Phase behavior of Janus colloids determined by sedimentation equilibrium

Abstract

We investigate the phase behavior of short-range interacting isotropic particles and single-patch Janus particles via simulations of sedimentation equilibrium, which allows for a rapid assessment of the equation of state and phase behavior directly from simulation. The methodology is tested against results by traditional methods and is found to yield good agreement for isotropic interactions. The method is then used to study single-patch Janus particles with different interaction strengths and patch sizes with particle area coverage greater than ∼0.63. Our results show an interplay between translational and orientational order. We observe a lamellar phase, a fluid phase and a rotator close-packed structure. The lamellar phase is shown to have a different range of stability than previously observed in simulation studies for systems of similar and longer-ranged interactions.