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Ikeda T, Kobayashi Y, Yamakawa M. Structure and dynamics of amphiphilic patchy cubes in a nanoslit under shear. J Chem Phys 2024; 161:024901. [PMID: 38973760 DOI: 10.1063/5.0216550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Patchy nanocubes are intriguing materials with simple shapes and space-filling and multidirectional bonding properties. Previous studies have revealed various mesoscopic structures such as colloidal crystals in the solid regime and rod-like or fractal-like aggregates in the liquid regime of the phase diagram. Recent studies have also shown that mesoscopic structural properties, such as an average cluster size M and orientational order, in amphiphilic nanocube suspensions are associated with macroscopic viscosity changes, mainly owing to differences in cluster shape among patch arrangements. Although many studies have been conducted on the self-assembled structures of nanocubes in bulk, little is known about their self-assembly in nanoscale spaces or structural changes under shear. In this study, we investigated mixtures of one- and two-patch amphiphilic nanocubes confined in two flat parallel plates at rest and under shear using molecular dynamics simulations coupled with multiparticle collision dynamics. We considered two different patch arrangements for the two-patch particles and two different slit widths H to determine the degree of confinement in constant volume fractions in the liquid regime of the phase diagram. We revealed two unique cluster morphologies that have not been previously observed under bulk conditions. At rest, the size of the rod-like aggregates increased with decreasing H, whereas that of the fractal-like aggregates remained constant. Under weak shear with strong confinement, the rod-like aggregates maintained a larger M than the fractal-like aggregates, which were more rigid and maintained a larger M than the rod-like aggregates under bulk conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ikeda
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Goshokaido-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Yusei Kobayashi
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Goshokaido-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Masashi Yamakawa
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Goshokaido-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
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2
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Rocha BC, Vashisth H. Porous Self-Assemblies Mediated by Dumbbell Particles as Cross-Linking Agents. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:1590-1599. [PMID: 37650723 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly of colloidal particles is emerging as a promising approach for producing novel materials. These colloidal particles can be synthesized with protrusions (lobes) on their surfaces that allow the formation of porous structures with a wide range of applications. Using Langevin dynamics simulations, we studied self-assembly in the binary mixtures of lobed colloidal particles with variations in their lobe sizes to investigate the feasibility of using dumbbell particles (with two lobes) as cross-linkers to increase the porosity in self-assembled morphologies. Each binary system was formed by mixing the dumbbell particles with one of the following types of particles: trigonal planar (three lobes), tetrahedral (four lobes), trigonal bipyramidal (five lobes), and octahedral (six lobes). We observed that the lobe size on each particle can be tuned to favor the formation of random aggregates and spherical aggregates when the lobes are larger and well-ordered crystalline structures when the lobes are smaller. We also observed that these polydisperse systems form self-assembled structures characterized by porosities higher than those of the structures formed by the monodisperse systems. These results indicate that the lobe size is an important design feature that can be optimized to achieve desired structures with distinct morphologies and porosities, and the dumbbell particles are effective cross-linking agents to enhance the porosity in self-assembled structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brunno C Rocha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - Harish Vashisth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
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3
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Caporusso CB, Negro G, Suma A, Digregorio P, Carenza LN, Gonnella G, Cugliandolo LF. Phase behaviour and dynamics of three-dimensional active dumbbell systems. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:923-939. [PMID: 38189452 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01030a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
We present a comprehensive numerical study of the phase behavior and dynamics of a three-dimensional active dumbbell system with attractive interactions. We demonstrate that attraction is essential for the system to exhibit nontrivial phases. We construct a detailed phase diagram by exploring the effects of the system's activity, density, and attraction strength. We identify several distinct phases, including a disordered, a gel, and a completely phase-separated phase. Additionally, we discover a novel dynamical phase, that we name percolating network, which is characterized by the presence of a spanning network of connected dumbbells. In the phase-separated phase we characterize numerically and describe analytically the helical motion of the dense cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Caporusso
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN, Sezione di Bari, via Amendola 173, Bari, I-70126, Italy.
| | - G Negro
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN, Sezione di Bari, via Amendola 173, Bari, I-70126, Italy.
| | - A Suma
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN, Sezione di Bari, via Amendola 173, Bari, I-70126, Italy.
| | - P Digregorio
- Departement de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Facultat de Fisica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, E08028 Barcelona, Spain
- UBICS University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems, Martí i Franquès 1, E08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - L N Carenza
- Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9506, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, 34450 Saryer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - G Gonnella
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN, Sezione di Bari, via Amendola 173, Bari, I-70126, Italy.
