mz6b00425_si_001.pdf (1.32 MB)
Optimal Self-Assembly of Linked Constructs and Catenanes via Spatial Confinement
journal contribution
posted on 2016-07-15, 21:43 authored by Guido Polles, Enzo Orlandini, Cristian MichelettiHow
to direct the self-assembly of simple templates toward constructs
with complex shape and topology is still an open problem. Recent advancements
have made it possible to self-assemble various types of knotted constructs,
but targeting general multicomponent topologies, that is, links and
catenanes, has proved much harder. Here, we study how the yield and
complexity of self-assembled links depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic
system properties and, particularly, template shape and spatial confinement.
We show that slit confinement does not necessarily suppress linking
but can rather enhance it significantly thanks to entropic effects.
We also found that only a limited set of binary links are recurrent
for different template shapes. These privileged topologies include
all those experimentally realized so far plus a few additional ones,
such as the 772 and 782 links
that, hence, ought to be ideal candidates for broadening the current
class of constructs with addressable topology.