Template-directed assembly using nanoparticle building blocks: A nanotectonic approach to organized materials

There are a number of strategies available for extending the length scale of structural organization in inorganic materials. Those that involve the assembly of inorganic nanoparticles into materials with higher-order architecture are collectively termed nanotectonics. In this review, we highlight one possible approach that involves the template-directed assembly of preformed nanoparticle building blocks. The inspiration for the use of preformed particles arises in part from studies of certain biomineral structures, some general aspects of which are summarized. Several synthetic examples of the use of template-directed approaches in nanotectonics are described in detail.