Dielectrophoretic Assembly of Customized Colloidal Trimers

The controlled assembly of colloidal trimers with both shape and surface anisotropy remains a challenge. In this work, polymeric dielectric colloidal trimers selectively functionalized with gold nanoparticles are used to create four distinct particles. The shape and surface anisotropy provided by the metallodielectric particles allows for directive assembly in a dielectrophoretic field. When subjected to varied frequencies and media permittivities, the particles assemble with different packing densities and orientations. On-demand assembly and disassembly of the particles are achieved by switching on or off the applied voltage. These multicomponent colloidal particles and their subsequent assemblies presented here provide a promising platform for engineering complex structures with versatile functionalities.