With the help of a unique combination of density functional theory and computer simulations, we discover two possible scenarios, depending on concentration, for the hierarchical self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles on cooling. We show that typically considered low temperature clusters, i.e. defect-free chains and rings, merge into more complex branched structures through only three types of defects: four-way X junctions, three-way Y junctions and two-way Z junctions. Our accurate calculations reveal the predominance of weakly magnetically responsive rings cross-linked by X defects at the lowest temperatures. We thus provide a strategy to fine-tune magnetic and thermodynamic responses of magnetic nanocolloids to be used in medical and microfluidics applications.

Temperature-induced structural transitions in self-assembling magnetic nanocolloids / Kantorovich, Sofia S.; Ivanov, Alexey O.; Rovigatti, Lorenzo; Tavares, Jose M.; Sciortino, Francesco. - In: PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS. - ISSN 1463-9076. - 17:25(2015), pp. 16601-16608. [10.1039/c5cp01558h]

Temperature-induced structural transitions in self-assembling magnetic nanocolloids

Rovigatti, Lorenzo;SCIORTINO, Francesco
2015

Abstract

With the help of a unique combination of density functional theory and computer simulations, we discover two possible scenarios, depending on concentration, for the hierarchical self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles on cooling. We show that typically considered low temperature clusters, i.e. defect-free chains and rings, merge into more complex branched structures through only three types of defects: four-way X junctions, three-way Y junctions and two-way Z junctions. Our accurate calculations reveal the predominance of weakly magnetically responsive rings cross-linked by X defects at the lowest temperatures. We thus provide a strategy to fine-tune magnetic and thermodynamic responses of magnetic nanocolloids to be used in medical and microfluidics applications.
2015
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy (all); structural transitions; colloids
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Temperature-induced structural transitions in self-assembling magnetic nanocolloids / Kantorovich, Sofia S.; Ivanov, Alexey O.; Rovigatti, Lorenzo; Tavares, Jose M.; Sciortino, Francesco. - In: PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS. - ISSN 1463-9076. - 17:25(2015), pp. 16601-16608. [10.1039/c5cp01558h]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/835753
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