| | - L F Cugliandolo
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, LPTHE, Sorbonne Université, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 1 rue Descartes, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
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4
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Moinuddin M, Rane K. Effect of shape anisotropy on the precipitation of dimeric nanoparticles. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:8604-8616. [PMID: 37909104 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00827d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
We use grand canonical transition matrix Monte Carlo simulations to study the precipitation of dimeric nanoparticles. The dimers are composed of two particles having different chemical features and separated by a fixed distance. The non-attractive and attractive parts of the dimer are modeled using hard-sphere and square-well potentials, respectively. The shape anisotropy is altered by changing the relative sizes of the two particles. We observe that the stability of the nanosuspension increases with the increase in the size of the non-attractive part of the dimer. The precipitates of dimers having larger non-attractive parts have lower packing densities, contain large cavities, and show evidence of self-assembly in the bulk and on the surface. We also use the results from our simulations and the classical nucleation theory to study the kinetics of precipitation. At a given temperature and relative supersaturation, the rate of homogeneous nucleation increases with the increase in the size of the non-attractive parts. Finally, we use an example to show how our results can guide the design of nanosuspensions containing chemically anisotropic dimers that are stable under particular conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Moinuddin
- Discipline of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India.
| | - Kaustubh Rane
- Discipline of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India.
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5
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Dal Compare L, Romano F, Wood JA, Widmer-Cooper A, Giacometti A. Janus helices: From fully attractive to hard helices. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:174905. [PMID: 37921252 DOI: 10.1063/5.0168766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The phase diagram of hard helices differs from its hard rods counterpart by the presence of chiral "screw" phases stemming from the characteristic helical shape, in addition to the conventional liquid crystal phases also found for rod-like particles. Using extensive Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulations, we study the effect of the addition of a short-range attractive tail representing solvent-induced interactions to a fraction of the sites forming the hard helices, ranging from a single-site attraction to fully attractive helices for a specific helical shape. Different temperature regimes exist for different fractions of the attractive sites, as assessed in terms of the relative Boyle temperatures, that are found to be rather insensitive to the specific shape of the helical particle. The temperature range probed by the present study is well above the corresponding Boyle temperatures, with the phase behaviour still mainly entropically dominated and with the existence and location of the various liquid crystal phases only marginally affected. The pressure in the equation of state is found to decrease upon increasing the fraction of attractive beads and/or on lowering the temperature at fixed volume fraction, as expected on physical grounds. All screw phases are found to be stable within the considered range of temperatures with the smectic phase becoming more stable on lowering the temperature. By contrast, the location of the transition lines do not display a simple dependence on the fraction of attractive beads in the considered range of temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Dal Compare
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia Campus Scientifico, Edificio Alfa, Via Torino 155, 30170 Venezia Mestre, Italy
| | - Flavio Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia Campus Scientifico, Edificio Alfa, Via Torino 155, 30170 Venezia Mestre, Italy
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT) Ca' Bottacin, 3911 Dorsoduro Calle Crosera, 30123 Venice, Italy
| | - Jared A Wood
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The University of Sydney Nano Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Asaph Widmer-Cooper
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The University of Sydney Nano Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Achille Giacometti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia Campus Scientifico, Edificio Alfa, Via Torino 155, 30170 Venezia Mestre, Italy
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT) Ca' Bottacin, 3911 Dorsoduro Calle Crosera, 30123 Venice, Italy
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Argun BR, Statt A. Influence of shape on heteroaggregation of model microplastics: a simulation study. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:8081-8090. [PMID: 37817642 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01014g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are a growing threat, especially in aqueous habitats. For assessing the influence on the ecosystem and possible solution strategies, it is necessary to investigate the "fate" of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics are typically surrounded by natural organic matter, which can cause aggregation via favorable interactions. However, the effect of shape and flow conditions on heteroaggregation is not well understood. We perform molecular dynamics simulations of different microplastic particle shapes with smaller spherical organic matter. We find that mostly smooth particles formed compact structures with large number of neighbors with weak connection strength and higher fractal dimension. Microplastics with sharper edges and corners aggregated into more fractal structures with fewer neighbors, but with stronger connections. We investigated the behavior of aggregates under shear flow. The critical shear rate at which the aggregates break up is much larger for spherical and rounded cube microplastics, the compact aggregate structure outweighs their weaker connection strength. The rounded cube aggregate exhibited unexpectedly high resistance against breakup under shear. We attribute this to being fairly compact due to weaker, flexible neighbor connections, which are still strong enough to prevent particles to break off during shear flow. Irrespective of stronger connections between neighbouring microplastics, fractal aggregates of cubes break up at lower shear rates. We find that cube aggregates reduced their radius of gyration significantly, indicating restructuring during shear, while most neighbor connections were kept intact. Sphere aggregates, however, kept their overall size while undergoing local rearrangements, breaking a significant portion of their neighbor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Ruşen Argun
- Mechanical Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 61801, IL, USA
| | - Antonia Statt
- Materials Science and Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 61801, IL, USA.
