A research team led by Tianjin University has discovered by simulation techniques that tetratic-ordered phases possessing four-fold rotational symmetry can be formed by hard kites that are completely rotationally asymmetric. A novel crystal phase, tetragonal rectangular crystal phase, is reported.

The researchers reported a new crystal phase, tetragonal rectangular crystal phase formed by 94.5°–72°–94.5°–99° kites.

The research is of great significance in that it provides insight into the creation of novel ordered materials by rationally designing particle shape.

This work, undertaken by a collaborative team led by Prof. Kun Zhao at Tianjin University, has been published in Nature Communications (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15723-w).

How to predict the forms of self-ordering in systems of hard anisotropic particles of arbitrary shape is quite challenging. This work illustrates a promising strategy based on local polymorphic configurations of neighboring particle pairs, which successfully explains the emergent tetratic order in hard kites.

"Currently we are working on fabricating particles with designed shapes and performing experiments to realize specific structures through self-assembly,” Prof. Zhao noted.

This work is jointly completed in collaboration with several research groups from world-renowned research institutions, including Prof. Zhaoyan Sun at Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CAS), Prof. Fangfu Ye at the Institute of Physics (CAS), and Prof. Thomas G. Mason atUniversity of California,Los Angeles. Zhanglin Hou, a Ph.D candidate of Tianjin University, is the first author of this work. Prof. Kun Zhao is the corresponding author.

By the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology

Editor: Eva Yin