Optimized assembly and steady-state length-scale control in dissipative systems of photo-switchable colloids

ORAL

Abstract

Photo-switchable nanoparticles, such as those developed by Wei et al.,\footnote{Y.H. Wei, S. B. Han, J. Kim, S. L. Soh and B. A. Grzybowski, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 11018-11020.} can be assembled into a broad range of structures using light exposure as a control parameter. Jha et al.\footnote{P.k. Jha, V. Kuzovkov, B.A. Grzybowski, and M. Olvera del la Cruz, Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 227-234} explored the evolution of these structures using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. In this work, we build on these studies using Molecular Dynamics with a Langevin thermostat to, by judicious choice of exposure parameters that control the dissipative nature of the system, engineer and optimize the self-assembly pathways as well as control the length scales of the steady-state structures.

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Authors

  • Antonio Osorio-Vivanco

    University of Michigan

  • Monica Olvera de la Cruz

    Northwestern University, Department of Materials Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

  • Sharon Glotzer

    Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI