Exploring novel transitions that bridge phases with distinct lattice symmetry
A recently published article from the Escobedo, Stroock, Hanrath, and Cohen groups at Cornell demonstrates via simulations and a simple experimental strategy how a single monolayer of particles can be coaxed to form lattices with either hexagonal or square symmetry. The unique phase behavior observed in this work can provide a template for designing materials for speciality applications with switchable hexagonal↔square packings, e.g., to fabricate optical switches, and optical biosensors. Abstract The entropy-driven monolayer assembly of hexagonal prisms and cylinders was studied under hard... Read more