Activity-assisted self-assembly of colloidal particles

Abstract: We outline a basic strategy of how self-propulsion can be used to improve the yield of a typical colloidal self-assembly process. The success of this approach is predicated on the thoughtful design of the colloidal building block as well as how self-propulsion is endowed to the particle. As long as a set of criteria are satisfied, it is possible to significantly increase the rate of self-assembly, and greatly expand the window in parameter space where self-assembly can occur. In addition, we show that by tuning the relative on/off time of the self-propelling force it is possible to modulate the effective speed of the colloids allowing for further optimization of the self-assembly process.