Preparation and Functional Application of Janus Particles

Janus particle refers to particle that possesses two or more sides with different surface chemical compositions or polarities, or is composed of two parts with different geometrical morphologies. With rapid development of the preparation methods of Janus particles, the research attention has been shifted from particles synthesis to applications of the Janus particles in the fields of biomedicine, catalysis, advanced materials and antifouling. In this review, research progress of Janus particles is extensively introduced with special focus on functional application of Janus particles. The first part of the review illustrates the progress of synthesizing methods including the selective surface modification, seeded crystallization, microfluidics, self-assembly of block copolymer and electrochemical deposition. The second part gives detailed discussions regarding the applications of Janus particles in biomedicine, interfacial catalyst, surfactants, composite materials, micromotors and anti-fouling. An outlook of Janus particle and its applications in future perspective is also made.