(232m) Shape‐Driven Colloidal Crystal—Crystal Transitions

Recent experimental, theoretical, and computational work has shown that anisotropic colloids exhibit a rich phase behavior, including the selfâ?assembly of complex crystal phases. Here, we study the thermodynamics of crystalâ??crystal transitions that are driven by changes in colloid shape. Using rare event sampling techniques, we find that shapeâ?driven crystalâ??crystal transitions that have similar diffusionless pathways can have unexpectedly complex thermodynamic behaviors. We discuss implications of our results for reconfigurable colloidal materials.