Active Colloidal Molecules

Like ordinary molecules are composed of atoms, colloidal molecules consist of several species of colloidal particles tightly bound together. If one of these components is self-propelled or swimming, novel "active colloidal molecules" emerge. Active colloidal molecules exist on various levels such as "homonuclear", "heteronuclear" and "polymeric" and possess a dynamical function moving as propellers, spinners or rotors. Self-assembly of such active complexes has been studied a lot recently and this perspective article summarizes recent progress and gives an outlook to future developments in the rapidly expanding field of active colloidal molecules

Efficient simulations of charged colloidal dispersions: A density functional approach

A numerical method is presented for first-principle simulations of charged colloidal dispersions in electrolyte solutions. Utilizing a smoothed profile for colloid-solvent boundaries, efficient mesoscopic simulations are enabled for modeling dispersions of many colloidal particles exhibiting many-body electrostatic interactions. The validity of the method was examined for simple colloid geometries, and the efficiency was demonstrated by calculating stable structures of two-dimensional dispersions, which resulted in the formation of colloidal crystals.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure