Self-Assemble Processes in Materials

The purpose of this book, in light of the burgeoning interest in self-assembly processes in materials, is to highlight and centralize research spanning the full range of materials systems, dimensionalities and length scales. Presentations from ten diverse symposia are compiled here to heighten awareness, communication and interaction among self-assembly researchers in nominally disparate fields. While there are many possible definitions of self assembly, for the purposes of this volume, self assembly refers to the deliberate formation of complex, organized superstructures from individual building blocks by exploiting forces and processes that are intrinsic to the system. Building blocks include entities such as molecules, quantum dots, cells, calcium carbonate platelets and dielectric spheres. Directed self assembly, i.e. templating via the additional imposition of external fields or boundary conditions, are also featured. Topics include: organic materials; bio-inspired nanomaterials; semiconductor quantum dots; metallic nanoparticles; magnetic materials; nanowires and chains; optical materials; photonic crystals; and modeling/simulation.