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Liu B, Ravaine S, Duguet E. Solvent-Induced Assembly of One-Patch Silica Nanoparticles into Robust Clusters, Wormlike Chains and Bilayers. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 12:nano12010100. [PMID: 35010053 PMCID: PMC8747025 DOI: 10.3390/nano12010100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We report the synthesis and solvent-induced assembly of one-patch silica nanoparticles in the size range of 100–150 nm. They consisted, as a first approximation, of silica half-spheres of which the truncated face was itself concave and carried in its center a polymeric patch made of grafted polystyrene chains. The multistage synthesis led to 98% pure batches and allowed a fine control of the patch-to-particle size ratio from 0.69 to 1.54. The self-assembly was performed in equivolume mixtures of tetrahydrofuran and ethanol, making the polymeric patches sticky and ready to coalesce together. The assembly kinetics was monitored by collecting samples over time and analyzing statistically their TEM images. Small clusters, such as dimers, trimers, and tetramers, were formed initially and then evolved in part into micelles. Accordingly to previous simulation studies, more or less branched wormlike chains and planar bilayers were observed in the long term, when the patch-to-particle size ratio was high enough. We focused also on the experimental conditions that could allow preparing small clusters in a good morphology yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ICMCB, UMR 5026, 33600 Pessac, France;
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, CRPP, UMR 5031, 33600 Pessac, France;
| | - Serge Ravaine
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, CRPP, UMR 5031, 33600 Pessac, France;
| | - Etienne Duguet
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ICMCB, UMR 5026, 33600 Pessac, France;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-540-002-651
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8
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Sato M. Clusters formed by dumbbell-like one-patch particles confined in thin systems. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18078. [PMID: 34508134 PMCID: PMC8433354 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Performing isothermal-isochoric Monte Carlo simulations, I examine the types of clusters that dumbbell-like one–patch particles form in thin space between two parallel walls, assuming that each particle is synthesized through the merging of two particles, one non-attracting and the other attracting for which, for example, the inter-particle interaction is approximated by the DLVO model . The shape of these dumbbell-like particles is controlled by the ratio of the diameters q of the two spherical particles and by the dimensionless distance l between these centers. Using a modified Kern–Frenkel potential, I examine the dependence of the cluster shape on l and q. Large island-like clusters are created when \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$q<1$$\end{document}q<1. With increasing q, the clusters become chain-like . When q increases further, elongated clusters and regular polygonal clusters are created. In the simulations, the cluster shape becomes three-dimensional with increasing l because the thickness of the thin system increases proportionally to l.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahide Sato
- Emerging Media Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
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9
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Stuckert R, Lüders A, Wittemann A, Nielaba P. Phase behaviour in 2D assemblies of dumbbell-shaped colloids generated under geometrical confinement. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:6519-6535. [PMID: 34180929 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00635e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The structure formation and the phase behaviour of monolayers of dumbbell-shaped colloids are explored. For this, we conduct Langmuir-Blodgett experiments at the air/water interface and conventional Brownian dynamic simulations without hydrodynamic interactions. Using Voronoi tessellations and the probability density of the corresponding shape factor of the Voronoi cells p(ζ), the influence of the area fraction φ on the structure of the monolayers is investigated. An increase of the area fraction leads to a higher percentage of domains containing particles with six nearest neighbours and a sharper progression of p(ζ). Especially in dense systems, these domains can consist of aligned particles with uniform Voronoi cells. Thus, the increase of φ enhances the order of the monolayers. Simulations show that a sufficient enhancement of φ also impacts the pair correlation function which develops a substructure in its first maxima. Furthermore, we find that reducing the barrier speed in the Langmuir-Blodgett experiments enhances the final area fraction for a given target surface pressure which, in turn, also increases the percentage of particles with six nearest neighbours and sharpens the progression of p(ζ). Overall, the experiments and simulations show a remarkable qualitative agreement which indicates a versatile way of characterising colloidal monolayers by Brownian dynamics simulations. This opens up perspectives for application to a broad range of nanoparticle-based thin film coatings and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouven Stuckert
- Colloid Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Anton Lüders
- Statistical and Computational Physics, Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Alexander Wittemann
- Colloid Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Peter Nielaba
- Statistical and Computational Physics, Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany.
