Atom-Scale Stenciling: A Breakthrough Technique for Shaping Nanoparticles with Unprecedented Precision

Atom-scale stencil patterns on nanoparticles

Credit: University of Illinois / Maayan Harel

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, in collaboration with teams from the University of Michigan and Penn State University, have unveiled a revolutionary technique for nanoparticle design: atomic stenciling. By adapting an idea from traditional artistic stencils, the scientists can now “paint” gold nanoparticles with molecular-level precision, creating unique patterns and patchy surfaces that enable entirely new behaviors. Their results were recently published in Nature, marking a major advance in nanoscale engineering (Phys.org article).

🎨 From Art Class to Atomic Engineering

The inspiration for this innovation came from an unexpected place: an art class. While struggling to devise a way to pattern nanoparticle surfaces, co-first author Ahyoung Kim encountered a pottery stenciling technique. Just as a stencil mask allows a painter to decorate curved surfaces with complex motifs, Kim realized that selective chemical masking could be applied to different facets of gold nanoparticles to control where polymers attach. This approach gave rise to the concept of “atomic stencils,” using halide ions such as iodide as masks to protect specific facets while applying organic primers to others.

By exploiting the different adsorption affinities of halide atoms on gold surfaces, the team could precisely dictate where polymers bind. As a result, they produced a library of more than 20 distinct patchy nanoparticles, each with intricate surface domains that mimic the complex functional patterns found in biological proteins.

🧪 Patchy Nanoparticles as Building Blocks for Metamaterials

The creation of nanoparticles with controlled, multifunctional surfaces opens new horizons for the design of advanced materials. These patchy particles interact in unique ways, enabling self-assembly into sophisticated architectures. Such structures can serve as the foundation for metamaterials—engineered materials that exhibit unusual optical, acoustic, or electromagnetic properties not found in nature.

Computer simulations carried out by Professor Sharon Glotzer's team at the University of Michigan predicted how these patterns would dictate particle organization, while experiments confirmed the models with impressive accuracy. This synergy between computational design and experimental synthesis significantly accelerates discovery in nanoscience.

🌐 Broader Implications for Nanotechnology and Industry

The atomic stenciling method is not limited to gold or polymer systems. According to graduate student Chansong Kim, different nanoparticle materials and masking ions can be used, vastly expanding the design space. This adaptability could enable large-scale production of functional nanoparticles for electronics, sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine. It may also transform how nanostructures are integrated into flexible electronics and next-generation optical devices.

In essence, this technique provides nanoscientists with a new "brush" for painting matter at the atomic level — bridging the gap between artistic creativity and material precision.

Original article: “Atom-scale stencil patterns help nanoparticles take new shapes and learn new tricks,” Phys.org (October 15, 2025).

This article was prepared with the help of AI technologies.

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