An active approach to colloidal self-assembly

TL;DR

This review discusses recent progress in the self-assembly of active colloidal particles, emphasizing how particle design influences assembly and potential applications in autonomous microstructures.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how particle shape and interaction directionality control active colloidal self-assembly, highlighting strategies to harness activity for functional material design.

Findings

Control of assembly via particle geometry and interactions

Potential for designing autonomous, environment-sensing microstructures

Insights into active matter behavior in dry systems

Abstract

In this review we discuss recent advances in the self-assembly of self-propelled colloidal particles and highlight some of the most exciting results in this field with a specific focus on dry active matter. We explore this phenomenology through the lens of the complexity of the colloidal building blocks. We begin by considering the behavior of isotropic spherical particles. We then discuss the case of amphiphilic and dipolar Janus particles. Finally, we show how the geometry of the colloids and/or the directionality of their interactions can be used to control the physical properties of the assembled active aggregates, and suggest possible strategies on how to exploit activity as a tunable driving force for self-assembly. The unique properties of active colloids lend promise for the design of the next generation of functional, environment-sensing microstructures able to perform specific tasks in an autonomous and targeted manner.