Researchers
at the Research Triangle MRSEC have developed a technique to create microcubes and microcylinders
presenting metallic patches in precise locations. These particles can be
suspended in fluids and assembled in electric and magnetic fields to form
highly ordered structures such as staggered chains, lattices, and small
crystallites.
Given their unique shape and polarization, these particles may serve as
fundamental building blocks in future materials with advanced properties. By
modifying the shape and the location of their metallic facets, as well as the
external field parameters, the morphology of the resulting assemblies can be
tuned across a broad range.
These
particles are now used as a platform for developing programmable and
reconfigurable structures and materials in dynamic fields for emerging
technologies such as soft self-assembled microrobots.
