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King EM, Du CX, Zhu QZ, Schoenholz SS, Brenner MP. Programming patchy particles for materials assembly design. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311891121. [PMID: 38913891 PMCID: PMC11228463 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311891121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Direct design of complex functional materials would revolutionize technologies ranging from printable organs to novel clean energy devices. However, even incremental steps toward designing functional materials have proven challenging. If the material is constructed from highly complex components, the design space of materials properties rapidly becomes too computationally expensive to search. On the other hand, very simple components such as uniform spherical particles are not powerful enough to capture rich functional behavior. Here, we introduce a differentiable materials design model with components that are simple enough to design yet powerful enough to capture complex materials properties: rigid bodies composed of spherical particles with directional interactions (patchy particles). We showcase the method with self-assembly designs ranging from open lattices to self-limiting clusters, all of which are notoriously challenging design goals to achieve using purely isotropic particles. By directly optimizing over the location and interaction of the patches on patchy particles using gradient descent, we dramatically reduce the computation time for finding the optimal building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella M King
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Chrisy Xiyu Du
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
| | - Qian-Ze Zhu
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Michael P Brenner
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Google Research, Mountainview, CA 94043
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McCaskill JS, Karnaushenko D, Zhu M, Schmidt OG. Microelectronic Morphogenesis: Smart Materials with Electronics Assembling into Artificial Organisms. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2306344. [PMID: 37814374 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Microelectronic morphogenesis is the creation and maintenance of complex functional structures by microelectronic information within shape-changing materials. Only recently has in-built information technology begun to be used to reshape materials and their functions in three dimensions to form smart microdevices and microrobots. Electronic information that controls morphology is inheritable like its biological counterpart, genetic information, and is set to open new vistas of technology leading to artificial organisms when coupled with modular design and self-assembly that can make reversible microscopic electrical connections. Three core capabilities of cells in organisms, self-maintenance (homeostatic metabolism utilizing free energy), self-containment (distinguishing self from nonself), and self-reproduction (cell division with inherited properties), once well out of reach for technology, are now within the grasp of information-directed materials. Construction-aware electronics can be used to proof-read and initiate game-changing error correction in microelectronic self-assembly. Furthermore, noncontact communication and electronically supported learning enable one to implement guided self-assembly and enhance functionality. Here, the fundamental breakthroughs that have opened the pathway to this prospective path are reviewed, the extent and way in which the core properties of life can be addressed are analyzed, and the potential and indeed necessity of such technology for sustainable high technology in society is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S McCaskill
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Ca' Bottacin, Dorsoduro 3911, Venice, 30123, Italy
| | - Daniil Karnaushenko
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Minshen Zhu
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Oliver G Schmidt
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Ca' Bottacin, Dorsoduro 3911, Venice, 30123, Italy
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