Project Grant 2223453

This $382,055 National Science Foundation project grant under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will fund research collaboration between Indiana University and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg to advance the design and synthesis of supraparticles through directed self-assembly of nonspherical nanoparticles under confinement. The researchers will establish experimental and computational approaches to assemble nonspherical nanoparticles into discrete supraparticles using emulsion droplets as templates. They will also leverage emulsion droplets generated through conventional emulsification and microfluidics to precisely synthesize supraparticles composed of non-centrosymmetric nanoparticles. Finally, the researchers will fabricate one-dimensional supraparticles exhibiting emergent chiral optical properties via crystallization under cylindrical confinement. The interplay of experimentation, modeling, and simulation aims to improve understanding of self-assembly pathways under spherical and cylindrical confinement with broader applications. Indiana University will oversee the work as the awardee institution.