  The self-assembly of polyhedral shells, each constructed from 60 trapezoidal
particles, is simulated using molecular dynamics. The spatial organization of
the component particles in this shell is similar to the capsomer proteins
forming the capsid of a T=1 virus. Growth occurs in the presence of an
atomistic solvent and, under suitable conditions, achieves a high yield of
complete shells. The simulations provide details of the structure and lifetime
of the particle clusters that appear as intermediate states along the growth
pathway, and the nature of the transitions between them. In certain respects
the growth of size-60 shells from trapezoidal particles resembles the growth of
icosahedral shells from triangular particles studied previously, with
reversible bonding playing a major role in avoiding incorrect assembly,
although the details differ due to particle shape and bond organization. The
strong preference for maximal bonding exhibited by the triangular particle
clusters is also apparent for trapezoidal particles, but this is now confined
to early growth, and is less pronounced as shells approach completion along a
variety of pathways.

Soft Condensed Matter;Biomolecules