Related papers: Telechelic star polymers as self-assembling units …

We systematically investigate the self-assembly of anisotropic cone-shaped particles decorated by ring-like attractive patches. We demonstrate that the self-assembled clusters, which arise due to the conical particle's anisotropic shape…

Using computer simulations in two dimensions we investigate the dynamics and structure of passive polymeric tracer with different topologies immersed in a low-density active particle bath. One of the key observations is that polymer exhibit…

Microgels are colloidal-scale particles individually made of crosslinked polymer networks that can swell and deswell in response to external stimuli, such as changes to temperature or pH. Despite a large amount of experimental activities on…

In living cells, proteins self-assemble into large functional structures based on specific interactions between molecularly complex patches. Due to this complexity, protein self-assembly results from a competition between a large number of…

We introduce a simple "patchy particle" model to study the thermodynamics and dynamics of self-assembly of homomeric protein complexes. Our calculations allow us to rationalize recent results for dihedral complexes. Namely, why evolution of…

Designing and fabricating self-assembled open colloidal crystals have become one major direction in soft matter community because of many promising applications associated with open colloidal crystals. However, most of the self-assembled…

Star-like microgels have recently emerged as a promising class of thermoresponsive soft colloids, that have an internal architecture similar to that of star polymers. Here, we perform extensive monomer-resolved simulations to theoretically…

We report on the construction and the dynamics of monodisperse star-shaped particles, mimicking, at the mesoscale, star polymers. Such multi-arm star-like particles result from the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles, forming the core, with…

Mutually repelling particles form spontaneously ordered clusters when forced into confinement. The clusters may adopt similar spatial arrangements even if the underlying particle interactions are contrastingly different. Here we demonstrate…

We propose microscopic density functional theory for inhomogeneous star polymers. Our approach is based on fundamental measure theory for hard spheres, and on Wertheim's first- and second-order perturbation theory for the interparticle…

Self-assembly in natural and synthetic molecular systems can create complex aggregates or materials whose properties and functionality rises from their internal structure and molecular arrangement. The key microscopic features that control…

We computed the self-organisation process of a monodisperse collection of spherical micrometric particles trapped in a two-dimensional (2D) thin liquid film isothermally dried on a chemically inert substrate. The substrate is either flat or…

We report on the structural properties of mixed aggregates made from rare-earth inorganic nanoparticles (radius 20 Angstroms) and polyelectrolyte-neutral block copolymers in aqueous solutions. Using scattering experiments and Monte Carlo…

The self-assembly of binary nanoparticle superlattices from colloidal mixtures is a promising method for the fabrication of complex colloidal co-crystal structures. However, binary mixtures often form amorphous or metastable phases instead…

Recent theoretical studies have predicted a new clustering mechanism for soft matter particles that interact via a certain kind of purely repulsive, bounded potentials. At sufficiently high densities, clusters of overlapping particles are…

Patchy colloids are promising candidates for building blocks in directed self-assembly. To be successful the surface patterns need to both be simple enough to be synthesized, while feature-rich enough to cause the colloids to self-assemble…

The interaction of amphiphilic polymers with small colloids, capable to reversibly stick onto the chains, is studied. Adhesive small colloids in solution are able to dynamically bind two polymer segments. This association leads to…

We systematically study the design of simple patchy sphere models that reversibly self-assemble into monodisperse icosahedral clusters. We find that the optimal patch width is a compromise between structural specificity (the patches must be…

We report on the linear viscoelastic properties of mixtures comprising multiarm star (as model soft colloids) and long linear chain homopolymers in a good solvent. In contrast to earlier works, we investigated symmetric mixtures (with a…

In this work we focus on the dynamics of macromolecular networks formed by end-linking identical polymer stars. The resulting macromolecular network can then be viewed as consisting of spacers which connect branching points (the cores of…