Solvent-Free Nanocomposite Colloidal Fluids with Highly Integrated and Tailored Functionalities: Rheological, Ionic Conduction, and Magneto-Optical Properties

Abstract

We introduce a unique and facile strategy for the preparation of solvent-free nanocomposite colloidal fluids that allows accurate control over the integration of functionalities as well as the composition and dimensions of the nanocomposite structure. For the preparation of colloidal fluids with highly integrated functionalities, oleic acid (OA)-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles (i.e., OA-Fe3O4 NPs) and CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were first synthesized in nonpolar solvent. In this case, OA-QDs dispersed in toluene were successively phase transferred to thiol-functionalized imidazolium-type ionic liquid (IL-SH) media with rheological and ionic conduction properties. After the functional NPs were synthesized, amine-functionalized dendrimers and OA-Fe3O4 NPs were alternately deposited onto silica colloids (i.e., SiO2/(dendrimer/OA-Fe3O4)n) using a ligand-exchange-induced LbL-assembly in organic media. Electrostatic LbL-assembled (anionic polyelectrolyte (PE)/cationic IL-SH-QD)n multilayers were then sequent...