Article A compound eye-like morphology formed through hexagonal array of hemispherical microparticles where an alkyl-fullerene derivative self-assembled at atmosphere-sealed air/water interface

Ravindra Kumar Gupta ORCID ; Hidehiko Asanuma ; Juan J Giner-Casares ORCID ; Ayako Hashimoto ; Tetsuya Ogawa ; Takashi Nakanishi SAMURAI ORCID

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Ravindra Kumar Gupta, Hidehiko Asanuma, Juan J Giner-Casares, Ayako Hashimoto, Tetsuya Ogawa, Takashi Nakanishi. A compound eye-like morphology formed through hexagonal array of hemispherical microparticles where an alkyl-fullerene derivative self-assembled at atmosphere-sealed air/water interface. Nanotechnology. 2024, 35 (33), 335603. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ad4bef
SAMURAI

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(abstract)

Self-assembly processes are widely used in nature to form hierarchically organized structures, prompting us to investigate such processes at the macroscopic scale. We report an unprecedented approach toward the self-assembly of alkyl-fullerene (C60) derivatives into a hexagonal array of hemispherical microparticles akin to the morphology of a compound eye. The method includes casting solvated alkyl-C60 compound on an air/water interface followed by controlled evaporation of the solvent under atmosphere-sealed conditions. This leads to the formation of a thin film floating on water with a diameter of up to 1.3 centimeters and exhibiting a hexagonally-packed hemispherical structure with a diameter of approximately 38 µm. Various measurements of the formed film reveal that amorphousness is necessary for suppressing uncontrollable crystallization, which affects the microparticle size and film formation mechanism. We tested the feasibility of this approach for the self-assembly of a relatively common C60 derivative, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM), resulting in the formation of a film with a similar pattern of hexagonally-packed larger microparticles approximately 152 µm in size of diameter.

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    © 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd

    This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication/published in Nanotechnology. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ad4bef

Keyword: self-assembly, fullerene, interface, pattern, macroscopic film, compound eye

Date published: 2024-08-12

Publisher: IOP Publishing

Journal:

  • Nanotechnology (ISSN: 09574484) vol. 35 issue. 33 335603

Funding:

  • Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation PID2020-112744GB-I00
  • JSPS JP20F40041 (KAKENHI)
  • JSPS P20041
  • JSPS JP24H01733 (KAKENHI)

Manuscript type: Author's version (Accepted manuscript)

MDR DOI: https://doi.org/10.48505/nims.4547

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ad4bef

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Updated at: 2025-05-30 08:30:18 +0900

Published on MDR: 2025-05-30 08:18:03 +0900

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