Related papers: Dynamic clay microstructures emerge via ion comple…
The crystalline structure of minerals due to the highly ordered assembly of its constituent atoms, ions or molecules confers a considerable hardness and brittleness to the materials. As a result, they are generally subject to fracture. Here…
Microswimmers and active colloids often move in confined systems, including those involving interfaces. Such interfaces, especially at the microscale, may deform in response to the stresses of the flow created by the active particle. We…
Active liquid crystals exert nonequilibrium stresses on their surroundings through constant consumption of energy, giving rise to dynamical steady states not present in equilibrium. The paradigmatic example of an active liquid crystal is a…
We construct a model to explore the hydrodynamic interactions of active inclusions in curved biological membranes. The curved membrane is modelled as a two dimensional layer of highly viscous fluid, surrounded by external solvents of…
Near solid-liquid or liquid-liquid interfaces with dielectric contrast, charged particles interact with the induced polarization charge of the interface. These interactions contribute to an effective self-energy of the bulk ions and mediate…
We investigate the steady-state organisation of active particles residing on an interface. Particle activity induces interface deformations, while the local shape of the interface guides particle movement. We consider multiple species of…
In this work, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to study the fracture mechanism of ice crystals in a bulk phase and at ice-ice interfaces at the atomistic scale. We show that there exists a narrow disordered interfacial layer…
The dynamics of phase-separated interfaces shape the behavior of both passive and active condensates. While surface tension in equilibrium systems minimizes interface length, non-equilibrium fluxes can destabilize flat or constantly curved…
The viscoplastic deformation (creep) of crystalline materials under constant stress involves the motion of a large number of interacting dislocations. Analytical methods and sophisticated `dislocation-dynamics' simulations have proved very…
The pattern development of multiple cracks in extremely anisotropic solids such as bilayer or multilayer two-dimensional (2D) crystals contains rich physics, which, however, remains largely unexplored. We studied crack interaction across…
Molecules at the air-water interface often form inhomogeneous layers in which domains of different densities are separated by sharp interfaces. Complex interfacial pattern formation may occur through the competition of short- and long-range…
The distribution of ions at the air/water interface plays a decisive role in many natural processes. It is generally understood that polarizable ions with low charge density are surface-active, implying they sit on top of the water surface.…
Non-equilibrium processes which convert chemical energy into mechanical motion enable the motility of organisms. Bundles of inextensible filaments driven by energy transduction of molecular motors form essential components of micron-scale…
A particle placed in soft matter distorts its host and creates an energy landscape. This can occur, for example, for particles in liquid crystals, for particles on lipid bilayers or for particles trapped at fluid interfaces. Such energies…
Using molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal emergent properties of hydrated electrode interfaces that while molecular in origin are integral to the behavior of the system across long times scales and large length scales. Specifically,…
Quick clay is a highly sensitive soil that transforms rapidly from solid to liquid under minor stress, as a result of long-term salt leaching that drastically reduces shear strength. Stabilizing it is both costly and carbon-intensive,…
Understanding the molecular and electronic structure of electrolytes at interfaces requires an analysis of the interactions between the electrode surface, the ions, and the solvent environment on equal footing. Here, we tackle this…
Interfaces such as grain boundaries in polycrystalline as well as heterointerfaces in multiphase solids are ubiquitous in materials science and engineering. Far from being featureless dividing surfaces between neighboring crystals,…
Freestanding tubular crystals offer a general description of crystalline order on deformable surfaces with cylindrical topology, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, microtubules, and recently reported colloidal assemblies. These systems…
A series of kinetic phenomena in metallic multilayers has been considered. The kinetic properties of multilayers differ essentially from the properties of both massive metals and thin films. One of the main reasons of that is the influence…