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Discovery of bilayer nanoparticle (NP) superlattices using global Monte Carlo optimization

What  Has  Been Achieved: IRG1 has developed a computational framework for understanding how nanoparticles (NPs) assemble at the  interface  between  two  immiscible  fluids.  These  complex systems harness the competition between interparticle interactions and particle-interface interactions.

Importance  of  the  Achievement: The  resulting  computational models  enable  the  fast  and  accurate  prediction  of  NP  behavior, including  the  discovery  of  never-before-observed structures such as the bilayer NP superlattices shown here.

How  is  the  achievement  related  to  the  IRG,  and  how  does  it help  it  achieve  its  goals? These  models  were  inspired  by  the polymer-grafted  NP  systems  studied  in  IRG1  and  is  currently guiding the experimental and characterization efforts of IRG1 for fabricating  planar  colloidal  superlattices  with  distinct  collective plasmonic, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties.