(683g) Anisotropic Growth Kinetics of Triblock Janus Colloids

Anisotropic colloidal particles have been shown to exhibit equilibrium crystal structures of vastly different density and coordination number depending upon surface geometry and thermodynamic conditions. However, due to very small free energy differences between accessible structures, it is not known whether self-assembly into large single crystals is feasible. We use molecular dynamics simulations to calculate interface propagation velocities for different faces of these anisotropic crystals. Our results show that the growth kinetics are strongly influenced by geometric factors which are difficult to predict from equilibrium properties. Developing a better understanding of these effects could unlock a new set of tools for directed self-assembly by leveraging growth kinetics to select between structures with similar free energies.