Pattern formation in two-dimensional hard-core/soft-shell systems with variable soft shell profiles

Somerville WR, Law AD, Rey M, Vogel N, Archer AJ, Buzza DMA (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Soft Matter Royal Society of Chemistry

Book Volume: 16

Pages Range: 3564-3573

Journal Issue: 14

DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00092b

Abstract

Hard-core/soft shell (HCSS) particles have been shown to self-assemble into a remarkably rich variety of structures under compression due to the simple interplay between the hard-core and soft-shoulder length scales in their interactions. Most studies in this area model the soft shell interaction as a square shoulder potential. Although appealing from a theoretical point of view, the potential is physically unrealistic because there is no repulsive force in the soft shell regime, unlike in experimental HCSS systems. To make the model more realistic, here we consider HCSS particles with a range of soft shell potential profiles beyond the standard square shoulder form and study the model using both minimum energy calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. We find that by tuning density and the soft shell profile, HCSS particles in the thin shell regime (i.e., shell to core ratio ) can form a large range of structures, including hexagons, chains, squares, rhomboids and two distinct zig-zag structures. Furthermore, by tuning the density and r1/r0, we find that HCSS particles with experimentally realistic linear ramp soft shoulder repulsions can form honeycombs and quasicrystals with 10-fold and 12-fold symmetry. Our study therefore suggests the exciting possibility of fabricating these exotic 2D structures experimentally through colloidal self-assembly.

Authors with CRIS profile

Marcel Rey Lehrstuhl für Interfaces und Partikeltechnologie (LFG) Nicolas Vogel Professur für Partikelsynthese

Involved external institutions

medPhoton GmbH AT Austria (AT) Victoria University of Wellington NZ New Zealand (NZ) University of Hull GB United Kingdom (GB) Loughborough University GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Somerville, W.R., Law, A.D., Rey, M., Vogel, N., Archer, A.J., & Buzza, D.M.A. (2020). Pattern formation in two-dimensional hard-core/soft-shell systems with variable soft shell profiles. Soft Matter, 16(14), 3564-3573. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sm00092b

MLA:

Somerville, Walter R.C., et al. "Pattern formation in two-dimensional hard-core/soft-shell systems with variable soft shell profiles." Soft Matter 16.14 (2020): 3564-3573.

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