Self-assembled Nanoparticles Research Articles

Reversible Electron-Beam Patterning of Colloidal Nanoparticles at Fluid Interfaces.

The directed self-assembly of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) using external fields guides the formation of sophisticated hierarchical materials but becomes less effective with decreasing particle size. As an alternative, electron-beam-driven assembly offers a potential avenue for targeted nanoscale manipulation, yet remains poorly controlled due to the variety and complexity of beam interaction mechanisms. Here, we investigate the beam-particle interaction of silica NPs pinned to the fluid-vacuum interface of ionic liquid droplets. In these experiments, scanning electron microscopy of the droplet surface resolves NP trajectories over space and time while simultaneously driving their reorganization. With this platform, we demonstrate the ability to direct particle transport and create transient, reversible colloidal patterns on the droplet surface. By tuning the beam voltage, we achieve precise control over both the strength and sign of the beam-particle interaction, with low voltages repelling particles and high voltages attracting them. This response stems from the formation of well-defined solvent flow fields generated from trace radiolysis of the ionic liquid, as determined through statistical analysis of single-particle trajectories under varying solvent composition. Altogether, electron-beam-guided assembly introduces a versatile strategy for nanoscale colloidal manipulation, offering new possibilities for the design of dynamic, reconfigurable systems with applications in adaptive photonics and catalysis.

A Peptide-Copper Self-Assembled Nanoparticle for Enhanced Cuproptosis by Metabolic Reprogramming in Tumor Cells.

Cuproptosis is a type of metabolic cell death and exhibits great potential for cancer treatment. However, currently, most cuproptosis-based therapies are primarily effective in tumor cells reliant on mitochondrial respiration, limiting their broader application. The Warburg effect highlights that many tumors predominantly rely on glycolysis to meet their rapid metabolic demands, but glycolysis-dependent cells are less sensitive to copper ions than their mitochondrial-respiration-dependent counterparts, making it difficult to induce cuproptosis in these cells. Herein, we designed a copper-loaded peptide-based nanoparticle (MHRC@Cu) to enhance cuproptosis by metabolic reprogramming in a wider range of glycolysis-dependent tumor cells. Specifically, triggered by the acidic environment and laser irradiation, MHRC@Cu effectively released Cu2+ inside the cells. Then the peptide-conjugated probe (MHRC) reprogrammed glycolysis-dependent tumor cells, making them more dependent on mitochondrial respiration and increasing their sensitivity to copper ions. Additionally, the H2O2 generated by the photodynamic effect underwent Fenton reaction with Cu2+ in situ, producing highly toxic ·OH, which depleted GSH and disrupted copper efflux protein, thereby exacerbating copper deposition in cells. Through these synergistic mechanisms, MHRC@Cu significantly enhanced cuproptosis in glycolysis-dependent tumor cells, achieving up to 96% inhibition of tumor growth. This copper-loaded peptide-based nanoparticle offers a versatile and potent strategy for enhancing cuproptosis and may inspire the development of advanced self-assembled nanotherapeutic platforms.

Self-assembly of MoTe2 nanostructures and nanocomposites over centimeter-large areas via femtosecond laser

The fabrication of patterned two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibits significant potential for advancing their electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this Letter, we demonstrate a rapid and scalable method for creating nanoscale periodic molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) nanostructures and mixed-dimensional heterostructures over a large area using direct femtosecond laser irradiation. Under intense femtosecond laser pulses, periodic energy deposition occurs in layered MoTe2 and subsequently induces the formation of MoTe2 periodic nanostructures. In addition, femtosecond laser ablation at a high repetition rate (1 MHz) results in the formation of numerous crystalline Te nanoparticles scattered on the surface of MoTe2 layers, creating mixed-dimensional Te/MoTe2 heterostructures. Notably, the fabrication of MoTe2 periodic nanostructures and mixed-dimensional heterostructures is driven by a self-assembled process. This technique enables the production of centimeter-scale MoTe2 periodic nanostructures and nanocomposites within 5 min, offering a cost-effective, lithography-free approach for fabricating periodically nanostructured 2D materials in large areas for practical applications in electronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, and sensing.

Self-Assembled Nanoparticles with Well-Defined Oligosaccharide Promote Osteogenesis by Regulating Golgi Stress Response.

