Self-Patterning of Hydrophobic Materials into Highly Ordered Honeycomb Nanostructures at the Air/Water Interface

Abstract

Patterns of behavior: Complexes of the cluster {Mo72Fe30} and the surfactant dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODMACl) produced in CHCl3 form patterns with a honeycomb structure at the air/water interface after evaporation of the solvent (see SEM image). The concentration of DODMACl in CHCl3 is critical to whether the {Mo72Fe30} macroanions remain in the aqueous or CHCl3 phase.