Nonclassical assembly pathways of anisotropic particles

TL;DR

This paper uses mean field theory to explore how anisotropic particles can follow nonclassical self-assembly pathways, influenced by thermodynamics and dynamics, challenging classical nucleation assumptions.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework to predict nonclassical assembly pathways of anisotropic particles based on thermodynamic and dynamic factors.

Findings

Thermodynamic regimes favor nonclassical ordering.

Dynamic factors influence assembly pathways.

Predicts complex assembly behaviors beyond classical theory.

Abstract

Advances in synthetic methods have spawned an array of nanoparticles and bio-inspired molecules of diverse shapes and interaction geometries. Recent experiments indicate that such anisotropic particles exhibit a variety of 'nonclassical' self-assembly pathways, forming ordered assemblies via intermediates that do not share the architecture of the bulk material. Here we apply mean field theory to a prototypical model of interacting anisotropic particles, and find a clear thermodynamic impetus for nonclassical ordering in certain regimes of parameter space. In other parameter regimes, by contrast, assembly pathways are selected by dynamics. This approach suggests a means of predicting when anisotropic particles might assemble in a manner more complicated than that assumed by classical nucleation theory.