Nanoparticle assembly: from fundamentals to applications: concluding remarks

Nanoparticles, due to their broadly tunable functions, are major building blocks for generating new materials. However, building such materials for practical applications by self-assembly is quite challenging. Following the Faraday Discussion on "Nanoparticle Assembly: from Fundamentals to Applications" we discuss here the current trends in the field of self-assembly, including: understanding the unique interplay of molecular and nanoscale effects, a development of novel approaches for the creation of targeted nanoparticle architectures, advances in controlling dynamic behavior of systems and enabling new functions through specifically formed structures.