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Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles
Published on: February 4, 2013
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The assembly and auto-assembly of hard arcuate particles in R2.
1Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Física de la Materia Condensada (IFIMAC), Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales "Nicolás Cabrera" (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|February 12, 2026
Summary
Hard circular arcs exhibit entropic self-assembly into ordered structures. Finite thinness in these particles hinders optimal packing, leading to propeller-like aggregates but a persistent uniform state in simulations.
Area of Science:
- Statistical mechanics
- Materials science
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Hard circular arcs demonstrate entropic self-assembly into ordered structures.
- Optimal packing involves organizing arcs into chiral roundels, then arranging these on a triangular lattice.
- Phase behavior includes spontaneous formation of roundish aggregates and hexagonal packing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if entropic self-assembly persists in hard arcuate particles with finite thinness.
- To explore the impact of finite thinness on the ordering and packing behavior of these particles.
Main Methods:
- Analytical constructions were used to organize finitely thin arcuate particles.
- Monte Carlo packing calculations simulated the behavior of these particles.
- Statistical-mechanical simulations were performed on dense systems of hard finitely thin arcuate particles.
Main Results:
- Finitely thin arcuate particles spontaneously form propeller-like roundish aggregates.
- Instances of auto-assembly were observed in simulations of dense systems.
- Defective interlocks and aggregate irregularity prevented the formation of ordered phases, maintaining a uniform state.
Conclusions:
- Finite thinness is detrimental to the optimal packing and self-assembly observed in infinitesimally thin arcs.
- While some auto-assembly occurs, the system remains in a uniform state due to structural defects and irregularities.
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