{
  "abstract": "Metastable intermediates play an important role in directing structural evolution across complex energy landscapes. Here, we establish the dodecagonal quasicrystal (DDQC) as a tunable metastable kinetic junction in a single-component carboxyl-functionalized dendritic assembly. Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals that this DDQC junction bifurcates into distinct Frank-Kasper (FK) phases through competing kinetic pathways: a deformation-dominated route to the A15 phase at lower temperatures or a mass-exchange-mediated transformation to the thermodynamically favored σ phase at higher temperatures. By introducing amine-mediated salt bridges to rigidify the micellar cores, we selectively suppress the deformation-driven A15 pathway while preserving access to the σ phase, thereby programming the bifurcation behavior of the DDQC junction. Leveraging this core engineering, a vapor-induced self-assembly (VISA) strategy was further developed to enable a nonequilibrium σ-to-DDQC transition. The high nucleation barrier inherent to this nonequilibrium pathway creates a nucleation-controlled regime that suppresses spontaneous polydomain formation, enabling the growth of macroscopically aligned, face-on single-domain DDQC with persistent 12-fold symmetry over millimeter length scales. These findings demonstrate that micellar core engineering provides a powerful platform for navigating rugged energy landscapes, transforming metastability from an uncontrolled kinetic trap into a programmable element for deterministic pathway selection and long-range quasiperiodic order in soft matter.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei10617, Taiwan.",
    "National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center , 101 Hsin-Ann Road, Hsinchu30076, Taiwan."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mayumi Egashira",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2382-3128"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jing-Wei Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mao-Yan Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chun-Jen Su"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yi-Qi Yeh",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2387-3600"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Wei-Tsung Chuang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9000-2194"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Chien-Lung Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4799-4730"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7sx7hdm5n5p1c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1021/jacs.6c09814",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13721164",
  "id": "7sx7hdm5n5p1c",
  "issns": [
    "0002-7863",
    "1520-5126"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954511",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2505|Quasicrystal Structures and Properties"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214989971",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13721164?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13721164",
  "pmid": "42954511",
  "published": "2026-09-30",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7sx7hdm5n5p1c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T00:20:44Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42954511",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954511"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:21:54Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13721164",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c09814"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2505|Quasicrystal Structures and Properties",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Nonequilibrium Navigation of a Rugged Energy Landscape Enables the Formation of Face-On Single-Domain Dodecagonal Quasicrystals.",
  "title_text": "Nonequilibrium Navigation of a Rugged Energy Landscape Enables the Formation of Face-On Single-Domain Dodecagonal Quasicrystals.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:21:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7sx7hdm5n5p1c",
  "venue": "Journal of the American Chemical Society",
  "versions": []
}