title: Supracolloidal fullerene-like cages: design principles and formation mechanisms.
abstract: How to create novel desired structures by rational design of building blocks represents a significant challenge in materials science. Here we report a conceptually new design principle for creating supracolloidal fullerene-like cages through the self-assembly of soft patchy particles interacting via directional nonbonded interactions by mimicking non-planar sp2hybridized carbon atoms in C60. Our numerical investigations demonstrate that the rational design of patch configuration, size, and interaction can drive soft three-patch particles to reversibly self-assemble into a vast collection of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages. We further elucidate the formation mechanisms of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages by analyzing the structural characteristics and the formation process. Our results provide conceptual and practical guidance towards the experimental realization of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages, as well as a new perspective on understanding the fullerene formation mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China. zysun@ciac.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhan-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China. zysun@ciac.ac.cn.
authors.forename: You-Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China. zysun@ciac.ac.cn and Xinjiang Laboratory of Phase Transitions and Microstructures in Condensed Matters, College of Physical Science and Technology, Yili Normal University, Yining, 835000, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Sun