Osteoporosis, a prevalent disease characterized by low bone density and increased fracture risk, poses significant health challenges for the elderly. Current treatments offer short-term benefits but are limited by long-term efficacy and adverse effects, highlighting the need for new strategies. Chondroitin sulfate polysaccharides (CS), a major component of the bone matrix, are crucial for bone and cartilage health. However, their role in osteoporosis is understudied due to the heterogeneity of natural CS. we found reduced CS levels in osteoporosis patients and developed CS4-NP, a self-assembled tetrasaccharide nanoparticle that mimics CS's structure. CS4-NP, which efficiently delivers the active CS4, significantly improves bone mass in ovariectomized osteoporosis models. It activates the Activating Transcription Factor 4-Cystathionine gamma-Lyase signaling axis in pre-osteoblasts, enhancing osteogenesis. our findings suggest that CS4-NP, an oligosaccharide-based nanomaterial, could address the limitations of current treatments and provide a viable strategy for osteoporosis.

Differences in the permeation of Licoricchalcone A-polysaccharide self-assembled nanoparticles on healthy and DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in Balb/c mice

Nanoformulation have been widely used in skin and transdermal drug delivery. However, the differences in integral nanoparticles absorption in healthy and diseased skin have not yet fully analyzed. The present study attempted to explore the percutaneous absorption of drugs via lesional skin by using atopic dermatitis (AD) as a model, dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) induced AD-like skin. In here, the small molecules of insoluble Licoricchalcone A (LA) and macromolecules glycyrrhizin polysaccharide were used to prepare LA-polysaccharide self-assembled nanoparticles (GPA-SANs) by micro-precipitation. An environment-responsive dye, P4, was loaded into SAN to track the transdermal translocation of the nanoparticles, while the drug marked with coumarin 6 (C6). Compared to healthy skin, the permeability of GPA-SANs on AD-like skin is stronger, which may be due to damage to the stratum corneum of the AD-like skin and increased intercellular spaces, resulting in an increased permeability coefficient. Therefore, the storage of nanoparticles and their diffusion at the lesion site also increased accordingly. CLSM shown that the fluorescence of P4 and C6 is observed to concentrate around the hair follicles and disseminate in the surrounding area in both AD-affected and healthy skin.It can be clearly seen that fluorescence signal of C6 in the intercellular spaces of the dermis and epidermis of AD-like skin, indicating that nano-drug on the disease skin can penetrate through the intercellular pathway to achieve therapeutic. The focus of the present study is to assess the permeability of healthy and disease skin, discuss their characteristics and discrepancy, aiming to provide a reference for the further study of nano-formulations in transdermal delivery.

Delivery of dendritic cells targeting 3M2e-HA2 nanoparticles with a CpG adjuvant via lysosomal escape of Salmonella enhances protection against H9N2 avian influenza virus

Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 still poses a great threat to the poultry farming industry and public health worldwide, and the development of a new influenza vaccine that is safe and conservative and able to address influenza virus mutations is highly promising for application. HA2, the neck of the HA protein, and M2e, the extracellular N-terminal structural domain of the M2 protein, are conserved and effective protective antigens.In this study, the HA2 sequences were fused with three M2e copies (H9N2, H1N1 and H5N1) to the norovirus VP1 protein via the SpyTag-SpyCatcher platform to form self-assembled nanoparticles and display antigenic proteins on its surface, yielding pYL262. The chicken dendritic cells (DCs) targeting the nanobody phage-54 were then fused to HA2-3M2e to yield pYL327. Finally, a synthesized 20-repeat CpG adjuvant gene fragment was inserted into pYL327, resulting in the plasmid pYL331. All the constructed plasmids were then transformed into the sifA gene-deficient Salmonella vector χYL56 for oral immunization.The results showed that sifA-deficient Salmonella could efficiently increase antigen-specific mucosal sIgA antibody titers, especially in alveolar lavage samples, whereas the presence of the phage-54 nanobody could dramatically increase intracellular IFN-γ mRNA levels, indicating its ability to enhance the Th1-type immune response. Finally, the presence of the CpG adjuvant clearly increased T-cell proliferation and promoted DC activation, with elevated splenic TLR21 levels observed. Strikingly, after oral immunization with χYL56 (pYL331), chickens were protected against challenge with the G57 genotype H9N2 virus, which presented similar or even better levels of virus shedding and body weight gain compared with the commercial inactivated vaccine, providing a new option for controlling H9N2 virus infection in the future.

