Mikto-Arm Stars as Soft-Patchy Particles: From Building Blocks to Mesoscopic Structures.

ABSTRACT: We present an atomistic molecular dynamics study of self-assembled mikto-arm stars, which resemble patchy-like particles. By increasing the number of stars in the system, we propose a systematic way of examining the mutual orientation of these fully penetrable patchy-like objects. The individual stars maintain their patchy-like morphology when creating a mesoscopic (macromolecular) self-assembled object of more than three stars. The self-assembly of mikto-arm stars does not lead to a deformation of the stars, and their shape remains spherical. We identified characteristic sub-units in the self-assembled structure, differing by the mutual orientation of the nearest neighbor stars. The current work aims to elucidate the possible arrangements of the realistic, fully penetrable patchy particle

SUBMITTER: Bacova P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8037958 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature