Assembly of building blocks into complex structures

Nanotechnology has great potential in targeting several emerging applications. Many of them are based on materials, which combine rather different properties. There are several procedures how such materials can be prepared. In our research we explore possibility to use assembly process using various building blocks (i.e., nanoparticles, nanocapsules, macromolecules) are combined into complex structures. While it was shown that such approach can be used to prepare porous materials now we apply this method to prepare composite materials where combination of primary particles with rather different properties are mixed together. Areas where these materials can find application are photo- or bio-catalysis, sensors, functional coatings, drug delivery, packaging materials etc. While experimental effort dominates, in parallel we are developing mathematical models capable to describe interactions between nanoparticles which should help us to understand and later on optimize synthesis conditions or to tune the final properties of these materials.