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10
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Koski JP, Frischknecht AL. Self-Assembled Vesicles from Mixed Brush Nanoparticles in Solution. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason P. Koski
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Amalie L. Frischknecht
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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11
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Chirinos-Flores D, Sánchez R, Díaz-Leyva P, Kozina A. Gelation of amphiphilic janus particles in an apolar medium. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 590:12-18. [PMID: 33524712 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The anisotropic nature of colloidal particles results in orientation-dependent interactions that organize the particles into peculiar structures different from those formed by isotropic colloids. Particles with a hydrophilic hemisphere are expected to assemble in hydrophobic solvents due to the contribution of hydrophobic interactions as observed for molecular amphiphiles. EXPERIMENTS Asymmetrically decorated silica-based Janus particles are dispersed in an apolar solvent, chloroform, and their structure and dynamics are studied by light scattering and compared with computer simulations. FINDINGS Gelation of amphiphilic Janus particles with asymmetric surface decoration is observed in a hydrophobic medium. The influence of particle asymmetry on gel structure and dynamics is discussed. Unlike particles with long-range repulsive interactions in water, these systems rapidly form rather compact structures that are nevertheless more ramified than those made of isotropic hydrophobic particles. Comparison with computer simulations allows visualization of the gel and reveals a contribution of asymmetric short-range attractions and cross-term repulsions to the net effective interaction potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Chirinos-Flores
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Sánchez
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09340 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Pedro Díaz-Leyva
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09340 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anna Kozina
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
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12
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Sato M. Effect of Patch Area and Interaction Length on Clusters and Structures Formed by One-Patch Particles in Thin Systems. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:28812-28822. [PMID: 33195934 PMCID: PMC7659161 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Assuming that the interaction between particles is given by the Kern-Frenkel potential, Monte Carlo simulations are performed to study the clusters and structures formed by one-patch particles in a thin space between two parallel walls. In isothermal-isochoric systems with a short interaction length, tetrahedral tetramers, octahedral hexamers, and pentagonal dipyramidal heptamers are created with increasing patch area. In isothermal-isobaric systems, the double layers of a triangular lattice, which is the (111) face of the face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice, form when the pressure is high. For a long interaction length, a different type of cluster, trigonal prismatic hexamers, is created. The structures in the double layers also changed as follows: a simple hexagonal lattice or square lattice, which is the (100) face of the fcc structure, is created in isothermal-isobaric systems.
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Paul S, Vashisth H. Self-assembly behavior of experimentally realizable lobed patchy particles. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8101-8107. [PMID: 32935732 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00954g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report simulation studies on the self-assembly behavior of five different types of lobed patchy particles of different shapes (snowman, dumbbell, trigonal planar, square planar, and tetrahedral). Inspired by an experimental method of synthesizing patchy particles (Wang et al., Nature, 2012, 491, 51-55), we control the lobe size indirectly by gradually varying the seed diameter and study its effect on self-assembled structures at different temperatures. Snowman shaped particles self-assemble only at a lower temperature and form two-dimensional sheets, elongated micelles, and spherical micelles, depending on the seed diameter. Each of the four other lobed particles self-assemble into four distinct morphologies (random aggregates, spherical aggregates, liquid droplets, and crystalline structures) for a given lobe size and temperature. We observed temperature-dependent transitions between two morphologies depending on the type of the lobed particle. The self-assembled structures formed by these four types of particles are porous. We show that their porosities can be tuned by controlling the lobe size and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjib Paul
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 33 Academic Way, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
| | - Harish Vashisth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 33 Academic Way, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
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14
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Clustering of asymmetric dumbbell-shaped silica/polystyrene nanoparticles by solvent-induced self-assembly. J Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 560:639-648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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15
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Munaò G, Saija F. Evidence of Structural Inhomogeneities in Hard-Soft Dimeric Particles without Attractive Interactions. MATERIALS 2019; 13:ma13010084. [PMID: 31877947 PMCID: PMC6981562 DOI: 10.3390/ma13010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We perform Monte Carlo simulations of a simple hard-soft dimeric model constituted by two tangent spheres experiencing different interactions. Specifically, two hard spheres belonging to different dimers interact via a bare hard-core repulsion, whereas two soft spheres experience a softly repulsive Hertzian interaction. The cross correlations are soft as well. By exploring a wide range of temperatures and densities we investigate the capability of this model to document the existence of structural inhomogeneities indicating the possible onset of aggregates, even if no attraction is set. The fluid phase behavior is studied by analyzing structural and thermodynamical properties of the observed structures, in particular by computing radial distribution functions, structure factors and cluster size distributions. The numerical results are supported by integral equation theories of molecular liquids which allow for a finer and faster spanning of the temperature-density diagram. Our results may serve as a framework for a more systematic investigation of self-assembled structures of functionalized hard-soft dimers able to aggregate in a variety of structures widely oberved in colloidal dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.M.); (F.S.)
| | - Franz Saija
- CNR-IPCF, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.M.); (F.S.)
