ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the assembly of nanoparticles and certain organic molecules on various substrates. It reviews the preparation of spontaneous assembly of materials and their characteristics with special reference to recent literature. The chapter also reviews gradients based on self-assembly like electrical properties and biosensors. External stimuli such as electric or magnetic fields, shear, or light offer a combination of speed and precision, as well as the ability to manipulate the nanoparticle assemblies. A method to facilitate self-assembly of inorganic nanocrystals on substrates is to utilize templates. Interfacial assembly of particles has been investigated for several decades. Among the various planar hydrocarbons, pentacene molecules are treated as model polyaromatic species, and their behavior has been extensively investigated on various substrates that exhibit metallic, semiconducting, and insulating characteristics. The two most common methods employed for the development of monolayer-based surface chemical gradients are controlled adsorption/desorption of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold or silicon and the chemical post-modification of reactive SAMs.
