Optimal packings of three-arm star polyphiles: from tricontinuous to quasi-uniformly striped bicontinuous forms

Abstract

Star-shaped molecules with three mutually immiscible arms self-assemble to form a variety of novel structures, with conformations that attempt to minimize interfacial area between the domains composed of the different arms. The geometric frustration caused by the joining of these arms at a common centre limits the size and shape of each domain, encouraging the creation of complex and interesting solutions. Some solutions are tricontinuous, and these solutions (and others) share aspects of bicontinuous structures with amphiphilic assemblies as similar molecular segregation factors are at work. We describe both highly symmetric and balanced structures, as well as unbalanced solutions that take the form of intricately striped amphiphilic membranes. All these patterns can result in chiral assemblies with multiple networks.