A Solution-Based Anisotropic Template Route to Triangular Pyramid Shells

Abstract

Solution-based fabrication of triangular pyramid polymer shells with one face open is demonstrated through deposition onto a triangular-pyramid template with anisotropic surface properties. To our knowledge, such anisotropic coatings have not been achieved previously by solution-based methods. The polymer shells can be transformed to magnetic porous shells (a composite of iron nanoparticles embedded in a carbon matrix) which exhibit high saturation magnetization and which were found to adsorb dyes rapidly and in a reuseable fashion. The morphologies of the pyramid templates, the polymer coatings, and the magnetic shell were characterized in detail. It should be possible to make shells of many different compositions using polyhedral templates with anisotropic surface properties, such as the one we employ in this work.