# Phase diagram of two-patch colloids with competing anisotropic and isotropic interactions

## TL;DR

This paper maps the phase diagram of two-patch colloids with competing anisotropic and isotropic interactions, revealing various phases and metastable structures relevant to protein aggregation.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed equilibrium phase diagram for two-patch colloids with competing interactions, highlighting phase coexistence and metastability.

## Key findings

- Coexistence of disordered clusters, chains, crystals, and bundles.
- Metastability of network bundles versus finite-sized bundles.
- Bundles exhibit helical structures similar to sickle cell hemoglobin.

## Abstract

Patchy particles are considered to be a good model for protein aggregation. We calculate the equilibrium phase diagram of two-patch colloidal particles undergoing aggregation along with isotropic potential. This investigation demonstrates the coexistence of different phases like disordered clusters, chains, crystals and bundles depending on the relative strength of isotropic and anisotropic potential, these phases are also reported for glucose isomerase proteins. We also show that the formation of network of bundles is metastable against the formation of thermodynamically favored finite sized bundles, which are also metastable along with thermodynamically stable crystals. These bundles appear to be helical in structure similar to that observed in sickle cell hemoglobin.