Tuning Kinetic Properties of Self-Assembled Systems

Incredible progress has been made in self-assembling complex structural features. Ranging from DNA origami to patchy colloidal particles, intricate static structures have been assembled at nearly every length scale. However, there have been few efforts to self-assemble dynamical features. Many biological systems rely heavily on precise dynamical control: protein folding, for instance, relies on careful aversion of kinetic traps. Additionally, non-biological processes such as crystal nucleation are largely controlled by dynamics. We present a method for designing the kinetic features of self-assembled systems and demonstrate the method by tuning the crystallization rate of a 2D honeycomb lattice.