Self-assembly of anisotropic soft particles in two dimensions

TL;DR

This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to explore how anisotropic core-corona particles self-assemble in two dimensions, revealing diverse structures influenced by particle anisotropy.

Contribution

Introduces a simple anisotropic interaction model for core-corona particles and demonstrates its ability to produce a variety of self-assembled structures.

Findings

Particles form stripes, lattices, and plastic crystals.

Anisotropy affects clustering type but not lattice spacing.

Rich structural diversity from simple anisotropic potential.

Abstract

The self assembly of core-corona discs interacting via anisotropic potentials is investigated using Monte Carlo computer simulations. A minimal interaction potential that incorporates anisotropy in a simple way is introduced. It consists in a core-corona architecture in which the center of the core is shifted with respect to the center of the corona. Anisotropy can thus be tuned by progressively shifting the position of the core. Despite its simplicity, the system self organize in a rich variety of structures including stripes, triangular and rectangular lattices, and unusual plastic crystals. Our results indicate that the amount of anisotropy does not alter the lattice spacing and only influences the type of clustering (stripes, micells, etc.) of the individual particles.