Effect of number ratio and size ratio on the formation of binary superlattices assembled by two-sized polymer-tethered spherical nanoparticles

Binary superlattices (BNSLs) with unique configurations are of great interest, attributing to the interaction between two kinds of nanoparticles, providing potential applications in sensing, electronic and optical fields. Here, polystyrene (PS) tethered spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with two core diameters spontaneously assembled into BNSLs via emulsion-confined self-assembly. The BNSLs with specific stoichiometry and interparticle gap of the NPs are prepared by tuning the number and size ratios of the two types of NPs. Moreover, after introducing long ligands, the arrangement of final superstructures can be tuned from separated into macroscopic phase separation or uniform distribution, relying on the interaction between polymer chains tethered on the AuNPs. Finally, PS-tethered AuNPs provide more possibilities for fabricating multifunctional BNSLs.