Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...

Structures of Solids

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...

Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals

Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals

Lattice energy represents the energy released when gaseous cations and anions combine to form an ionic solid, reflecting the strength of electrostatic interactions within the crystal. This process is fundamentally governed by Coulombic attraction between oppositely charged ions, where the potential energy varies inversely with the interionic distance and directly with the product of ionic charges. As ions approach one another, the electrostatic energy becomes increasingly negative, indicating a...

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...

Valence Bond Theory

Valence Bond Theory

Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...

The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview

The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview

Crystals with various point group symmetries belong to different crystal classes, which are synonymous terms. Despite being in the same class, crystals may have distinct shapes, like cubes and octahedra. There are 32 three-dimensional point groups, all of which are systematically divided into seven crystal systems.The basic cubic crystal system, exemplified by NaCl, features orthogonal vectors (α = β = �� = 90°) of equal lengths (a = b = c). When specific requirements are not imposed on the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Identification of dispersal barriers for a colonising seagrass using seascape genetic analysis.

The Science of the total environment·2020

Same author

A slowly developed severe cutaneous adverse reaction to idelalisib.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV·2017

Same author

A design path for the hierarchical self-assembly of patchy colloidal particles.

Soft matter·2015

Same author

Using the uncertainty principle to design simple interactions for targeted self-assembly.

The Journal of chemical physics·2013

Same author

Chiral surfaces self-assembling in one-component systems with isotropic interactions.

Physical review letters·2012

Same author

Novel self-assembled morphologies from isotropic interactions.

Physical review letters·2011

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Published on: February 6, 2020

Designing isotropic interactions for self-assembly of complex lattices.

E Edlund¹, O Lindgren, M Nilsson Jacobi

¹Complex Systems Group, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden.

Physical Review Letters

|September 21, 2011

Summary

Scientists developed a new method to design isotropic potentials for self-assembly into specific crystal structures. This approach successfully created complex lattices like the snub square tiling and kagome lattice.

More Related Videos

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Published on: May 8, 2015

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Published on: October 16, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Published on: February 6, 2020

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Published on: May 8, 2015

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Published on: October 16, 2017

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Computational Chemistry

Background:

Designing materials with specific self-assembled structures is challenging.
Isotropic potentials typically lead to simple crystal structures.
Achieving complex lattices requires precise control over interparticle interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a direct method for designing isotropic potentials that yield target lattices through self-assembly.
To enable the creation of complex, non-trivial crystal structures using simple, isotropic interactions.
To explore the self-assembly of lattices relevant to condensed matter phenomena like geometric frustration.

Main Methods:

Formulating the inverse problem of lattice design.
Matching the energy spectrum of the potential to the reciprocal lattice representation.
Ensuring the target lattice is the ground state of the designed potential.
Utilizing computational methods to design and verify potentials.

Main Results:

A direct method for designing isotropic potentials for self-assembly was established.
Complex lattices, including the snub square tiling and kagome lattice, were successfully designed.
The kagome lattice, crucial for studying spin liquids, was achieved via self-assembly.
Demonstrated the ability to create structures not previously possible with isotropic potentials.

Conclusions:

The developed method provides a powerful tool for designing self-assembling materials with targeted complex structures.
This work opens new avenues for creating novel materials with unique electronic and magnetic properties.
The successful synthesis of the kagome lattice has significant implications for research in quantum magnetism and spin liquids.