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arXiv · 2306.00871

Geometrically frustrated self-assembly of hyperbolic crystals from icosahedral nanoparticles

Nan Cheng·Kai Sun·Xiaoming Mao
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Abstract

Geometric frustration is a fundamental concept in various areas of physics, and its role in self-assembly processes has recently been recognized as a source of intricate self-limited structures. Here we present an analytic theory of the geometrically frustrated self-assembly of regular icosahedral nanoparticle based on the non-Euclidean crystal {3, 5, 3} formed by icosahedra in hyperbolic space. By considering the minimization of elastic and repulsion energies, we characterize prestressed morphologies in this self-assembly system. Notably, the morphology exhibits a transition that is controlled by the size of the assembled cluster, leading to the spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry.

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Nan Cheng, Kai Sun, Xiaoming Mao. 2023-06-01. Geometrically frustrated self-assembly of hyperbolic crystals from icosahedral nanoparticles. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.110.054132

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