| This dissertation focuses on nanoparticle/nanopattern-induced molecular self-assembly and crystallization. We propose a universal strategy to synthesize organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructures using inorganic nanoparticles and nanoparticle arrays to induce organic crystalline compound nucleation and crystallization. The nanoconfinement effect will be addressed to study molecular crystallization by changing nanoparticle size, curvature and separation distance. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the main characterization tool to investigate the topography of the hybrid nanostructures and the nucleation and crystallization process. This work will contribute to the understanding of seed mediated nucleation and crystallization, molecular ordering under nanoconfinement and hybrid nanomaterials. |
