Colloidal superparticles from nanoparticle assembly.

Colloidal superparticles are size- and shape-controlled nanoparticle assemblies in the form of colloidal particles. Because these superparticles can exhibit physical and chemical properties different from both individual nanoparticles and their bulk assemblies, the development of superparticle synthesis has attracted significant research attention and is emerging as a new frontier in the field of nanotechnology. In this review, we discuss theoretical considerations on the nucleation and growth of colloidal superparticles. We then present recent progress in the synthesis and characterization of monodispersed colloidal superparticles, which are important for applications such as biomedical diagnosis, biological separation, and light emitting devices.