Patchy particles made by colloidal fusion.

Area of Science:

• Colloid and Surface Science
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Surface patches on colloidal particles guide self-assembly into complex structures.
• Experimental synthesis of precisely patterned patchy particles remains a significant challenge.
• Existing synthetic methods often yield poor geometric approximations and low yields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a scalable and tunable method for fabricating functional patchy particles.
• To enable the precise engineering of particle surface morphologies.
• To bridge the gap between computational design and experimental realization of patchy particles.

Main Methods:

• Colloidal fusion technique utilizing coordination dynamics and wetting forces.
• Engineering hybrid liquid-solid clusters that evolve into patchy particles upon plasticizer addition.
• Controlling particle morphology through surface-energy minimization.

Main Results:

• Achieved tunable and scalable fabrication of patchy particles.
• Identified two product branches: spherical particles with liquid patches and particles with faceted liquid compartments.
• Demonstrated the ability to form robust supracolloidal structures and colloidal polyhedra.

Conclusions:

• The colloidal fusion method offers a scalable strategy for high-fidelity synthesis of patchy particles.
• This technique allows for the experimental recreation of computationally designed surface patterns.
• Enables the development of advanced self-assembled materials with predictable microstructures.