Assembling insight - p1

doi:10.1038/nmat4191

Model colloidal systems are a testbed for understanding aspects of the organization of matter.

Full text - Assembling insight | PDF (664 KB) - Assembling insight

Programmable self-assembly - pp2–9

Ludovico Cademartiri & Kyle J. M. Bishop

doi:10.1038/nmat4184

Two conceptual strategies for encoding information into self-assembling building blocks highlight opportunities and challenges in the realization of programmable colloidal nanostructures.

Full text - Programmable self-assembly | PDF (2.21 MB) - Programmable self-assembly

Order through entropy - pp9–12

Daan Frenkel

doi:10.1038/nmat4178

Understanding entropic contributions to common ordering transitions is essential for the design of self-assembling systems with addressable complexity.

Full text - Order through entropy | PDF (704 KB) - Order through entropy

Crystal–crystal transitions: Mediated by a liquid - pp15–16

Eduardo Sanz & Chantal Valeriani

doi:10.1038/nmat4182

The nucleation of a crystal within another can involve intermediate liquid nuclei.

Full text - Crystal–crystal transitions: Mediated by a liquid | PDF (704 KB) - Crystal–crystal transitions: Mediated by a liquid

See also: Article by Peng et al.

Colloidal phase transitions: A switch for phase shifting - pp17–18

Ah-Young Jee, Boyce Tsang & Steve Granick

doi:10.1038/nmat4179

Temperature can switch the thermodynamic phase of colloid–polymer mixtures by tipping the balance between competing attractive interactions induced by polymer depletion or adsorption.

Full text - Colloidal phase transitions: A switch for phase shifting | PDF (1.43 MB) - Colloidal phase transitions: A switch for phase shifting

See also: Letter by Feng et al.

Icosahedral quasicrystals: Assembled with one component - pp18–19

Marc de Boissieu

doi:10.1038/nmat4183

Computer simulations of one-component three-dimensional icosahedral quasicrystals will help to understand the mechanisms that may stabilize them in experiments.

Full text - Icosahedral quasicrystals: Assembled with one component | PDF (620 KB) - Icosahedral quasicrystals: Assembled with one component

See also: Article by Engel et al.

Colloidal self-assembly: Reversible actuation - pp19–20

Eric M. Furst

doi:10.1038/nmat4180

Janus ellipsoids self-assemble into self-limiting fibres that can be reversibly actuated by applying an electric field.

Full text - Colloidal self-assembly: Reversible actuation | PDF (620 KB) - Colloidal self-assembly: Reversible actuation

See also: Article by Shah et al.

Nanoparticle self-assembly: Enantioselective photoactivation - pp21–22

Bart Kahr & Alexander G. Shtukenberg

doi:10.1038/nmat4174

Circularly polarized light actualizes the formation of chiral twisted ribbons from achiral semiconductor nanoparticles.

Full text - Nanoparticle self-assembly: Enantioselective photoactivation | PDF (688 KB) - Nanoparticle self-assembly: Enantioselective photoactivation

See also: Letter by Yeom et al.

Entropy-driven formation of large icosahedral colloidal clusters by spherical confinement - pp56–60

Bart de Nijs, Simone Dussi, Frank Smallenburg, Johannes D. Meeldijk, Dirk J. Groenendijk, Laura Filion, Arnout Imhof, Alfons van Blaaderen & Marjolein Dijkstra

doi:10.1038/nmat4072

Experiments with colloidal nano- and microparticles and computer simulations show that, unexpectedly, confinement and entropy are sufficient for the formation of icosahedral crystalline clusters of up to about 100,000 particles.

First Paragraph - Entropy-driven formation of large icosahedral colloidal clusters by spherical confinement | Full text - Entropy-driven formation of large icosahedral colloidal clusters by spherical confinement | PDF (1.64 MB) - Entropy-driven formation of large icosahedral colloidal clusters by spherical confinement | Supplementary information - Entropy-driven formation of large icosahedral colloidal clusters by spherical confinement

Re-entrant solidification in polymer–colloid mixtures as a consequence of competing entropic and enthalpic attractions pp61–65

Lang Feng, Bezia Laderman, Stefano Sacanna & Paul Chaikin

doi:10.1038/nmat4109

The competition between colloidal interactions resulting from polymer bridging and polymer exclusion in polymer–colloid dispersions leads to their solidification both on heating and on cooling.

