Playing “Nano -Lego ”: VNPs as Building Blocks for the Construction of Multi -Dimensional Arrays - Viral Nanoparticles: Tools for Materials Science and Biomedicine - page 170

of discussing multi-dimensional structures based on VNPs, an icosahedral
VNP could be classified as a 0D structure, where the VNP can be regarded as
a simple point in space [However, when considering the surface functional
groups (amino acids) on the VNP that allow for the attachment of materials
at various angles from the center of the particle, one could also refer to an
icosahedron as a 1D structure. In this chapter, icosahedral VNPs are referred
to as 0D objects].
A rod-shaped VNP can be regarded as a line and thus has 1D; it takes
one coordinate to locate a specific point on the rod. The rods can also be
self-assembled into higher-order 1D structures, such as bundles or wires.
Icosahedral particles can also be aligned into a 1D structure. Icosahedral
and rod-shaped VNPs have also been self-assembled into 2D films or multi-
layered 3D arrays (Fig. 7.1).

Figure 7.1 Classification of the dimensions. Schematic drawing of VNPs and the

structures that can be built with them.

. BundleS, WIreS, FIBerS, And other 1d StruCtureS
BUILT FROM ROD-SHAPED VNPs

In materials science and nanotechnology, there is high demand for robust,
long, monodisperse, highly ordered nanofibers and wires. Such highly