How Langmuir–Blodgett trilayers act as templates for directed self-assembly of nanoparticles

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) deposition of dissimilar metal stearates (MSt, M = Co, Zn, Cd) on templates of Co-stearate (Co-T) and Cd-stearate (Cd-T) results in self-assembly of MSts into nanocrystalline grains having clear and consistent morphological habits. The grains are better formed and well separated on Cd-T than on Co-T. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results show that the headgroup coordination of the overlayer is tuned by the coordination of the Cd-T template and remains unaffected by that of the Co-T template. They also indicate co-existence of a different kind of headgroup structure that is close to the undissociated fatty acid headgroup but differing more in the two types of carbon-oxygen bonds, suggesting an inter-headgroup bonding such as hydrogen bond that may exist on a nanocrystal surface. Results of synchrotron x-ray diffraction at C K-edge, of ZnSt on Cd-T (ZnSt/Cd-T) and Co-T (ZnSt/Co-T), point to a non-closed packed structure for ZnSt/Cd-T and a closed-packed structure for ZnSt/Co-T, with significant superlattice order in the former. The presence of crystalline phases of ZnSt in the nanometer scale, on LB templates, in contrast to the the presence of lamellar phase in bulk ZnSt, is attributed to the the presence of unidentate metal-carboxylate coordination in the former and absence of it in the latter, creating different gradients of dipolar forces at template overlayer interface. Relative strength of this long-range force over short-range intermolecular forces in the templates qualitatively explains better crystallinity and higher ordering in ZnSt/Cd-T compared to ZnSt/Co-T. We propose that the role of dipole moment gradient between template and overlayer in tuning of these metal-organic nanoparticles may be somewhat similar to structural and optical tunability of semiconductor nanocrystals by thermal and self-equilibrium strain.