University of Michigan embarks on study to discover smallest synthetic particle

The University of Michigan led an international team in creating complicated and intricate microparticles, even more so than the ones found in nature. 

According to the University of Michigan's Michigan News, the team produced synthetic microparticles out of flat gold nanosheets. The discovery of these new particles will make more stable mixtures of paints possible and improve the pathway to holographic projection. 

The particles are incredibly small, being only millionths of a millimeter across, and are made up of twisted spikes that are configured in the shape of a ball of only several microns, according to the university. The natural similarities of this synthetic particle can most closely be linked to spiky coccolithophores.

Scientists and engineers have been trying to create such particles in the lab for some time but have not been able to discover exactly how the particles grew. 

“Numbers rule the world and being able to rigorously describe spiky shapes and put a number on complexity enables us to use new tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning in designing nanoparticles,” Nicholas Kotov, professor of engineering at University of Michigan and project leader, told Michigan News. “These laws often conflict with each other and the complexity emerges because these communities of nanoparticles have to satisfy all of them.”

The team realized in their efforts that the chirality of the particles often twisted in a counterclockwise direction, Michigan News reports. The necessary building blocks of this form was to coat nanoscale gold sulfide sheets with the amino acid cysteine. 

Electrically-charged molecules were also employed which helped the nanoscale components to become larger, according to the university. 

The complexity of the components is useful, because the spikes will help keep particles from clumping together such as pollen, according to Michigan News. The spikes will also help stabilize in any solid or liquid mixtures, the university said, which makes it useful in paints. 

The researchers from the team are hopeful this discovery and innovation will lead to better biosensors, electronics and even chemical reactions in the future.