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Graphical abstract Abstract Self-assembly exploits a facile non-covalent way to couple structurally different building blocks for creating soft materials with synergetic novel properties and functions. Taking advantage of magneto-properties from magnetic surfactants as well as versatile functional ligand formed by carbon quantum dots with cysteine (cys-CQDs), the magnetic network materials were firstly constructed by using magnetic surfactants and cys-CQDs as self-assembly building blocks. Counterions of Br−, [GdCl 3 Br]−, [HoCl 3 Br]− in surfactants could control the morphology of magnetic network structures, and the concentration of magnetic surfactants manoeuvres a versatile scenario of self-assembly behavior. Self-assembly of cys-CQDs and CTAHo brought out a 10-fold increase in magnetic moment of CTAHo. The fluorescent property of carbon quantum dots firstly served as an effective indicator element to dissect the collective effect in self-assembly process. For the sake of capturing the target sequence-specific DNA molecules, in situ growth of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) upon the magnetic network structures was realized by synergetically electrostatic and coordinated interaction of carboxyl groups and Ag ions. The magnetic Ag self-assemblies anchored thiol-containing DNA, serving as a magnetic separation booster for the target sequence-specific DNA molecules under an applied magnetic field, which will bring light on designing magneto-functional self-assembly materials according to practical application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Plasmonic microgels (PMgels) of the self-assembled gold nanorods (Au NRs) with side-by-side piles in ionic liquid microgels were prepared. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed unique self-growth and self-arrangement of Au NRs in the microgel systems. The fabrication of PMgels occurs through co-assembling Au NRs and an ionic liquid microgel system, therefore differs from the fabrication of conventional plasmonic hybrid nanocomposites. These PMgels showed strong absorption in the near-infrared window and enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency, up to 52.8%, compared to the Au NRs (22%) as a result of the ordering and dense packing of Au NRs in the microgels. When the PMgels were exposed to a near-IR laser, the doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) released from PMgels and the resulting thermal effect can immensely inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. The tests demonstrated that no tumor metastasis occurred. This platform of the PMgels with the laser-controlled delivery system could provide chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy for a wide spectrum of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetically colloidal clusters with new functions and well-controlled size distribution can in principle be constructed using colloidal particles. The building units could be integrated into dense-packed and desired structured with novel functions by means of an efficient strategy or binding patterns. Here we synthesized colloidal clusters of icosahedrons and long-range ordered face-centered cubes (FCCs) via emulsion self-assembly using fluorescence upconversion nanoparticles NaGdF 4 : Yb3+, Er3+ as building blocks. The icosahedrons and FCCs structure may generate spontaneously due to an entropy-driven process. The morphology and structure of colloidal clusters have noticeable transformation from icosahedron-like symmetry to FCC symmetry with the increasing size of clusters. Furthermore, the colloidal clusters could be decorated with cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI) via electrostatic interaction. When copper ions are added, the amino groups of PEI could coordinate with Cu2+ forming low toxic PEI-Cu2+ layers, which can further serve as energy receptors to quench upconversion fluorescence with 980 nm laser excitation. Our results reflect that the colloidal clusters not only can serve as a fluorescence platform of detection and analysis but also may represent advancement in the field of colloidal and interface sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]