Network topology of interlocked chiral particles

TL;DR

This paper investigates the self-assembly and topological properties of interlocked chiral L-shaped particles in two dimensions, revealing how confinement and particle shape influence network structures.

Contribution

It introduces a topological classification framework for intertwined dual networks formed by chiral particles, linking particle geometry and confinement to network topology.

Findings

Emergence of carpet-like textures at high densities

Distinct entangled network structures from particle axes

Network topology can be controlled by confinement and shape

Abstract

Self-assembly of chiral particles with an L-shape is explored by Monte-Carlo computer simulations in two spatial dimensions. For sufficiently high packing densities in confinement, a carpet-like texture emerges due to the interlocking of L-shaped particles, resembling a distorted smectic liquid crystalline layer pattern. From the positions of either of the two axes of the particles, two different types of layers can be extracted, which form distinct but complementary entangled networks. These coarse-grained network structures are then analyzed from a topological point of view. We propose a global charge conservation law by using an analogy to uniaxial smectics and show that the individual network topology can be steered by both confinement and particle geometry. Our topological analysis provides a general classification framework for applications to other intertwined dual networks.