First Paragraph - Re-entrant solidification in polymer–colloid mixtures as a consequence of competing entropic and enthalpic attractions | Full text - Re-entrant solidification in polymer–colloid mixtures as a consequence of competing entropic and enthalpic attractions | PDF (3.89 MB) - Re-entrant solidification in polymer–colloid mixtures as a consequence of competing entropic and enthalpic attractions | Supplementary information - Re-entrant solidification in polymer–colloid mixtures as a consequence of competing entropic and enthalpic attractions

See also: News and Views by Jee et al.

Chiral templating of self-assembling nanostructures by circularly polarized light pp66–72

Jihyeon Yeom, Bongjun Yeom, Henry Chan, Kyle W. Smith, Sergio Dominguez-Medina, Joong Hwan Bahng, Gongpu Zhao, Wei-Shun Chang, Sung-Jin Chang, Andrey Chuvilin, Dzmitry Melnikau, Andrey L. Rogach, Peijun Zhang, Stephan Link, Petr Kraál & Nicholas A. Kotov

doi:10.1038/nmat4125

Circularly polarized light produces enantiomeric excesses, above 30%, of twisted nanoribbons self-assembled from racemic dispersions of CdTe nanoparticles.

First Paragraph - Chiral templating of self-assembling nanostructures by circularly polarized light | Full text - Chiral templating of self-assembling nanostructures by circularly polarized light | PDF (2.08 MB) - Chiral templating of self-assembling nanostructures by circularly polarized light | Supplementary information - Chiral templating of self-assembling nanostructures by circularly polarized light

See also: News and Views by Kahr & Shtukenberg

Two-step nucleation mechanism in solid–solid phase transitions - pp101–108

Yi Peng, Feng Wang, Ziren Wang, Ahmed M. Alsayed, Zexin Zhang, Arjun G. Yodh & Yilong Han

doi:10.1038/nmat4083

Single-particle-resolution video microscopy of films of colloidal particles shows that solid–solid transitions between square and triangular lattices occur through a two-step nucleation mechanism that involves liquid nuclei.

Abstract - Two-step nucleation mechanism in solid–solid phase transitions | Full text - Two-step nucleation mechanism in solid–solid phase transitions | PDF (3.94 MB) - Two-step nucleation mechanism in solid–solid phase transitions | Supplementary information - Two-step nucleation mechanism in solid–solid phase transitions

See also: News and Views by Sanz & Valeriani

Computational self-assembly of a one-component icosahedral quasicrystal - pp109–116

Michael Engel, Pablo F. Damasceno, Carolyn L. Phillips & Sharon C. Glotzer

doi:10.1038/nmat4152

A body-centred icosahedral quasicrystal has been assembled, by using molecular dynamics simulations, from a one-component fluid of particles interacting via a tunable, isotropic pair potential.

Abstract - Computational self-assembly of a one-component icosahedral quasicrystal | Full text - Computational self-assembly of a one-component icosahedral quasicrystal | PDF (2.56 MB) - Computational self-assembly of a one-component icosahedral quasicrystal | Supplementary information - Computational self-assembly of a one-component icosahedral quasicrystal

See also: News and Views by de Boissieu

Actuation of shape-memory colloidal fibres of Janus ellipsoids - pp117–124

Aayush A. Shah, Benjamin Schultz, Wenjia Zhang, Sharon C. Glotzer & Michael J. Solomon

doi:10.1038/nmat4111

Experiments and computer simulations show that Janus ellipsoids can self-assemble into self-limiting fibres that have shape-memory properties and can be actuated by applying an external electric field.

Abstract - Actuation of shape-memory colloidal fibres of Janus ellipsoids | Full text - Actuation of shape-memory colloidal fibres of Janus ellipsoids | PDF (1.97 MB) - Actuation of shape-memory colloidal fibres of Janus ellipsoids | Supplementary information - Actuation of shape-memory colloidal fibres of Janus ellipsoids

See also: News and Views by Furst