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Transmutable Colloidal Crystals and Active Phase Separation via Dynamic, Directed Self-Assembly with Toggled External

Zachary M Sherman1, James W Swan1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States.

ACS Nano
|January 4, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Cyclically toggling electric or magnetic fields accelerates colloidal crystal growth and reduces defects. This active assembly method stabilizes complex structures, overcoming limitations of steady-field approaches for functional material fabrication.

Keywords:
active mattercolloidal crystalsdirected self-assemblydynamic self-assemblynonequilibrium thermodynamics

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Colloid and Surface Chemistry
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Fabricating functional materials relies on assembling colloidal and nanoparticle dispersions.
  • Key challenges include scalable synthesis of particles with tailored interactions and preventing arrest in metastable states.
  • Active assembly, controlling particle interactions dynamically, offers a solution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop computational and theoretical models for active assembly using cyclic field toggling.
  • To investigate the impact of dynamic electric or magnetic fields on nanoparticle assembly.
  • To explore control over colloidal crystal growth rates, defect density, and resulting structures.

Main Methods:

  • Development of computational and theoretical models for active assembly processes.
  • Simulation of dynamic, directed self-assembly using cyclically toggled external electric or magnetic fields.
  • Analysis using principles of linear irreversible thermodynamics to predict terminal states.

Main Results:

  • Cyclic field toggling significantly accelerates colloidal crystal growth and reduces defects compared to steady fields.
  • Active assembly stabilizes metastable phases, including dense fluid and body-centered orthorhombic crystals.
  • Toggling protocol parameters allow precise control over growth mechanisms, terminal structures, and crystal lattice parameters.

Conclusions:

  • Active assembly via cyclic field toggling is a superior method for fabricating colloidal materials.
  • This approach overcomes limitations of steady-field methods, enabling faster growth and defect reduction.
  • The study provides a framework for predicting and controlling self-assembled structures using dynamic field protocols.