TY - JOUR
T1 - A two-level, discrete-particle approach for simulating ordered colloidal structures
AU - Dzwinel, Witold
AU - Yuen, David A.
PY - 2000/5/1
Y1 - 2000/5/1
N2 - We devise a new, two-level discrete-particle model to simulate ordered colloidal structures with vastly different scales. We use the molecular dynamics paradigm with a Lennard-Jones-type potential to define colloidal particle system and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to model the solvent. The initially mixed, disordered particle ensemble undergoes a phase transition. We observe the spontaneous creation of spherical or rod-like micelles and their crystallization in stable hexagonal or worm-like structures, respectively. The ordered arrays obtained by using the particle model are similar to the two-dimensional colloidal crystals observed in laboratory experiments. The micelle shape depends on the ratio between the scaling factors of the colloid-colloid to colloid-solvent particle interactions. The properties of the DPD solvent, such as the strongly variable viscosity and partial pressure, determine the speed of crystallization. The intriguing features of colloidal arrays and their exotic symmetries, which persist also over two-dimensional domains, can be simulated numerically by using the two-level discrete-particle approach and are illustrated here. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
AB - We devise a new, two-level discrete-particle model to simulate ordered colloidal structures with vastly different scales. We use the molecular dynamics paradigm with a Lennard-Jones-type potential to define colloidal particle system and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to model the solvent. The initially mixed, disordered particle ensemble undergoes a phase transition. We observe the spontaneous creation of spherical or rod-like micelles and their crystallization in stable hexagonal or worm-like structures, respectively. The ordered arrays obtained by using the particle model are similar to the two-dimensional colloidal crystals observed in laboratory experiments. The micelle shape depends on the ratio between the scaling factors of the colloid-colloid to colloid-solvent particle interactions. The properties of the DPD solvent, such as the strongly variable viscosity and partial pressure, determine the speed of crystallization. The intriguing features of colloidal arrays and their exotic symmetries, which persist also over two-dimensional domains, can be simulated numerically by using the two-level discrete-particle approach and are illustrated here. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
KW - Colloidal crystals
KW - Dissipative particle dynamics
KW - Micelles
KW - Molecular dynamics
KW - Two-level particle model
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U2 - 10.1006/jcis.2000.6751
DO - 10.1006/jcis.2000.6751
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034192244
VL - 225
SP - 179
EP - 190
JO - Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
JF - Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
SN - 0021-9797
IS - 1
ER -