2000/07/14 by P. Ziherl, Primoz Ziherl, Randall D. Kamien · 1 citation
Chemistry · Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization #Chemical physics #Chemistry #Computer science #Condensed matter physics #Crystal (programming language) #Crystal structure #Crystallography #Entropy (arrow of time) #Geometry #Homogeneous space #Materials science #Mathematics #Micelle #Physical chemistry #Physics #Supramolecular chemistry #Surface Chemistry and Catalysis #Surfactants and Colloidal Systems #Thermodynamics #Voronoi diagram #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.85.3528
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (2000) 3528 · 4 pages, RevTeX, 2 included eps figures
arxiv created 2000/07/14 · openalex publication_date 2000/10/16 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2020/05/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We propose a physical mechanism to explain the crystal symmetries found in macromolecular and supramolecular micellar materials. We argue that the packing entropy of the hard micellar cores is frustrated by the entropic interaction of their brushlike coronas. The latter interaction is treated as a surface effect between neighboring Voronoi cells. The observed crystal structures correspond to the Kelvin and Weaire-Phelan minimal foams. We show that these structures are stable for reasonable areal entropy densities.