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16
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Oh JS, Lee S, Glotzer SC, Yi GR, Pine DJ. Colloidal fibers and rings by cooperative assembly. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3936. [PMID: 31477728 PMCID: PMC6718632 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11915-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Janus colloids with one attractive patch on an otherwise repulsive particle surface serve as model systems to explore structure formation of particles with chemically heterogeneous surfaces such as proteins. While there are numerous computer studies, there are few experimental realizations due to a lack of means to produce such colloids with a well-controlled variable Janus balance. Here, we report a simple scalable method to precisely vary the Janus balance over a wide range and selectively functionalize one patch with DNA. We observe, via experiment and simulation, the dynamic formation of diverse superstructures: colloidal micelles, chains, or bilayers, depending on the Janus balance. Flexible dimer chains form through cooperative polymerization while trimer chains form by a two-stage process, first by cooperative polymerization into disordered aggregates followed by condensation into more ordered stiff trimer chains. Introducing substrate binding through depletion catalyzes dimer chains to form nonequilibrium rings that otherwise do not form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Suk Oh
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Sangmin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sharon C Glotzer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Gi-Ra Yi
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA. .,Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - David J Pine
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA. .,Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
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17
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18
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Aryana K, Stahley JB, Parvez N, Kim K, Zanjani MB. Superstructures of Multielement Colloidal Molecules: Efficient Pathways to Construct Reconfigurable Photonic and Phononic Crystals. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.201800198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kiumars Aryana
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing EngineeringMiami University Oxford OH 45056 USA
| | - James B. Stahley
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing EngineeringMiami University Oxford OH 45056 USA
| | - Nishan Parvez
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing EngineeringMiami University Oxford OH 45056 USA
| | - Kristin Kim
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing EngineeringMiami University Oxford OH 45056 USA
| | - Mehdi B. Zanjani
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing EngineeringMiami University Oxford OH 45056 USA
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19
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Jaggers RW, Bon SAF. Structure and behaviour of vesicles in the presence of colloidal particles. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:6949-6960. [PMID: 30117508 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm01223g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights recent studies that investigate the structural changes and behaviour of synthetic vesicles when they are exposed to colloidal particles. We will show examples to demonstrate the power of combining particles and vesicles in generating exciting supracolloidal structures. These suprastructures have a wide range of often responsive behaviours that take advantage of both the mechanical and morphological support provided by the vesicles and the associated particles with preset functionality. This review includes applications spanning a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, biology, physics and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross W Jaggers
- BonLab, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
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20
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Pham-Van H, Luc-Huy H, Nguyen-Minh T. Template–assisted assembly of asymmetric colloidal dumbbells into desirable cluster structures. Colloid Polym Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00396-018-4360-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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21
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Prestipino S, Munaò G, Costa D, Pellicane G, Caccamo C. Two-dimensional mixture of amphiphilic dimers and spheres: Self-assembly behaviour. J Chem Phys 2018; 147:144902. [PMID: 29031271 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of supramolecular aggregates from simple microscopic interaction rules is a fascinating feature of complex fluids which, besides its fundamental interest, has potential applications in many areas, from biological self-assembly to smart material design. We here investigate by Monte Carlo simulation the equilibrium structure of a two-dimensional mixture of asymmetric dimers and spheres (disks). Dimers and disks are hard particles, with an additional short-range attraction between a disk and the smaller monomer of a dimer. The model parameters and thermodynamic conditions probed are typical of colloidal fluid mixtures. In spite of the minimalistic character of the interaction, we observe-upon varying the relative concentration and size of the two colloidal species-a rich inventory of mesoscale structures at low temperature, such as clusters, lamellæ (i.e., polymer-like chains), and gel-like networks. For colloidal species of similar size and near equimolar concentrations, a dilute fluid of clusters gives way to floating lamellæ upon cooling; at higher densities, the lamellæ percolate through the simulation box, giving rise to an extended network. A crystal-vapour phase-separation may occur for a mixture of dimers and much larger disks. Finally, when the fluid is brought in contact with a planar wall, further structures are obtained at the interface, from layers to branched patterns, depending on the nature of wall-particle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santi Prestipino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra,Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra,Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Dino Costa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra,Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pellicane
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Carlo Caccamo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra,Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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22
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Prestipino S, Munaò G, Costa D, Caccamo C. Self-assembly in a model colloidal mixture of dimers and spherical particles. J Chem Phys 2018; 146:084902. [PMID: 28249437 DOI: 10.1063/1.4976704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the structure of a dilute mixture of amphiphilic dimers and spherical particles, a model relevant to the problem of encapsulating globular "guest" molecules in a dispersion. Dimers and spheres are taken to be hard particles, with an additional attraction between spheres and the smaller monomers in a dimer. Using the Monte Carlo simulation, we document the low-temperature formation of aggregates of guests (clusters) held together by dimers, whose typical size and shape depend on the guest concentration χ. For low χ (less than 10%), most guests are isolated and coated with a layer of dimers. As χ progressively increases, clusters grow in size becoming more and more elongated and polydisperse; after reaching a shallow maximum for χ≈50%, the size of clusters again reduces upon increasing χ further. In one case only (χ=50% and moderately low temperature) the mixture relaxed to a fluid of lamellae, suggesting that in this case clusters are metastable with respect to crystal-vapor separation. On heating, clusters shrink until eventually the system becomes homogeneous on all scales. On the other hand, as the mixture is made denser and denser at low temperature, clusters get increasingly larger until a percolating network is formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santi Prestipino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Dino Costa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carlo Caccamo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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23
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Wang Y, He X. Self-assembly of amphiphilic truncated cones to form hollow nanovesicles. RSC Adv 2018; 8:13526-13536. [PMID: 35542532 PMCID: PMC9079828 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra01100a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To mimic the unique properties of capsid (protein shell of a virus), we performed Brownian dynamics simulations of the self-assembly of amphiphilic truncated cone particles with anisotropic interactions. The particle shape of a truncated cone in our simulations depended on the cone angle θ, truncated height hc and particle type (AxBy and BxAyBz). The hydrophobic A moieties and hydrophilic B moieties are responsible for attractive and repulsive interactions, respectively. By varying the particle shape, truncated cones can assemble into hollow and vesicle-like clusters with a specific cluster size N. To assemble into hollow vesicles, the truncated height hc must be below a critical value. When hc exceeds this critical value, malformation will occur. The dynamics shows that the vesicle formation occurs in three stages: initially the growth is slow, then rapid, and finally it slows down. The truncated height hc has a stronger impact on the growth kinetics than the cone angle θ or the particle type. We explored how the cluster packing depended on the cooling rate and particle number as well as discussing the relationship between the cluster geometry and the interparticle interactions. Further, we also discuss possible methods to experimentally prepare the truncated cones. The results of our work deepen our understanding of the self-assembly behavior of truncated cones and our results will aid the effective design of particle building blocks for novel nanostructures. To mimic the unique properties of capsid (protein shell of a virus), we performed Brownian dynamics simulations of the self-assembly of amphiphilic truncated cone particles with anisotropic interactions.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Wang
- Department of Chemistry
- School of Science
- Tianjin University
- Tianjin 300350
- China
| | - Xuehao He
- Department of Chemistry
- School of Science
- Tianjin University
- Tianjin 300350
- China
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24
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O'Toole P, Munaò G, Giacometti A, Hudson TS. Self-assembly behaviour of hetero-nuclear Janus dumbbells. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:7141-7153. [PMID: 28872644 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01401e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the fluid structure and self-assembly of a system of Janus dumbbells by means of aggregation-volume-bias Monte Carlo simulations and Simulated Annealing techniques. In our approach, Janus dumbbells model asymmetric colloidal particles constituted by two tangent (touching) spheres (labelled as h and s) of different sizes and interaction properties: specifically, the h spheres interact with all other spheres belonging to different dumbbells via hard-sphere potentials, whereas two s spheres interact via a square-well potential. By introducing a parameter α ∈ [0,2] that controls the size ratio between the h and s spheres, we are able to investigate the overall phase behaviour of Janus dumbbells as a function of α. In a previous paper (O'Toole et al., Soft Matter, 2017, 13, 803) we focused on the region where the s sphere is larger than the h sphere (α > 1), documenting the presence of a variety of phase behaviours. Here we investigate a different regime of size ratios, predominantly where the hard sphere is larger than (or comparable to) the attractive one. Under these conditions, we observe the onset of many different self-assembled super-structures. Depending on the specific value of α we document the presence of spherical clusters (micelles) progressively evolving into more exotic structures including platelets, filaments, networks and percolating fluids, sponge structures and lamellar phases. We find no evidence of a gas-liquid phase separation for α ≤ 1.1, since under these conditions it is pre-empted by the development of self-assembled phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O'Toole
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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25
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26
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Bordin JR, Krott LB. How Competitive Interactions Affect the Self-Assembly of Confined Janus Dumbbells. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:4308-4317. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b01696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- José Rafael Bordin
- Campus Caçapava
do Sul, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Av. Pedro Anunciação,
111, CEP 96570-000, Caçapava do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Leandro B. Krott
- Centro Araranguá, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rua Pedro João Pereira, 150, CEP 88905-120, Araranguá, SC, Brazil
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27
