Soft Matter and Complex Systems Seminar

The competition between depletion-induced attraction and electrostatic repulsion in colloid-polymer mixtures can lead to self-assembly of variety of inhomogeneous structures. On quasi two-dimensional interfaces with increasing density clusters, stripes or bubbles are predicted by theoretical studies and computer simulations. The periodic boundary conditions which are typically used to model the bulk enhance periodic ordering of the structures. It is then of interest, what happens to the ordering when different type of boundary conditions are used. In this talk, I will review results obtained with A. Ciach and N. G. Almarza on the properties of the stripe phase in systems with different boundary conditions. In particular, I will present the influence of (i) semi-infinite slit confinement [1], (ii) closed and curved surface of spherical shape [2], (iii) closed and flat surface of hexagonal shape.

[1] N. G. Almarza, J. Pękalski, A. Ciach "Effects of confinement on pattern formation in two dimensional systems with competing interactions" Soft Matter 12, 7551-7563 (2016)
[2] J. Pękalski, A. Ciach, "Orientational ordering of lamellar structures on closed surfaces" (2018) (submitted)