Coassembly of binary nanoparticle systems

The spatial distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in polymer nanocomposites plays a critical role in governing their mechanical and optical properties. Although there have been many studies focusing on the assembly of uniform-sized NPs in polymers, relatively few studies have investigated the coassembly of NPs of different sizes and surface properties. Using a lattice Monte Carlo approach, we investigated the morphology of heterogeneous NP structures assembled from NPs of different sizes and surface properties. Our results indicate that these particles assemble into networks with different pore sizes, fractal dimensions and local aggregation interfaces depending on the particle sizes and sticking probabilities between them. The effects of the initial distribution of NPs on the assembly will also be discussed. Our findings provide guidance for controlling NP assembly and could help us design nanocomposites with superior mechanical and optical properties.