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O'Toole P, Giacometti A, Hudson T. Phase diagram of heteronuclear Janus dumbbells. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:803-813. [PMID: 28058439 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm02430k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Using aggregation-volume-bias Monte Carlo simulations along with successive umbrella sampling and histogram re-weighting, we study the phase diagram of a system of dumbbells formed by two touching spheres having variable sizes, as well as different interaction properties. The first sphere (h) interacts with all other spheres belonging to different dumbbells with a hard-sphere potential. The second sphere (s) interacts via a square-well interaction with other s spheres belonging to different dumbbells and with a hard-sphere potential with all remaining h spheres. We focus on the region where the s sphere is larger than the h sphere, as measured by a parameter 1 ≤ α ≤ 2 controlling the relative size of the two spheres. As α → 2 a simple fluid of square-well spheres is recovered, whereas α → 1 corresponds to the Janus dumbbell limit, where the h and s spheres have equal sizes. Many phase diagrams falling into three classes are observed, depending on the value of α. The 1.8 ≤ α ≤ 2 is dominated by a gas-liquid phase separation very similar to that of a pure square-well fluid with varied critical temperature and density. When 1.3 ≤ α ≤ 1.8 we find a progressive destabilization of the gas-liquid phase diagram by the onset of self-assembled structures, that eventually lead to a metastability of the gas-liquid transition below α = 1.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O'Toole
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Achille Giacometti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Universitá Ca' Foscari Venezia, Edificio Alfa Campus Scientifico, via Torino 155, Venezia-Mestre I-3010, Italy
| | - Toby Hudson
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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28
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B Krott L, Gavazzoni C, Bordin JR. Anomalous diffusion and diffusion anomaly in confined Janus dumbbells. J Chem Phys 2016; 145:244906. [PMID: 28049334 DOI: 10.1063/1.4972578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly and dynamical properties of Janus nanoparticles have been studied by molecular dynamic simulations. The nanoparticles are modeled as dimers and they are confined between two flat parallel plates to simulate a thin film. One monomer from the dumbbells interacts by a standard Lennard-Jones potential and the other by a two-length scales shoulder potential, typically used for anomalous fluids. Here, we study the effects of removing the Brownian effects, typical from colloidal systems immersed in aqueous solution, and consider a molecular system, without the drag force and the random collisions from the Brownian motion. Self-assembly and diffusion anomaly are preserved in relation to the Brownian system. Additionally, a superdiffusive regime associated to a collective reorientation in a highly structured phase is observed. Diffusion anomaly and anomalous diffusion are explained in the two length scale framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro B Krott
- Centro Araranguá, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rua Pedro João Pereira, 150, CEP 88905-120 Araranguá, SC, Brazil
| | - Cristina Gavazzoni
- Instituto de Física, Univeridade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15051, CEP 91501-570 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - José Rafael Bordin
- Campus Caçapava do Sul, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Av. Pedro Anunciação, 111, CEP 96570-000 Caçapava do Sul, RS, Brazil
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29
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Munaò G, Costa D, Prestipino S, Caccamo C. Encapsulation of spherical nanoparticles by colloidal dimers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:24922-30. [PMID: 27538707 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp04704a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We study by Monte Carlo simulation the coating process of colloidal dimers onto spherical nanoparticles. To this end we investigate a simplified mixture of hard spheres (the guest particles) and hard dimers formed by two tangent spheres of different sizes (the encapsulating agents) in an implicit-solvent representation; in our scheme, the range of effective interactions between the smaller particle in a dimer and a guest sphere depends on their relative size. By tuning the size and concentration of guests, under overall dilute conditions a rich phase behavior emerges: for small sizes and/or low concentrations, the preferred arrangement is compact aggregates (capsules) of variable sizes, where one or few guest particles are coated with dimers; for larger sizes and moderate guest concentrations, other scenarios are realized, including equilibrium separation between a guest-rich and a guest-poor phase. Our results serve as a framework for a more systematic investigation of self-assembled structures of functionalized dimers capable of encapsulating target particles, like for instance bioactive substances in a colloidal dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Universitá degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
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30
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Gazzillo D, Munaò G, Prestipino S. Analytic solution of two-density integral equations for sticky Janus dumbbells with arbitrary monomer diameters. J Chem Phys 2016; 144:234504. [PMID: 27334176 DOI: 10.1063/1.4953853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
We study a pure fluid of heteronuclear sticky Janus dumbbells, considered to be the result of complete chemical association between unlike species in an initially equimolar mixture of hard spheres (species A) and sticky hard spheres (species B) with different diameters. The B spheres are particles whose attractive surface layer is infinitely thin. Wertheim's two-density integral equations are employed to describe the mixture of AB dumbbells together with unbound A and B monomers. After Baxter factorization, these equations are solved analytically within the associative Percus-Yevick approximation. The limit of complete association is taken at the end. The present paper extends to the more general, heteronuclear case of A and B species with size asymmetry a previous study by Wu and Chiew [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 6641 (2001)], which was restricted to dumbbells with equal monomer diameters. Furthermore, the solution for the Baxter factor correlation functions qij (αβ)(r) is determined here in a fully analytic way, since we have been able to find explicit analytic expressions for all the intervening parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Gazzillo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università di Venezia, Via Torino 155, I-30172 Venezia Mestre, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, di Scienze Fisiche e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Contrada Papardo, I-98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Santi Prestipino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche ed Informatiche, di Scienze Fisiche e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Contrada Papardo, I-98166 Messina, Italy
