A case for active self-assembly: The Kagome lattice

The challenges associated with developing robust self-assembly processes in the laboratory mostly stem from an incomplete understanding of the underlying self-assembly pathway. Using numerical simulations, we study the self-assembly pathway of active triblock Janus colloids, which are designed to target the formation of a colloidal Kagome crystal. We demonstrate that the self-assembly of this elusive structure can be significantly improved by self-propelling the particles along the axis connecting their hydrophobic hemispheres. This study represents a meaningful extension of our previous work on the active self-assembly of compact, finite-sized target structures. In this talk, we outline a basic strategy of how self-propulsion can be used to improve the self-assembly of macroscopic colloidal crystals.