Self-assembling nanoparticle vaccine elicits a robust protective immune response against avian influenza H5N6 virus in chickens

The continuous circulation and evolution of the H5N6 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) challenge the development of the global poultry industry and human public health security. To address the potential threat of the H5N6 virus, a secure and efficacious vaccine is urgent. In our research, a self-assembling nanoparticle vaccine presenting the hemagglutinin of the H5N6 AIV was developed based on the ferritin antigen display platform. The results showed that a single-dose vaccination of this nanoparticle vaccine elicited potent hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody responses and neutralizing antibody responses in the chickens. Meanwhile, the fused HA-ferritin nanoparticle vaccine induced significantly higher levels of Th1/Th2 immune responses. After a lethal attack with the H5N6 virus, the fused HA-ferritin nanoparticle vaccine conferred chickens with 100 % (10/10) challenge protection. Importantly, the fused HA-ferritin nanoparticle with only 28 hemagglutination units (HAU) provided chickens with immune protection comparable to commercial inactivated vaccines and protected the chickens from severe lung pathological damage. These results in our study support the superiority of ferritin as an antigen display platform and suggest that self-assembled nanoparticle vaccines based on this platform possess the potential as an avian influenza candidate vaccine.

Self-assembling nanoparticles for delivery of miR-603 and miR-221 in glioblastoma as a new strategy to overcome resistance to temozolomide

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain cancer with poor clinical outcome. Unfortunately, chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) has a limited efficacy due to resistance mainly attributed to O6-methylguanine methyl transferase (MGMT) activity. Recently, miR-603 and miR-221 have been identified to target MGMT, thus improving the efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ) in the treatment of GBM. Previously, self-assembling nanoparticles (SANPs) have been proposed to deliver miRNAs into the brain. Here, SANP co-encapsulating miRNA-603 (miR-603) and miRNA-221 (miR-221) have been developed to enhance the efficacy of TMZ in the treatment of GBM by preventing the occurrence of chemoresistance. Preliminarily, SANPs encapsulating miRNAs were optimized in terms of lipid composition to assure physical stability and no hemolytic activity. Subsequently, SANPs with the lowest cytotoxicity and excellent internalization efficiency of miRNAs were selected through MTT assay and real-time PCR, respectively. To evaluate a potential synergistic effect between TMZ and miRNAs, MTT and clonogenic assays were performed. In our biological model, miRNA delivery via SANPs in combination with TMZ treatment strongly reduced cell viability and tumorigenic potential. Finally, in vivo assays were carried out on orthotopic xenograft mouse models. The treatment with SANPs encapsulating both miRNAs in combination with TMZ greatly decreased tumour growth, and even more significantly increased animal survival. In conclusion, this strategy provides the rationale for the development of new therapeutic approaches based on SANP technology to deliver miRNAs that play a key role in suppressing tumour.

Self-Assembled Gold Nanoparticles as Reusable SERS Substrates for Polyphenolic Compound Detection

Self-Assembled Gold Nanoparticles as Reusable SERS Substrates for Polyphenolic Compound Detection

Organelle-Specific Smart Supramolecular Materials for Bioimaging and Theranostics Application.

In cellular environments, certain synthetic molecules can form nanostructures via self-assembly, impacting molecular imaging, and biomedical applications. Control over the formation of these self-assembled nanostructures in subcellular organelle is challenging. By the action of stimuli, either present in the cellular environment or applied externally, in situ generation of molecular precursors can lead to accumulation and supramolecular nanostructure formation, resulting in efficient bioimaging. Here, we summarize smart fluorophore-based ordered nanostructure preparation at specific organelles for efficient bioimaging and therapeutic application towards cancer theranostics. We also present challenges and an outlook regarding intercellular self-assembly for theranostics application. Altogether, smart nanostructured materials with fluorescence read-outs at specific subcellular compartments would be beneficial in synthetic biology and precision therapeutics.