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31
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Pham Van H, Fortini A, Schmidt M. Assembly of open clusters of colloidal dumbbells via droplet evaporation. Phys Rev E 2016; 93:052609. [PMID: 27300953 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.93.052609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We investigate the behavior of a mixture of asymmetric colloidal dumbbells and emulsion droplets by means of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The evaporation of the droplets and the competition between droplet-colloid attraction and colloid-colloid interactions lead to the formation of clusters built up of colloid aggregates with both closed and open structures. We find that stable packings and hence complex colloidal structures can be obtained by changing the relative size of the colloidal spheres and/or their interfacial tension with the droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Pham Van
- Theoretische Physik II, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Department of Physics, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuanthuy, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Andrea Fortini
- Theoretische Physik II, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Schmidt
- Theoretische Physik II, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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32
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Hatch HW, Yang SY, Mittal J, Shen VK. Self-assembly of trimer colloids: effect of shape and interaction range. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:4170-4179. [PMID: 27087490 PMCID: PMC4939708 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm00473c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Trimers with one attractive bead and two repulsive beads, similar to recently synthesized trimer patchy colloids, were simulated with flat-histogram Monte Carlo methods to obtain the stable self-assembled structures for different shapes and interaction potentials. Extended corresponding states principle was successfully applied to self-assembling systems in order to approximately collapse the results for models with the same shape, but different interaction range. This helps us directly compare simulation results with previous experiment, and good agreement was found between the two. In addition, a variety of self-assembled structures were observed by varying the trimer geometry, including spherical clusters, elongated clusters, monolayers, and spherical shells. In conclusion, our results help to compare simulations and experiments, via extended corresponding states, and we predict the formation of self-assembled structures for trimer shapes that have not been experimentally synthesized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold W. Hatch
- Chemical Informatics Research Group, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA;
| | - Seung-Yeob Yang
- Chemical Informatics Research Group, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA;
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA;
| | - Vincent K. Shen
- Chemical Informatics Research Group, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA;
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33
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Hatch HW, Mittal J, Shen VK. Computational study of trimer self-assembly and fluid phase behavior. J Chem Phys 2016; 142:164901. [PMID: 25933785 DOI: 10.1063/1.4918557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The fluid phase diagram of trimer particles composed of one central attractive bead and two repulsive beads was determined as a function of simple geometric parameters using flat-histogram Monte Carlo methods. A variety of self-assembled structures were obtained including spherical micelle-like clusters, elongated clusters, and densely packed cylinders, depending on both the state conditions and shape of the trimer. Advanced simulation techniques were employed to determine transitions between self-assembled structures and macroscopic phases using thermodynamic and structural definitions. Simple changes in particle geometry yield dramatic changes in phase behavior, ranging from macroscopic fluid phase separation to molecular-scale self-assembly. In special cases, both self-assembled, elongated clusters and bulk fluid phase separation occur simultaneously. Our work suggests that tuning particle shape and interactions can yield superstructures with controlled architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold W Hatch
- Chemical Informatics Research Group, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
| | - Vincent K Shen
- Chemical Informatics Research Group, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA
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34
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Bordin JR, Krott LB. Confinement effects on the properties of Janus dimers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:28740-28746. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05821c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We show how the confinement between two parallel walls affects the self-assembly, and dynamic and thermodynamic properties of Janus dumbbells.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Rafael Bordin
- Campus Caçapava do Sul
- Universidade Federal do Pampa
- Caçapava do Sul
- Brazil
| | - Leandro B. Krott
- Centro Araranguá
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
- Araranguá
- Brazil
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35
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Munaò G, Gámez F, Costa D, Caccamo C, Sciortino F, Giacometti A. Reference interaction site model and optimized perturbation theories of colloidal dumbbells with increasing anisotropy. J Chem Phys 2015; 142:224904. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4922163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Fisica e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Dino Costa
- Dipartimento di Fisica e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carlo Caccamo
- Dipartimento di Fisica e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Sciortino
- Dipartimento di Fisica and CNR-ISC, Università di Roma “Sapienza,” Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Achille Giacometti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Calle Larga S.Marta DD2137, Venezia I-30123, Italy
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