Structure and reentrant percolation in an inverse patchy colloidal system

Two-dimensional systems of inverse patchy colloids modeled as disks with a central charge and having their surface decorated with oppositely pointlike charged patches are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The self-assembly of the patchy colloids leads to diverse ground state configu...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Araújo, Jorge Luiz Bezerra de, Munarin, Felipe de Freitas, Farias, Gil de Aquino, Peeters, Francois Maria Leopold, Ferreira, Wandemberg Paiva
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2017
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)
Repository:Repositório Institucional da Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.ufc.br:riufc/72193
Online Access:http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/72193
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Colloidal system
Structure and reentrant percolation
Systems of inverse patchy colloids
Description
Summary:Two-dimensional systems of inverse patchy colloids modeled as disks with a central charge and having their surface decorated with oppositely pointlike charged patches are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The self-assembly of the patchy colloids leads to diverse ground state configurations ranging from crystalline arrangements of monomers to linear clusters, ramified linear clusters and to percolated configurations. Two structural phase diagrams are constructed: (1) as a function of the net charge and area fraction, and (2) as a function of the net charge and the range of the pair interaction potential. An interesting reentrant percolation transition is obtained as a function of the net charge of the colloids. We identify distinct mechanisms that lead to the percolation transition.