An Immunomodulatory Hydrogel Featuring Antibacterial and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Properties for Treating Periodontitis in Diabetes.

Periodontal disease is a multifactorial, bacterially induced inflammatory disorder characterized by progressive destruction of periodontal tissues. Additionally, diabetes mellitus exacerbates periodontitis, resulting in expedited resorption of periodontal bone. However, methods such as mechanical debridement, anti-inflammatory medications, and surgical approaches often fail to eradicate local infections and inflammation, complicating the reconstruction of periodontal tissue structures. Consequently, there is an urgent need to devise a novel strategy for managing diabetic periodontal conditions. Here, a multifunctional controlled-release drug delivery system (GOE1) is developed by encapsulating self-assembled nanoparticles (consisting of chlorhexidine acetate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate) into a hydrogel matrix composed of gelatin methacryloyl and oxidized hyaluronic acid. In vitro experiments demonstrate that the GOE1 hydrogel possesses good antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and transgenic sequence genomics further illustrates that IL-17-producing RAW 264.7 macrophages are critical for mediating M1/M2 macrophage transition and provide favorable immune microenvironment. In addition, in vivo experiments reveal that GOE1 significantly ameliorates periodontal tissue inflammation and reduces the loss of alveolar bone by reducing inflammatory infiltration and collagen destruction. Overall, the GOE1 hydrogel offers a promising therapeutic option for managing diabetic periodontitis.

Self-assembled Lipid Nanoparticles for Killing Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells.

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lacking estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) on their cell surfaces are highly aggressive, difficult-to-treat and often relapse. Herein, we report on the self-assembled lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) of two new pegylated lipopeptides for killing TNBCs (MDA-MB-231). The pegylated lipopeptides were synthesized by conjugating an n-hexadecyl hydrophobic tail to one end of a (PEG)27 unit the other distal end of which was covalently grafted with two previously reported tumor targeting RGDK- and CGKRK- peptides. The SEM images of the self-assembled LNPs formed upon dissolution of the pegylated lipopeptides in aqueous medium revealed formation of spherical aggregates. The degree of cellular uptake for the self-assembled LNPs formed by the pegylated CGKRK-lipopeptide were found to be significantly higher than that for the self-assembled LNPs formed by the pegylated RGDK-lipopeptide in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HEK-293 and HFF cells. Notably, about 60 % TNBCs (MDA-MB-231 cells) were killed upon treatment with commercially available potent JAK2 inhibitor (WP 1066) loaded LNPs of the pegylated RGDK-lipopeptide. Contrastingly, the same treatment killed only about 20 % non-cancerous HEK-293 cells. The self-assembled pegylated LNPs described herein open the door for undertaking preclinical studies in animal models for TNBCs.

A Purely Biomanufactured System for Delivering Nanoparticles and STING Agonists.

Nanovaccines have significantly contributed in the prevention and treatment of diseases. However, most of these technologies rely on chemical or hybrid semibiological synthesis methods, which limit the manufacturing performance advantages and improved inoculation outcomes compared with traditional vaccines. Herein, a universal and purely biological nanovaccine system is reported. This system integrates three modules: (1) self-assembling nanoparticles, (2) self-catalyzed synthesis of small-molecule stimulator of interferon gene (STING) agonists, and (3) delivery vectors that target the cytosolic surveillance system. Various nanoparticles are efficiently self-assembled using this system. After confirming the excellent immunostimulatory and lymph node targeting of this system, its broad-spectrum antiviral efficacy is further demonstrated. By leveraging the comprehensive biosynthetic capabilities of bacterial cells, this system can efficiently combine various adjuvant-active modular components and antigenic cargo, thereby providing a highly diversified and potent vaccine platform.

Magnetic field-assisted nanochain formation of intermixed catalytic Co-Pd nanoparticles.

