Non-close-packed hexagonal self-assembly of Janus nanoparticles on planar membranes

The adhesion modes of an ensemble of spherical Janus nanoparticles on planar membranes are investigated through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained implicit-solvent model. We found that the Janus nanoparticles adhering to planar membranes exhibit a rich phase behavior that depends on their adhesion energy density and areal number density. In particular, effective repulsive membrane-curvature-mediated interactions between the Janus nanoparticles lead to their self-assembly into an ordered hexagonal superlattice at intermediate densities and intermediate to high adhesion energy density, with a lattice constant determined by their areal density. The melting behavior of the hexagonal superlattice proceeds through a two-stage melting scenario in agreement with the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young classical theory of two-dimensional melting. The adhesion modes of an ensemble of spherical Janus nanoparticles on planar membranes are investigated through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained implicit-solvent model.

Automated summary

The adhesion modes of spherical Janus nanoparticles on planar membranes were investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the nanoparticles exhibited rich phase behavior depending on their adhesion energy density and areal number density. At intermediate densities and intermediate to high adhesion energy density, repulsive membrane-curvature-mediated interactions caused the nanoparticles to self-assemble into an ordered hexagonal superlattice.