Self-assembly and time-dependent control of active and passive triblock Janus colloids

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Schubert, Juri Franz, Navas, Salman Fariz, Klapp, Sabine H. L.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Schubert, Juri Franz
Navas, Salman Fariz
Klapp, Sabine H. L.
author_facet Schubert, Juri Franz
Navas, Salman Fariz
Klapp, Sabine H. L.
contents We perform Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations to explore the self-assembly of a two-dimensional model system of triblock Janus colloids as an example of "patchy" colloids forming complex structures. Previous experiments and simulation studies have shown that such systems are capable of forming a two-dimensional Kagome lattice at room temperatures. However, it is well established that the crystallization is strongly hampered by the formation of long-living metastable aggregates. For this reason, recent studies have investigated activity, i.e., self-propulsion of the Janus particles as a mechanism to accelerate the formation of stable Kagome structures [Mallory and Cacciuto, JACS 141, 2500-2507 (2019)] at selected state points. Here we extend, first, the investigations of active Janus colloids for a broader range of densities and temperatures. We also characterize in detail the associated nucleation of Kagome clusters, as well as their structure in the steady state. Second, to make contact to the equilibrium case, we propose a simple activity time protocol where an initially chosen activity is switched off after a finite time. With this protocol, we not only find Kagome structures in a much broader range of densities than in the purely passive case, but also obtain a Kagome crystallization boundary very close to that proposed in earlier Monte Carlo simulations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_20764
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Self-assembly and time-dependent control of active and passive triblock Janus colloids
Schubert, Juri Franz
Navas, Salman Fariz
Klapp, Sabine H. L.
Soft Condensed Matter
We perform Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations to explore the self-assembly of a two-dimensional model system of triblock Janus colloids as an example of "patchy" colloids forming complex structures. Previous experiments and simulation studies have shown that such systems are capable of forming a two-dimensional Kagome lattice at room temperatures. However, it is well established that the crystallization is strongly hampered by the formation of long-living metastable aggregates. For this reason, recent studies have investigated activity, i.e., self-propulsion of the Janus particles as a mechanism to accelerate the formation of stable Kagome structures [Mallory and Cacciuto, JACS 141, 2500-2507 (2019)] at selected state points. Here we extend, first, the investigations of active Janus colloids for a broader range of densities and temperatures. We also characterize in detail the associated nucleation of Kagome clusters, as well as their structure in the steady state. Second, to make contact to the equilibrium case, we propose a simple activity time protocol where an initially chosen activity is switched off after a finite time. With this protocol, we not only find Kagome structures in a much broader range of densities than in the purely passive case, but also obtain a Kagome crystallization boundary very close to that proposed in earlier Monte Carlo simulations.
title Self-assembly and time-dependent control of active and passive triblock Janus colloids
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.20764