The impact of anisotropy and interaction range on the self-assembly of Janus ellipsoids

We assess the roles of anisotropy and interaction range on the self-assembly of Janus colloidal particles. In particular, Monte Carlo simulation is employed to investigate the propensity for the formation of aggregates in a spheroidal model of a colloid having a relatively short-ranged interaction that is consistent with experimentally realizable systems. By monitoring the equilibrium distribution of aggregates as a function of temperature and density, we identify a "micelle" transition temperature and discuss its dependence on particle shape. We find that, unlike systems with longer ranged interactions, this system does not form micelles below a transition temperature at low density. Rather, larger clusters comprising 20-40 particles characterize the transition. We then examine the dependence of the second virial coefficient on particle shape and well width to determine how these important system parameters affect aggregation. Finally, we discuss possible strategies suggested by this work to promote self-assembly for the encapsulation of particles.