Simulating tactoids of chiral rod-like particles

Abstract

We present simulations of rod-like particles that assemble into spindle-shaped droplets, so-called tactoids, in presence of depleting but non-self interacting (Asakura- Oosawa) spheres. The shape and structure of these objects depend on the density of the depletants and on the molecular parameters of the model rodlike particles. A special property of the simulated rods is their chirality that is induced by having a helical arrangement of point charges at the surface of the rods. An equilibrium bulk phase of such particles is a cholesteric liquid crystal phase. However, in the small assemblies studied in the present work, the formation of the cholesteric phase is suppressed.