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@MASTERSTHESIS{Jidar:1043492,
      author       = {Jidar, Rihab},
      title        = {{S}elf-assembly of {S}ilica {N}anospheres into
                      {W}ell-{O}rdered {S}tructures via {A}nnealing},
      school       = {FH Aachen},
      type         = {Bachelorarbeit},
      reportid     = {FZJ-2025-02886},
      pages        = {41 p.},
      year         = {2025},
      note         = {Bachelorarbeit, FH Aachen, 2025},
      abstract     = {The structural properties of nanoparticles have attracted
                      significant interest due to their potentialapplications in
                      various fields such as catalysis, drug delivery, and optics
                      [1]. Their nanoscaledimensions and large surface area to
                      volume ratio provide unique characteristics, includinghigher
                      reactivity, selectivity, and mechanical strength compared to
                      bulk materials. Among them,silica nanoparticles (SiO₂ NPs)
                      are particularly interesting because of their chemical
                      stability,biocompatibility, and ease of surface
                      functionalization[2].Controlled self-assembly of silica
                      nanoparticles into well-ordered structures is essential
                      foroptimizing their functional performance in advanced
                      applications. Self-assembled monolayers(SAMs) of silica
                      nanoparticles offer a promising route to achieve such
                      organization. The successof this process is strongly
                      influenced by temperature, which affects key factors like
                      solventevaporation rate and particle mobility. Techniques
                      such as spin-coating and drop-casting exploitthese thermally
                      dependent behaviors to achieve desired nanoparticle
                      arrangements. Therefore,understanding and regulating
                      temperature effects is critical for improving the uniformity
                      andquality of self-assembled nanostructures [3].Several
                      studies have explored how thermal treatment (annealing) can
                      be used to improve theorder and stability of nanoparticle
                      assemblies. For example, Jiang et al. (2003) demonstrated
                      thatpost-deposition thermal annealing enhances particle
                      mobility, allowing silica nanospheres torearrange into more
                      ordered hexagonal arrays[4]. Similarly, Zhang et al. (2010)
                      reported thatannealing promotes defect healing in monolayers
                      formed via drop-casting, especially attemperatures near the
                      glass transition of added organic agents [5]. Annealing has
                      also been usedin combination with surface tension gradients
                      or capillary forces to refine large-area colloidalcrystal
                      films with fewer voids and grain boundaries [6]. These
                      studies highlight the importanceof optimizing thermal
                      parameters to promote self-organization and reduce
                      structural defects.However, the key question that this study
                      aims to address is to determine whether shorterannealing
                      durations at elevated temperatures can yield a level of
                      ordering that is comparable towhat was previously achieved
                      in earlier studies—such as the work by Qdemat et al.[7],
                      where awell-ordered silica nanoparticle monolayer was
                      obtained after annealing at 70 °C for 10 days.This
                      comparison is important because it explores whether thermal
                      energy at higher temperaturescan accelerate the ordering
                      process, potentially reducing the required treatment time.
                      Therationale behind this investigation is that nanoparticle
                      self-assembly is influenced by bothtemperature and time, and
                      optimizing this balance could allow for more efficient film
                      formationwithout compromising structural quality.This study
                      investigates the self-assembly behavior of silica
                      nanoparticles approximately 200 nmin diameter on silicon
                      substrates using the drop-casting method, with a particular
                      focus on therole of annealing temperature. By systematically
                      varying the thermal conditions andcharacterizing the
                      resulting structures using Scanning Electron Microscopy
                      (SEM), we aim toevaluate how temperature influences particle
                      organization and contributes to the formation ofhighly
                      ordered monolayers. The findings aim to clarify whether more
                      time-efficient thermaltreatments can still achieve
                      high-quality ordering, which could inform future
                      experimental designand practical applications in
                      nanofabrication.},
      cin          = {JCNS-2 / JARA-FIT},
      cid          = {I:(DE-Juel1)JCNS-2-20110106 / $I:(DE-82)080009_20140620$},
      pnm          = {632 - Materials – Quantum, Complex and Functional
                      Materials (POF4-632) / 6G4 - Jülich Centre for Neutron
                      Research (JCNS) (FZJ) (POF4-6G4)},
      pid          = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-632 / G:(DE-HGF)POF4-6G4},
      typ          = {PUB:(DE-HGF)2},
      doi          = {10.34734/FZJ-2025-02886},
      url          = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1043492},
}