Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 41: Charged Soft Matter, Polyelectrolytes and Ionic Liquids II
CPP 41.2: Talk
Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 15:15–15:30, H13
Self-assembly of hollow colloidal silica cubes — •Margaret Rosenberg1, Frans Dekker2, Joe G. Donaldson1, Albert P. Philipse2, and Sofia S. Kantorovich1,3 — 1Department of Physics, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria — 2Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nano-Materials Science, Utrecht University, NL — 3Department of Mathematical Physics, Ural Federal University, Russia
Among the multitude of recently synthesized non-spherical colloids, hollow silica cubes distinguish themselves by their charged surface and the strong influence of van der Waals forces on their behaviour. While their self-assembly has been observed in experiment, it has not yet been fully studied and characterized. Using MD simulations, we investigate the electric double layer surrounding the cubes, then compute their interaction potential at different orientations to understand the influence of their anisometry. In combination with experimental observations and calculated trajectories, we show how the self-assembly of the cubes is driven by the competition between electrostatic and van der Waals forces. We then examine the microstructures formed by small clusters of cubes, which differ significantly from those exhibited by comparable spheres. These investigations give us a multifaceted understanding of the behaviour observed in these systems and pave the way for future applications.