Dissipative Self-Assembly of Photoluminescent Silicon Nanocrystals

Solutions of silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) are used in a diverse range of applications because of their tunable photoluminescence, biocompatibility, and the abundance of Si. In dissipative supramolecular materials, self-assembly of molecules or nanoparticles is driven by a chemical reaction network that irreversible consumes fuel. The properties of the emerging structures are controlled by the kinetics of the underlying chemical reaction network. Herein, we demonstrate the dissipative self-assembly of photoluminescent SiNCs driven by a chemical fuel. A chemical reaction induces self-assembly of the water-soluble SiNCs. However, the assemblies are transient, and when the chemical reaction network runs out of fuel, the SiNCs disassemble. The lifetime of the assemblies is controlled by the amount of fuel added. As an application of the transient supramolecular material, we demonstrate that the platform can be used to control the delayed uptake of the nanocrystals by mammalian cells.