disLocate: tools to rapidly quantify local intermolecular structure to assess two-dimensional order in self-assembled...

Area of Science:

• Photonics, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, biology, and biomedicine.
• Analysis of spatial structure in two-dimensional dispersions.
• Quantification of order and disorder in self-assembled and living systems.

Background:

• Accurate classification of order is crucial in various scientific fields where systems are ordered but not perfectly.
• Reproducing specific patterns experimentally can be challenging due to visual similarity between ordered and disordered outcomes.
• Robust comparisons of similar samples, especially with limited data, require precise analysis tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce disLocate, a numerical Mathematica package designed to quantify the spatial structure of 2D dispersions.
• To provide researchers with a suite of tools for rapid and accurate analysis of order and disorder.
• To enable extraction of variation and confidence ranges from finite data sets, facilitating robust conclusions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Mathematica package named disLocate.
• Implementation of tools to quantify translational, orientational, and entropic order.
• Inclusion of various structure metrics to assess local variations in disorder within single images.

Main Results:

• disLocate offers a comprehensive set of tools for analyzing spatial structure.
• The package allows for simultaneous extraction of multiple parameters, enabling rapid and robust analysis.
• Researchers can quantify local disorder and determine confidence ranges within finite data sets.

Conclusions:

• disLocate facilitates accurate quantification of spatial structure in 2D dispersions.
• The package aids in understanding the quality and type of order present in complex systems.
• By quantifying experimental trends, disLocate can guide the engineering of novel self-assembly methods.