title: Shearing Janus Nanoparticles Confined in Two-Dimensional Space: Reshaped Cluster Configurations and Defined Assembling Kinetics.
abstract: The self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles (ANPs) possesses a wide array of potential applications in various fields, ranging from nanotechnology to material science. Despite intense research of the thermodynamic self-assembly of ANPs, elucidating their nonequilibrium behaviors under confinement still remains an urgent issue. Here, by performing simulation and theoretical justification, we present for the first time a study of the shear-induced behaviors of Janus spheres (the most elementary ANPs) confined in two-dimensional space. Our results demonstrate that the collective effects of shear and bonding structures can give rise to reshaped cluster configurations, featured by the chiral transition of clusters. Scaling analysis and numerical modeling are performed to quantitatively capture the assembling kinetics of dispersed Janus spheres, thereby suggesting an exotic way to bridge the gap between anisotropic and isotropic particles. The findings highlight confinement and shearing engineering as a versatile strategy to tailor the superstructures formed by ANPs toward unique properties.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zihan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Pengyu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Tang
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Yan