Modelling anisotropic interactions in colloidal systems

Abstract: There has been an increased interest to design “smart materials” which can self-assemble into complex structures in accordance to external factors such as for example electromagnetic fields. By designing particles with directional interactions one is able to control how particles will interact with each other. By means of both Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulations we study the interactions of three distinct types of models namely the self-assembly of off-centered dipoles, the charged patchy particle model in multivalent electrolytes, and an all atom model of [3,3Õ-cobalt(III) bis(1.2-dicarbollide)] and its interaction with solvent. Besides this there is also a short discussion about the long-range anisotropic interactions and ways by which one can calculate them.