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Capillary-driven self-assembly of soft ellipsoidal microgels at the air-water interface

delete2024-12-20
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OA
AI
N
Nabanita Hazra
A
Andrey A. Rudov
J
Jiarul Midya
A
Andrey Babenyshev
S
Steffen Bochenek
M
Martin Frenken
W
Walter Richtering
G
Gerhard Gompper
T
Thorsten Auth
I
Igor I. Potemkin *
J
Jérôme J. Crassous *
DOI：10.1073/pnas.2403690121delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The adsorption of ellipsoidal colloidal particles on liquid interfaces induces interfacial deformation, resulting in anisotropic interface-mediated interactions and the formation of superstructures. Soft prolate-shaped microgels at the air-water interface offer an ideal model for studying spontaneous capillary-driven self-assembly due to their tunable aspect ratio, controlled functionality, and softness. These microgels consist of a polystyrene core surrounded by a cross-linked, fluorescently labeled poly(N- isopropylmethylacrylamide) shell. By uniaxially stretching the particles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol films, the aspect ratio p can be finely adjusted. p was found to vary from 1 to 8.8 as estimated in their swollen conformation at 20 degrees C from confocal laser scanning microscopy. The spontaneous interfacial self-assembly at the air-water interface is investigated through fluorescence microscopy, theoretical calculations, and computer simulations. A structural transition occurs from a seemingly random assembly for small aspect ratios to compact clusters, which transform into a side- to-side assembly forming long chains for high aspect ratios. The influence of the poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) shell on the assembly indicates a significant pdependent microgel deformation. This deformation, in turn, determines the average distance between the particles. Consequently, capillary-driven self-assembly of soft anisotropic colloids becomes a powerful mechanism for structuring interfaces and designing microstructured materials.
Keywords:
microgels
anisotropic colloids
fluid interfaces
self-assembly
capillary interactions
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Journal

P
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IF:
9.1
Papers:
10.8W
Citations:
73.5W

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