Engineering on the nanoscale often involves optimizing performance by designing and creating new types of nanostructured materials. Multifunctional nanoparticles can be formed by combining elements that carry fundamentally different properties. The elements can be chosen based on the desired functionality, and by combining, e.g., magnetic, and catalytic elements, it is possible to self-assemble nanoparticles into catalytically active magnetic nanochains. However, mixing and assembling nanoparticles in a controlled way is challenging, and it is not obvious how the intermixing of the elements influences the properties of the individual nanoparticles. In this work, we synthesize and assemble intermixed magnetic and catalytic Cobalt-Palladium (Co-Pd) nanoparticles into multifunctional nanochains. The magnetic behavior is explored by studying the magnetic field-directed self-assembly of the nanoparticles into elongated nanochains. The catalytic properties are determined by measuring CO oxidation at elevated temperatures. Our results confirm that the magnetic and catalytic functionalities of the individual elements are retained when intermixed, which implies the potential to create nanochains with dual functionality that can be assembled in a controlled way.

Self-assembled Peptide-derived Proteolysis-targeting Chimera (PROTAC) Nanoparticles for Tumor-targeted and Durable PD-L1 Degradation in Cancer Immunotherapy.

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are a promising technique for the specific and durable degradation of cancer-related proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system in cancer treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of PROTACs is restricted due to their hydrophobicity, poor cell permeability and insufficient tumor-targeting ability. Herein, we develop the self-assembled peptide-derived PROTAC nanoparticles (PT-NPs) for precise and durable programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) degradation in targeted tumors. The PT-NPs with an average size of 211.8 nm are formed through the self-assembly of amphiphilic peptide-derived PROTAC (CLQKTPKQC-FF-ALAPYIP), comprising a PD-L1-targeting 'CLQKTPKQC', self-assembling linker 'FF' and E3 ligase recruiting 'ALAPYIP'. Particularly, PT-NPs strongly bind to tumor cell surface PD-L1 to form PD-L1/PT-NPs complex, then internalized through receptor-mediated endocytosis and degraded in lysosomes. Second, free PROTACs released from PT-NPs to the cytoplasm further induce the durable proteolysis of cytoplasmic PD-L1 via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In colon tumor models, intravenously injected PT-NPs accumulate significantly at targeted tumor tissues through nanoparticle-derived passive and active targeting. At the targeted tumor tissues, PT-NPs promote durable PD-L1 degradation and ultimately trigger a substantial antitumor immune response. Collectively, this study provides valuable insights into the rational design of self-assembled peptide-derived PROTAC NPs to ensure noticeable accuracy and enhanced efficacy in cancer treatment.

Self-aggregation behavior of well-defined PEO-based amphiphilic tri-block copolymers and their application as metal detectors

PMMA-b-PEO-b-PMMA tri-block copolymers were synthesized by anionic polymerization technique usingtelechelic1,1-diphenylethylene-terminated poly (ethylene oxide)as macroinitiators and Sec-BuLi four tri-block copolymers of PMMA-b-PEO-b-PMMA with different number average molecular weight ( M ¯ n ) were synthesized, and the structure of the macroinitiators and polymers was confirmed by FTIR. and1H NMR spectroscopic methods. Through the solvent-induced association, the aqueous solutions of PMMA-b-PEO-b-PMMA were formed. After that, hydrodynamic diameter, DLS and TEM were used to study the morphology of the resulting aqueous solutions. The polymer’s self-assembled nanostructures of core-shell flower-like spherical micelles structures were observed. Also, the PMMA hydrophobic content of the tri-block increases steadily and the core size of the micelles decreases significantly, due to reverse micelle formation in which the core is hydrophobic PMMA blocks and the corona is PEO block. This micelle is an excellent detector for metal ions and acts as a reducing agent for them to convert into pure nontoxic nanoparticles.

Self-assembling chimeric polypeptides as drug-carrying nanoparticles for anti-cancer chemotherapy

Abstract. Chemotherapy is often limited by unfavorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics that result in dose-limiting cytotoxicity. Therefore, self-assembling nanoparticles have been of particular interest to address these limitations by altering the physicochemical properties of payloads. Amphiphilic chimeric polypeptides (CPs) capable of versatile payload conjugation and spontaneous self-assembly into monodisperse micelles were designed, recombinantly synthesized, and characterized in this study. Doxorubicin (Dox) was also conjugated onto CPs to determine the effectiveness of pH-mediated release and the effects of payload conjugation on CP morphology. The designed CP consisted of a hydrophilic elastin-like polypeptide that enabled non-chromatographic polypeptide purification, an aspartic acid linker, a short Cys-rich segment for drug conjugation, and a hydrophobic domain that promoted the spontaneous formation of CP nanoparticles. Additionally, bio-orthogonal conjugation of chemotherapeutics onto CPs through short acid-labile chemical linkers enabled controlled pH-mediated release of conjugated chemotherapeutics and enhanced self-assembly. Results indicated that CP and Dox-CP nanoparticles had critical aggregation concentrations of 3.24 and 0.58 M and hydrodynamic radii of 57.09 and 72.86 nm, respectively. Dox-CP also released 76.8% of conjugated chemotherapeutics after 24 hours in late endosome pH and was effective against triple-negative breast cancer cells. These favorable characteristics and the independent self-assembly of the designed CP will enable targeted chemotherapeutic delivery regardless of payload hydrophobicity.

Efficient Neutralizing Antibodies Induction by Human Parvovirus B19 Epitope-Presenting Protein Nanoparticles.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) causes fetal hydrops in pregnant women. Despite the significant impact of this virus, effective vaccines remain unclear. In this study, we successfully engineered B19V protein nanoparticles by fusing the N-terminal receptor-binding domain corresponding to 5-80 amino acids of VP1 with two distinct types of self-assembling protein nanoparticles. Gel filtration and electron microscopic analysis confirmed the spherical assembly of the antigen-fused nanoparticles. The purified nanoparticles are efficiently bound to the surface of UT7/Epo-S1 cells, which are semi-permissive hosts for B19V infection. Immunization of BALB/c mice with VP1u 5-80 nanoparticles elicited a robust production of B19V-specific IgG antibodies compared to single VP1u 5-80 peptides. Moreover, a neutralization assay using B19V derived from a blood donor sample revealed that antibodies from mice immunized with VP1u 5-80 nanoparticles exhibited stronger infection-neutralizing activity. These findings suggest that nanoparticle formation plays a crucial role in enhancing the immunogenicity of the B19V VP1u 5-80 amino acid peptide and that these nanoparticles could serve as promising vaccine candidates, effectively inducing immunity against B19V.

Macrocycle-based self-assembled amphiphiles for co-delivery of therapeutic combinations to tumor

For tumor treatment, the efficiency of single chemotherapeutic agent is generally limited and the traditional combination chemotherapies frequently result in the aggravation of side effects. Herein, an amphiphilic pillararene-based self-assembled nanoparticle (APSN) composed of hydrazide-pillar[5]arene (HP5A-6C) that achieve effective co-delivery of therapeutic combinations was reported. Through integrating multitudinous macrocyclic cavities into a single nanoparticle, the APSN could co-load two antitumor drugs, cisplatin (CP) and nitrogen mustard (NM) via host-guest interactions. A serious of safety tests preliminary demonstrated that blank carrier APSN had good biocompatibility. Cytotoxicity assay verified that co-delivery system CP+NM@APSN could exert a synergistic antitumor effect at the cellular level. In vivo studies demonstrated that CP+NM@APSN could not only improve chemotherapeutic outcomes in tumor-bearing model mouse but also alleviate two medications-related side effects. These favorable findings were attributed to the formation of ternary supramolecular assembly that benefited from an enhanced permeability and retention effect. © 2024 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved

Light patterning semiconductor nanoparticles by modulating surface charges

Optical patterning of colloidal particles is a scalable and cost-effective approach for creating multiscale functional structures. Existing methods often use high-intensity light sources and customized optical setups, making them less feasible for large-scale microfabrication processes. Here, we report an optical patterning method for semiconductor nanoparticles by light-triggered modulation of their surface charge. Rather than using light as the primary energy source, this method utilizes UV-induced cleavage of surface ligands to modify surface charges, thereby facilitating the self-assembly of nanoparticles on a charged substrate via electrostatic interactions. By using citrate-treated ZnO nanoparticles, uniform ZnO patterns with variable thicknesses can be achieved. These multilayered ZnO patterns are fabricated into a UV detector with an on/off ratio exceeding 104. Our results demonstrate a simple yet effective way to pattern semiconductor nanoparticles, facilitating the large-scale integration of functional nanomaterials into emerging flexible and robotic microdevices.