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Li X, Fang H, Sankaewtong K, Li M, Chen Y, Huang J, Ni R, Tanaka H, Tan P. Phase Reentrances and Solid Deformations in Confined Colloidal Crystals. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:018202. [PMID: 38242650 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.018202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
A simple geometric constraint often leads to novel, complex crystalline phases distinct from the bulk. Using thin-film charge colloidal crystals, a model system with tunable interactions, we study the effects of geometric constraints. Through a combination of experiments and simulations, we systematically explore phase reentrances and solid deformation modes concerning geometrical confinement strength, identifying two distinct categories of phase reentrances below a characteristic layer number, N_{c}: one for bcc bulk-stable and another for fcc bulk-stable systems. We further verify that the dominant thermodynamic origin is the nonmonotonic dependence of solids' free energy on the degree of spatial confinement. Moreover, we discover transitions in solid deformation modes between interface-energy and bulk-energy dominance: below a specific layer number, N_{k}, geometric constraints generate unique soft deformation modes adaptive to confinement. These findings on the N-dependent thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors offer fresh insights into understanding and manipulating thin-film crystal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Institute for Nanoelectronic Devices and Quantum Computing, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Huang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Krongtum Sankaewtong
- Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459, Singapore
| | - Minhuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yanshuang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiping Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ran Ni
- Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459, Singapore
| | - Hajime Tanaka
- Department of Fundamental Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Peng Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Institute for Nanoelectronic Devices and Quantum Computing, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Pérez-Figueroa SE, Gallegos-Lozano A, Mendoza CI. Packing core-corona particles on a spherical surface. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:6812-6824. [PMID: 36040141 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00719c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We explore the non-trivial structures that can be obtained by the assembly of repulsive core-corona particles confined on a spherical surface. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the low-temperature equilibrium configurations as a function of the size of the confining (spherical) surface for a small number of particles (N ≤ 12) and obtain a large variety of minimal-energy arrangements including anisotropic and chiral structures. For a small cluster (N = 4), we construct a phase diagram in the confining surface radius vs corona range plane that showed regions where configurations with a certain energy are not accessible. Also, a phase diagram in the temperature and confining surface radius plane showed the presence of reentrant phases. The assembly of Platonic and Archimedean solids and the emergence of helical structures are also discussed. When the number of particles is large (N ≥ 100), apart from the appearance of defects, the overall configurations correspond closely to the ones formed in an unconfined two-dimensional case. Interestingly, the present model reproduces the symmetry of experimentally obtained small clusters of colloidal spheres confined at the surface of evaporating liquid droplets which cannot be explained in terms of packing of hard spheres. Thus, our simulations provide insight on the role that the softness of the particles may have in the assembly of clusters of nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Pérez-Figueroa
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ESIME Culhuacan, Av. Santa Ana 1000 Col. San Francisco Culhuacan, 04440 CdMx, Mexico
| | - Andrés Gallegos-Lozano
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510 CdMx, Mexico.
| | - Carlos I Mendoza
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510 CdMx, Mexico.
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Kuhn E, Röhlig D, Sowade E, Rittrich D, Willert A, Schulz SE, Baumann RR, Thränhardt A, Blaudeck T. Disorder explains dual‐band reflection spectrum in spherical colloidal photonic supraparticle assemblies. NANO SELECT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202100263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Kuhn
- Theoretical Physics Simulation of New Materials Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - David Röhlig
- Theoretical Physics Simulation of New Materials Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Enrico Sowade
- Digital Printing and Imaging Technology Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Dirk Rittrich
- Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM) Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Andreas Willert
- Printed Functionalities Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) 09126 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Stefan E. Schulz
- Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM) Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
- Nano Device Technologies Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) 09126 Chemnitz Germany
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Reinhard R. Baumann
- Digital Printing and Imaging Technology Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
- Printed Functionalities Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) 09126 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Angela Thränhardt
- Theoretical Physics Simulation of New Materials Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Thomas Blaudeck
- Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM) Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
- Nano Device Technologies Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) 09126 Chemnitz Germany
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) Technische Universität Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
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Fonseca ER, Mendoza CI. Self-assembly of core-corona particles confined in a circular box. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 32:015101. [PMID: 31505470 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab42fc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the assembly of colloidal particles interacting via isotropic core-corona potentials in two dimensions and confined in a circular box. We explore the structural variety at low temperatures as function of the number of particles (N) and the size of the confining box and find a rich variety of patterns that are not observed in unconfined flat space. For a small number of particles [Formula: see text], we identify the zero-temperature minimal energy configurations at a given box size. When the number of particles is large ([Formula: see text]), we distinguish different regimes that appear in route towards close packing configurations as the box size decreases. These regimes are characterized by the increase in the number of branching points and their coordination number. Interestingly, we obtain anisotropic open structures with unexpected variety of rotational symmetries that can be controlled by changing the model parameters, and some of the structures have chirality, in spite of the isotropy of the interactions and of the confining box. For arbitrary temperatures, we employ Monte Carlo integration to obtain the average energy and the configurational entropy of the system, which are then used to construct a phase diagram as function of temperature and box radius. Our findings show that confined core-corona particles can be a suitable system to engineer particles with highly complex internal structure that may serve as building blocks in hierarchical assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik R Fonseca
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510 CdMx, Mexico
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