Quasi‐Periodic Organization in Soft Self‐Assembling Matter

Micelles made up of dendritic molecules can form a liquid quasi-crystalline phase. The phase structure (see picture) is characterized by a 12-fold symmetry, defying the rules of classical crystallography. The phase structure is assembled from only one set of building blocks, differentiating this system from metal alloys, in which at least two different types of atoms are required.