The configurational space of colloidal patchy polymers with heterogeneous sequences

TL;DR

This study maps the configurational space of short colloidal patchy polymer chains, revealing how interaction ranges influence structure formation, which is vital for designing self-assembling colloidal systems.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive simulation-based mapping of the configurational space of colloidal patchy polymers with heterogeneous sequences.

Findings

Sampling of structure probabilities is feasible via simulations.

Interaction range significantly affects chain conformations.

The work advances understanding of colloidal chain configurational landscapes.

Abstract

In this work we characterize the configurational space of a short chain of colloidal particles as function of the range of directional and heterogeneous isotropic interactions. The individual particles forming the chain are colloids decorated with patches that act as interaction sites between them. We show, using computer simulations, that it is possible to sample the relative probability of occurrence of a structure with a sequence in the space of all possible realizations of the chain. The results presented here represent a first attempt to map the space of possible configurations that a chain of colloidal particles may adopt. Knowledge of such a space is crucial for a possible application of colloidal chains as models for designable self-assembling systems.