Anisotropic particles with tetrahedral symmetry

Artists impression of a tetrahedral patchy particle

The phase diagram of the tetrahedral Kern and Frenkel patchy model exhibits the following solid phases: diamond crystal (DC), body centred cubic (BCC) and face centred cubic (FCC). The gas-liquid critical point becomes metastable with respect to the diamond crystal when the range of the interaction becomes short (roughly less than 15% of the diameter).

In contrast to isotropic models, the critical point becomes only weakly metastable with respect to the solid as the interaction range narrows (from left to right in the figure).

See also

• PMW (primitive model for water)