Field-induced assembly of colloidal ellipsoids into well-defined microtubules

Jérôme J. Crassous (), Adriana M. Mihut, Erik Wernersson (), Patrick Pfleiderer, Jan Vermant, Per Linse and Peter Schurtenberger
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Jérôme J. Crassous: Physical Chemistry, Lund University
Adriana M. Mihut: Physical Chemistry, Lund University
Erik Wernersson: Physical Chemistry, Lund University
Patrick Pfleiderer: KU Leuven, University of Leuven
Jan Vermant: KU Leuven, University of Leuven
Per Linse: Physical Chemistry, Lund University
Peter Schurtenberger: Physical Chemistry, Lund University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6516

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