Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new way to guide the self-assembly of a wide range of novel nanoscale structures using simple polymers as starting materials. Under the electron microscope, these nanometer-scale structures look like tiny Lego building blocks, including parapets for miniature medieval castles and Roman aqueducts. But rather than building fanciful microscopic fiefdoms, the scientists are exploring how these novel shapes might affect a material's functions.

The team from Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) describes their novel approach to control in a paper just published in Nature Communications. A preliminary analysis shows that different shapes have dramatically different electrical conductivity. The work could help guide the design of custom surface coatings with tailored optical, electronic, and for use in sensors, batteries, filters, and more.

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