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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Patterning of Microorganisms and Microparticles through Sequential Capillarity-assisted Assembly

Patterning of Microorganisms and Microparticles through Sequential Capillarity-assisted Assembly

Published on: November 4, 2021

Nonclassical assembly pathways of anisotropic particles.

Stephen Whitelam¹

¹Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. swhitelam@lbl.gov

The Journal of Chemical Physics

|May 27, 2010

Summary

Anisotropic particles can self-assemble into complex structures through nonclassical pathways, driven by thermodynamics or dynamics. This research provides a framework for predicting these intricate self-assembly behaviors.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Chemical Physics
Nanotechnology

Background:

Recent advances in synthetic methods yield diverse nanoparticles and bio-inspired molecules with anisotropic shapes.
Experimental studies reveal nonclassical self-assembly pathways in these particles, forming ordered structures via intermediates distinct from the bulk material.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the thermodynamic and dynamic driving forces behind nonclassical self-assembly of anisotropic particles.
To develop a predictive framework for understanding complex self-assembly behaviors.

Main Methods:

Application of mean field theory to a model of interacting anisotropic particles.
Analysis of parameter space to identify regimes governed by thermodynamics versus dynamics.

Main Results:

A clear thermodynamic impetus for nonclassical ordering was identified in specific parameter regimes.
In other regimes, assembly pathways were found to be predominantly selected by dynamics.

Conclusions:

The study demonstrates that both thermodynamics and dynamics play crucial roles in directing the self-assembly of anisotropic particles.
This theoretical approach offers a method to predict when complex, nonclassical self-assembly pathways will be favored over classical nucleation theory.