Self-Assembly of Particles with Rough Edges: Polyhedrons with Potential for New Materials
In many processes in nature and industry, small objects form ordered layers in liquids on solid surfaces. Standard models describe the objects as spheres with homogeneous surfaces, but many particles have flattened sides – for example, if they are made of metal. Scientists at the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken and the University of Sydney have recently shown that such polyhedral particles form completely different structures than spherical particles. The properties of the resulting materials, and potentially their recyclability, are also distinct. The results of the research cooperation have now been published in the renowned journal Advanced Materials.