-defects in anisotropic self-assembly

A study has presented the development of a plasmon excitation-assisted wet-chemical method for the preparation of complex inorganic dendrimers with multiple generations of branches. The presence of stacking defects has been found to be dominating the branching points in these complex nanostructures. The synergistic effects of the dipolar force and stacking defects in the anisotropic self-assembly process are essential for producing complex nanostructures with multiple generations of branches. The inorganic Au dendrimers may have significant applications in diverse areas including as potent catalysts without a supporting scaffold, templates for the synthesis of other nanomaterials, and potential carriers for specific molecules. The method is also applicable to the fabrication of other noble-metal dendrimers via the stacking-defect-modulated anisotropic self-assembly of nanoparticles.