Pattern formation on the surface of cationic-anionic cylindrical aggregates

Charged pattern formation on the surfaces of self-assembled cylindrical micelles formed from oppositely charged heterogeneous molecules such as cationic and anionic peptide amphiphiles is investigated. The net incompatibility chi among different components results in the formation of segregated domains, whose growth is inhibited by electrostatics. The transition to striped phases proceeds through an intermediate structure governed by fluctuations, followed by states with various lamellar orientations, which depend on cylinder radius R-c and chi. We analyze the specific heat, susceptibility S(q(*)), domain size Lambda=2 pi/q(*), and morphology as a function of R-c and chi.