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Grafted nanoparticles as soft patchy colloids: self-assembly versus phase separation.
- Source :
-
The Journal of chemical physics [J Chem Phys] 2015 Feb 21; Vol. 142 (7), pp. 074901. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- We investigate the thermodynamic behavior of a model polymer-grafted nanoparticle (GNP) system on a fine lattice, using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, to compare and contrast the validity of two different models for GNPs: "nanoparticle amphiphiles" versus "patchy particles." In the former model, continuous self-assembly processes are expected to dominate the system, whereas the latter are characterized by first-order phase separation into novel equilibrium phases such as "empty liquids." We find that, in general, considering GNPs as amphiphiles within the framework of a recent mean-field theory [Pryamtisyn et al., J. Chem. Phys. 131, 221102 (2009)] provides a qualitatively accurate description of the thermodynamics of GNP systems, revealing either first-order phase separation into two isotropic phases or continuous self-assembly. Our model GNPs display no signs of empty liquid formation, suggesting that these nanoparticles do not provide a route to such phases.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1089-7690
- Volume :
- 142
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Journal of chemical physics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25702025
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4908044