Crassous Jérôme J, Mihut Adriana M, Wernersson Erik, Pfleiderer Patrick, Vermant Jan, Linse Per, Schurtenberger Peter
Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden.
1] Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium [2] Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2014 Nov 20;5:5516. doi: 10.1038/ncomms6516.
Current theoretical attempts to understand the reversible formation of stable microtubules and virus shells are generally based on shape-specific building blocks or monomers, where the local curvature of the resulting structure is explicitly built-in via the monomer geometry. Here we demonstrate that even simple ellipsoidal colloids can reversibly self-assemble into regular tubular structures when subjected to an alternating electric field. Supported by model calculations, we discuss the combined effects of anisotropic shape and field-induced dipolar interactions on the reversible formation of self-assembled structures. Our observations show that the formation of tubular structures through self-assembly requires much less geometrical and interaction specificity than previously thought, and advance our current understanding of the minimal requirements for self-assembly into regular virus-like structures.
目前，为理解稳定微管和病毒壳的可逆形成所做的理论尝试，通常基于形状特定的构建块或单体，其中所得结构的局部曲率通过单体几何形状明确内置。在此，我们证明，即使是简单的椭球形胶体，在交变电场作用下也能可逆地自组装成规则的管状结构。在模型计算的支持下，我们讨论了各向异性形状和场致偶极相互作用对自组装结构可逆形成的综合影响。我们的观察结果表明，通过自组装形成管状结构所需的几何和相互作用特异性比之前认为的要少得多，并推进了我们目前对自组装成规则病毒样结构的最低要求的理解。
