Revealing pseudorotation and ring-opening reactions in colloidal organic molecules

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23144-6
• Publication Date: 2021-05-14T10:03:17Z
• Authors: P. J. M. Swinkels; S. G. Stuij; Z. Gong; H. Jonas; N. Ruffino; B. van der Linden; P. G. Bolhuis; S. Sacanna; S. Woutersen; P. Schall
• Keywords: Cyclopentanes; Pseudorotation; Soft matter; Colloidal particle

Abstract Colloids have a rich history of being used as ‘big atoms’ mimicking real atoms to study crystallization, gelation and the glass transition condensed matter. Emulating dynamics molecules, however, has remained elusive. Recent advances in colloid chemistry allow patchy particles be synthesized with accurate control over shape, functionality coordination number. Here, we show that colloidal alkanes, specifically cyclopentane, assembled from tetrameric by critical Casimir forces undergo same chemical transformations their atomic counterparts, allowing studied time. We directly observe transitions between chair twist conformations elucidate interplay bond bending strain entropy molecular states ring-opening reactions. These results open door investigate complex kinetics reactions high-temperature classical limit, which analogue becomes good model.