Multifunctional patchy particles by glancing angle deposition

Abstract

The application of glancing angle deposition (GLAD) as a means to produce a variety of multifunctional patchy particles is reported. The GLAD technique has been previously used to produce anisotropic particles with an anisotropy dimension of "patchiness". Here, we extend the technique to produce multifunctional patchy particles with anisotropy dimensions of "patchiness", "branching", and "chemical ordering". To access the entire particle surface, a particle stamping technique is employed using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp. The particle stamping technique along with GLAD yields multifunctional patchy particles having patches on opposite poles. The potential of the developed techniques in producing a wide variety of surface-anisotropic particles with variable patch size, shape, and orientation is demonstrated.