In:
Nature Communications, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 5, No. 1 ( 2014-11-20)
Kurzfassung:
Current theoretical attempts to understand the reversible formation of stable microtubules and virus shells are generally based on shape-specific building blocks or monomers, where the local curvature of the resulting structure is explicitly built-in via the monomer geometry. Here we demonstrate that even simple ellipsoidal colloids can reversibly self-assemble into regular tubular structures when subjected to an alternating electric field. Supported by model calculations, we discuss the combined effects of anisotropic shape and field-induced dipolar interactions on the reversible formation of self-assembled structures. Our observations show that the formation of tubular structures through self-assembly requires much less geometrical and interaction specificity than previously thought, and advance our current understanding of the minimal requirements for self-assembly into regular virus-like structures.
Materialart:
Online-Ressource
ISSN:
2041-1723
Sprache:
Englisch
Verlag:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publikationsdatum:
2014
ZDB Id:
2553671-0