Synthesis and directed self-assembly of patterned anisometric polymeric particles.

A simple and versatile method for making chemically patterned anisotropic colloidal particles is proposed and demonstrated for two different types of patterning. Using a combination of thermo/mechanical stretching followed by a wet chemical treatment of a sterically stabilized latex, both patchy ellipsoidal particles with sticky interactions near the tips as well as particles with tunable fluorescent patterns could be easily produced. The potential of such model colloidal particles is demonstrated, specifically for the case of directed self-assembly.