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Bhattacharyya A, Tiwari V, Karmakar T. Electrostatic-Driven Self-Assembly of Janus-like Monolayer-Protected Metal Nanoclusters. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:687-692. [PMID: 38206834 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The generation of controlled microstructures of functionalized nanoparticles has been a crucial challenge in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Efforts have been made to tune ligand charge states that can affect the aggregation propensity and modulate the self-assembled structures. In this work, we modeled zwitterionic Janus-like monolayer ligand-protected metal nanoclusters (J-MPCs) and studied their self-assembly using atomistic molecular dynamics and on-the-fly probability-based enhanced sampling simulations. The oppositely charged ligand functionalization on two hemispheres of a J-MPC elicits asymmetric solvation, primarily driven by distinctive hydrogen bonding patterns in the ligand-solvent interactions. Electrostatic interactions between the oppositely charged residues in J-MPCs guide the formation of one-dimensional and ring-like self-assembled superstructures with molecular dipoles oriented in specific patterns. The pertinent atomistic insights into the intermolecular interactions governing the self-assembled structures of zwitterionic J-MPCs obtained from this work can be used to design a general strategy to create tunable microstructures of charged MPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anushna Bhattacharyya
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Vikas Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Tarak Karmakar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
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Zhang H, Wang F, Nestler B. Janus Droplet Formation via Thermally Induced Phase Separation: A Numerical Model with Diffusion and Convection. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:6882-6895. [PMID: 35617199 PMCID: PMC9178917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Microscale Janus particles have versatile potential applications in many physical and biomedical fields, such as microsensor, micromotor, and drug delivery. Here, we present a phase-field approach of multicomponent and multiphase to investigate the Janus droplet formation via thermally induced phase separation. The crucial kinetics for the formation of Janus droplets consisting of two polymer species and a solvent component via an interplay of both diffusion and convection is considered in the Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes equation. The simulation results of the phase-field model show that unequal interfacial tensions between the two polymer species and the solvent result in asymmetric phase separation in the formation process of Janus droplets. This asymmetric phase separation plays a vital role in the establishment of the so-called core-shell structure that has been observed in previous experiments. By varying the droplet size, the surface tension, and the molecular interaction between the polymer species, several novel droplet morphologies are predicted in the development process of Janus droplets. Moreover, we stress that the hydrodynamics should be reckoned as a non-negligible mechanism that not only accelerates the Janus droplet evolution but also has great impacts on the coarsening and coalescence of the Janus droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haodong Zhang
- Institute
of Applied Materials-Microstructure Modelling and Simulation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Straße am Forum 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Fei Wang
- Institute
of Applied Materials-Microstructure Modelling and Simulation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Straße am Forum 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Britta Nestler
- Institute
of Applied Materials-Microstructure Modelling and Simulation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Straße am Forum 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute
of Digital Materials Science, Karlsruhe
University of Applied Sciences, Moltkestraße 30, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Yuan J, Takae K, Tanaka H. Impact of Charge Regulation on Self-Assembly of Zwitterionic Nanoparticles. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:158001. [PMID: 35499868 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.158001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Zwitterionic modification of colloids with weak acids and bases represents a promising strategy in creating functional materials with tunable properties and modeling the self-organization of charged proteins. However, accurate incorporation of the dynamic dissociation or association of ionization groups known as charge regulation (CR) is often intractable in theoretical and computational investigations since charge redistribution and configuration need to be evolved self-consistently. Using hybrid Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that a dilute suspension of overall charge-neutral zwitterionic Janus nanoparticles shows a conformational transition from an open assembly of string or bundle to compact cluster along with the variation in pH. The behavior under CR is qualitatively different from the commonly employed constant charge condition where the transition is absent. The CR-induced clustering is due to the inhomogeneous and fluctuating charges localized near the equatorial boundary of the Janus particle. These features are enhanced particularly at low salt concentration and high electrostatic coupling strength. Our results indicate the critical role of charge regulation in the spatial self-organization of zwitterionic nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Yuan
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kyohei Takae
- Department of Fundamental Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
| | - Hajime Tanaka
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
- Department of Fundamental Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
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Zhu YL, Wang D, Guan JL, Sun ZY, Lu Z. The advantages of nanoparticle surfactants over Janus nanoparticles on structuring liquids. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:3554-3560. [PMID: 35229843 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06713c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The nanoparticle (NP) surfactants generated in situ by binding NPs and polymers can assemble into an elastic NP monolayer at the interface of two immiscible liquids, structuring the liquids. Janus NPs can be more strongly bound to the interface than the NP surfactants, but they are unable to structure liquids into complex shapes due to the difficulty of assembling the jamming arrays. By molecular dynamics simulations, we give an insight into the better performance of NP surfactants than Janus NPs on dynamically structuring liquids. The high energy binding of Janus NPs to the interface will drive the Janus NPs to assemble into micelles in binary liquids. The micelles are stabilized in one liquid by encapsulating a little of the other liquid, hindering interfacial adsorption when the interface is marginally extended upon liquid deformation. In contrast, the in situ formed NP surfactants can rapidly fill the enlarged interfacial area to arrest the consecutive shape changes of the liquids. Moreover, NP surfactants can be designed with an appropriate coverage ratio (≤50%) of NP surface bearing host-guest sites to avoid dissolution and impart a desirable mechanical elasticity to their assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Liang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Dapeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China.
