(142b) Computer Simulation of Self-Assembly By Multipolar Colloidal Particles and Their Mixtures

Colloids with anisotropic charge distributions hold promise for creating a number of useful new materials including optic materials with novel symmetries, materials for information storage, and dampers for controlling vibrations in structures. Experimentally manipulating properties of anisotropic particles in a controlled fashion can sometimes be difficult and is time consuming. The search for novel anisotropic colloidal materials can be enhanced and even guided by simulations of colloidal system assembly. We report the results of several studies of colloidal mixtures containing at least one dipolar component. The aim is to understand how particle shape and activity, and the presence or absence of an external magnetic field, affect the types of structures that form. The insights gained from these studies help our experimental colleagues to screen the many types of structures formed by anisotropic particles so as to identify those that would be of interest for advanced applications.