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Imprintable membranes from incomplete chiral coalescence
Mark J Zakhary1, Thomas Gibaud2, C Nadir Kaplan3
11] Department of Physics, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA [2].
Nature Communications
|January 15, 2014
Summary
Chiral colloidal membranes exhibit unique coalescence pathways, forming novel line defects like π-walls and twisted bridges instead of full joining. Optical forces enable controlled pore and channel imprinting.
Area of Science:
- Soft matter physics
- Materials science
- Colloidal systems
Background:
- Coalescence is fundamental in diverse systems, from biological transport to astrophysics.
- Colloidal membranes, composed of aligned rods, offer a unique platform to study fluid-like behavior.
- The chirality of constituent rods introduces complexities not seen in achiral systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the coalescence pathways of chiral, circularly shaped, two-dimensional colloidal membranes.
- To characterize novel coalescence pathways and the resulting defect structures.
- To explore the use of optical forces for controlled manipulation of membrane coalescence.
Main Methods:
- Simulation and theoretical analysis of coalescing chiral colloidal membranes.
- Characterization of membrane structures, including line defects (π-walls, twisted bridges, pores).
- Application of optical forces to induce and control the coalescence process.
Main Results:
- Identified three atypical coalescence pathways driven by rod chirality.
- Characterized two pathways resulting in incomplete coalescence, forming stable line defects.
- Elucidated the structure and energetics of π-wall defects and alternating pore/bridge arrays, attributing stability to geometrical frustration.
- Demonstrated optical force-induced coalescence for on-demand imprinting of network structures.
Conclusions:
- Chiral colloidal membranes exhibit unique coalescence behaviors due to inherent geometrical frustration.
- Novel line defects and partially coalesced structures are stabilized by chirality.
- Optical forces provide a versatile tool for fabricating complex microstructures in colloidal membranes.
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