Heterogeneous\nSilicone Nanorods with Region-Specific\nFunctionality

Region-selective chemical modification\nof nano- and microstructures\ncan unlock a world of novel functional surfaces. However, this small\nscale makes region selectivity challenging, especially on homogeneous\nand chemically inert synthetic structures. Here, we report the one-step <i>in situ</i> dynamic synthesis of heterogeneous multicomponent\nhybrid silicone nanorods (MCH-SNRs). These nanorods bear specific\nmodifiable regions that can be assigned to different positions on-demand\nand selectively functionalized via a photoinitiated, radical-based\nthiol–ene click reaction. The distribution of different constituent\ncomponents with desired properties hinges on the independent growth\nof the individual segment of the bamboo-shaped structure, which can\nbe tailored by using different precursors under specific reaction\nconditions. Region selectivity of the functionalization is validated\nby exploiting wetting transitions along bamboo segments, visualized\nby confocal microscopy.