Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Active particles self-assemble into emergent structures that respond sensitively to external constraints. Consequently, their behavior under confinement is complex, especially in soft confined media, leading to diverse emergent morphologies. Through computer simulations, we investigate the dynamical interplay between active Brownian particles and a binary mixture. Our results show that active particles stabilize nonequilibrium morphologies, arresting coarsening by exerting active pressure that competes with surface tension. For moderate activities, particles stabilize an active emulsion with a well-defined droplet size. At higher activities, when particles can cross the liquid domains, a dynamic emulsion with large droplet dispersion is sustained. Furthermore, active particles drive phase-separated mixtures away from equilibrium configurations, demonstrating a rich coassembly behavior due to competing energy scales in the system.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Javier Díaz, Ignacio Pagonabarraga
Institution: Universitat de Barcelona
Language: English
Topic: Micro and Nano Robotics
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G179199982, G3348101162
OpenAlex ID: W4408226427