Issue 9, 2013

Cluster formation in one-patch colloids: low coverage results

Abstract

We perform Monte Carlo simulations of a simple one-patch colloidal model to investigate the cluster formation and the phase behavior of the system on changing the width of the patch. We investigate the parameter region where the coverage (defined as the ratio between attractive and total surface) varies from 50% (the Janus case) to zero (hard-sphere). Simulation results indicate that on decreasing the coverage, particles self-assemble into clusters of different shapes, from micelles close to the Janus case, to one and two dimensional aggregates (wires and lamellae) for smaller coverage. Close to the hard-sphere limit, small micelles and dimers dominate the scene. We never find evidence of a gas–liquid (colloidal-rich/colloidal-poor) phase separation: it confirms that self-assembly into clusters which expose to their neighbors mostly repulsive surfaces suppresses phase separation and stabilizes cluster phases.

Graphical abstract: Cluster formation in one-patch colloids: low coverage results

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Oct 2012
Accepted
11 Dec 2012
First published
21 Jan 2013

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 2652-2661

Cluster formation in one-patch colloids: low coverage results

G. Munaò, Z. Preisler, T. Vissers, F. Smallenburg and F. Sciortino, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 2652 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM27490F

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