Automating Blueprints\nfor the Assembly of Colloidal\nQuasicrystal Clusters

One of the frontiers of nanotechnology is advancing beyond\nthe\nperiodic self-assembly of materials. Icosahedral quasicrystals, aperiodic\nin all directions, represent one of the most challenging targets that\nhas yet to be experimentally realized at the colloidal scale. Previous\nattempts have required meticulous human-designed building blocks and\noften resulted in interactions beyond the current experimental capabilities.\nIn this work, we introduce a framework for generating experimentally\naccessible designs that self-assemble into quasicrystalline arrangements.\nWe present a design for icosahedral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) origami\nbuilding blocks and demonstrate, through molecular simulations, their\nsuccessful assembly into a target quasicrystalline structure. Our\nresults highlight the feasibility of using automated design protocols\nto achieve complex quasicrystalline patterns, with applications in\nmaterial science and nanotechnology.