Hierarchical organization of colloidal particles:: From colloidal crystallization to supraparticle chemistry

Recent developments in the hierarchical organization of micro- and nanoparticles suggest a categorical shift in which the focus has changed from colloidal crystallization based on van der Waals forces to the assembly of clusters of a well-controlled number of particles through various covalent and non-covalent interactions, referred to here as supraparticle chemistry. This article highlights some of the advances that have been made during this transition and discusses some of the promising future directions that should be realized.