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jun-Lei Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China.
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhao-Yan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China.
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhongyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
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Ha NT, Nam NTT, Hai PV. Tunable crystal structures of binary mixtures of various patchy colloids and droplets. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2021.1994416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thu Ha
- Department of Physics, Hanoi National University of Education, Caugiay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Tran Thanh Nam
- Department of Physics, Hanoi National University of Education, Caugiay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Pham Van Hai
- Department of Physics, Hanoi National University of Education, Caugiay, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Mathews K RA, Mani E. Stabilizing ordered structures with single patch inverse patchy colloids in two dimensions. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2021; 33:195101. [PMID: 33752176 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/abf0c0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oppositely charged bipolar colloids or colloids decorated with complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on their surfaces are special kinds of patchy particles where only patch and non-patch parts are attractive. These are classified as inverse patchy colloids (IPCs). In this work, equilibrium self-assembly of IPC in two-dimensions is reported using Monte Carlo simulations. Square (SCs) and triangular crystals (TCs) are found to be stable at 0.5 patch coverage. Upon decreasing the patch coverage to 0.33, the regular SC is destabilized; instead rhombic and TCs are found to be stable. At low patch coverages such as 0.22 and 0.12, only TC is stabilized at high density. Particles of all the patch coverages show kinetically stable cluster phases of different shapes and sizes at low densities, and the average cluster size depends on the patch coverage and particle density. State-diagrams showing all the stable phases for each patch coverage are presented. Ordered phases are characterized by bond order parametersψ4,ψ6and radial distribution function. The effect of polydispersity in patch coverage on the polarization of the stable structures are also studied. The study demonstrates that IPCs can stabilize various ordered two-dimensional structures by tuning the size of the patch, density and interaction strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remya Ann Mathews K
- Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India
| | - Ethayaraja Mani
- Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India
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Lemaalem M, Hadrioui N, El Fassi S, Derouiche A, Ridouane H. An efficient approach to study membrane nano-inclusions: from the complex biological world to a simple representation. RSC Adv 2021; 11:10962-10974. [PMID: 35423551 PMCID: PMC8695885 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00632k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane nano-inclusions (NIs) are of great interest in biophysics, materials science, nanotechnology, and medicine. We hypothesized that the NIs within a biological membrane bilayer interact via a simple and efficient interaction potential, inspired by previous experimental and theoretical work. This interaction implicitly treats the membrane lipids but takes into account its effect on the NIs micro-arrangement. Thus, the study of the NIs is simplified to a two-dimensional colloidal system with implicit solvent. We calculated the structural properties from Molecular Dynamics simulations (MD), and we developed a Scaling Theory to discuss their behavior. We determined the thermal properties through potential energy per NI and pressure, and we discussed their variation as a function of the NIs number density. We performed a detailed study of the NIs dynamics using two approaches, MD simulations, and Dynamics Theory. We identified two characteristic values of number density, namely a critical number density n c = 3.67 × 10-3 Å-2 corresponded to the apparition of chain-like structures along with the liquid dispersed structure and the gelation number density n g = 8.40 × 10-3 Å-2 corresponded to the jamming state. We showed that the aggregation structure of NIs is of fractal dimension d F < 2. Also, we identified three diffusion regimes of membrane NIs, namely, normal for n < n c, subdiffusive for n c ≤ n < n g, and blocked for n ≥ n g. Thus, this paper proposes a simple and effective approach for studying the physical properties of membrane NIs. In particular, our results identify scaling exponents related to the microstructure and dynamics of membrane NIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lemaalem
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques, Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - N Hadrioui
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques, Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - S El Fassi
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques, Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - A Derouiche
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques, Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - H Ridouane
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques, Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
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