Recent Advances in Superspreading-Based Confined Synthesis and Assembly of Functional Nanomaterials

The rapid and complete spreading of liquids on surfaces, which is defined as superspreading, is of great importance in academic research and practical applications. The strong shear flow force during the superspreading process and the obtained confined stable and homogeneous thin liquid layers have great potential in the assembly of functional nanomaterials and confined synthesis. This review aims to summarize the fundamental understanding and emerging applications of superspreading-based confined synthesis and assembly of functional nanomaterials. First, several typical superspreading processes are briefly introduced, followed by highlighting the unique properties and design principles. Then, details about the confined superspreading liquid layers for highly efficient synthesis of functional thin films and the superspreading-induced shear flow to assembly nanomaterials into high-quality nanocomposite materials are presented. The following section then describes the emerging applications of the fabricated functional thin films and nanocomposites. Finally, an outlook for future development is also proposed.