Automating Blueprints for the Assembly of Colloidal Quasicrystal Clusters

Abstract

One of the frontiers of nanotechnology is advancing beyond the periodic self-assembly of materials. Icosahedral quasicrystals, aperiodic in all directions, represent one of the most challenging targets that has yet to be experimentally realized at the colloidal scale. Previous attempts have required meticulous human-designed building blocks and often resulted in interactions beyond the current experimental capabilities. In this work, we introduce a framework for generating experimentally accessible designs that self-assemble into quasicrystalline arrangements. We present a design for icosahedral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) origami building blocks and demonstrate, through molecular simulations, their successful assembly into a target quasicrystalline structure. Our results highlight the feasibility of using automated design protocols to achieve complex quasicrystalline patterns, with applications in material science and nanotechnology.