Programming patchy particles to form three-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystals

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Patchy particles self-assemble into diverse structures, including 2D quasicrystals.
• Designing particles for specific 3D structures remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design patchy particles that self-assemble into 3D quasicrystals with dodecagonal symmetry.
• To investigate particle designs capable of forming stacked 2D quasicrystalline layers.

Main Methods:

• Computational annealing simulations.
• Design and testing of novel patchy particle interaction models.
• Analysis of resulting self-assembled structures.

Main Results:

• Two successful designs for 3D dodecagonal quasicrystals were identified.
• A one-component system of seven-patch particles with wide patches formed the target structure.
• A ternary system of seven- and eight-patch particles also formed the dodecagonal quasicrystal, offering experimental feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Patchy particle design can achieve complex 3D quasicrystalline structures.
• The ternary system presents a promising route for experimental realization, potentially using DNA origami.
• The one-component system frequently exhibited screw dislocations within the quasicrystal.