Designing Surface Charge Patterns for Shape Control of Deformable Nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper uses simulations to explore how surface charge patterns on deformable nanoparticles influence their shape transformations in response to environmental changes, aiding the design of reconfigurable nanomaterials.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach to understand how specific surface charge patterns dictate shape changes in deformable nanoparticles.

Findings

Different charge patterns lead to distinct shape transformations.

Shape changes depend on ionic strength and pattern design.

Surface charge anisotropy correlates with elastic energy distribution.

Abstract

Designing reconfigurable materials based on deformable nanoparticles (NPs) hinges on an understanding of the energetically-favored shapes these NPs can adopt. Using simulations, we show that hollow, deformable patchy NPs tailored with surface charge patterns such as Janus patches, stripes, and polyhedrally-distributed patches differently adapt their shape in response to changes in patterns and ionic strength, transforming into capsules, hemispheres, variably-dimpled bowls, and polyhedra. The links between anisotropy in NP surface charge, shape, and the elastic energy density are discussed.