Assembly of open clusters of colloidal dumbbells via droplet evaporation

TL;DR

This study uses kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to explore how asymmetric colloidal dumbbells and emulsion droplets assemble into various cluster structures during droplet evaporation, influenced by size and interfacial tension.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach to control colloidal cluster assembly by tuning particle size and interfacial tension during droplet evaporation.

Findings

Stable colloidal packings depend on size ratios and interfacial tension.

Open and closed cluster structures can be selectively formed.

Droplet evaporation drives the assembly process.

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 leads 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.