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Predicting the time and temperature dependent behavior of polymer networks under complex loading is essential for the design of advanced elastomeric materials. Many practical applications involve combinations of deformation modes, such as…

Since its fundamental inception from soap bubbles, Plateau law has sparked extensive research in equilibrated states. However, most studies primarily relied on liquids, foams or cellular structures, whereas its applicability has yet to be…

Nematic elastomers and glasses deform spontaneously when subjected to temperature changes. This property can be exploited in the design of heterogeneously patterned thin sheets that deform into a non-trivial shape when heated or cooled. In…

A recently proposed class of materials, called software-defined metamaterials, can change their electromagnetic behavior on demand, utilizing a nanonetwork embedded in their structure. The present work focuses on 2D metamaterials, known as…

In liquid-crystalline elastomers, the nematic order parameter and the induced strain vary smoothly across the isotropic-nematic transition, without the expected first-order discontinuity. To investigate this smooth variation, we measure the…

We consider a class of liquid crystal free-boundary problems for which both the equilibrium shape and internal configuration of a system must simultaneously be determined, for example in films with air- or fluid-liquid crystal interfaces…

The dynamic properties of a model transient network have been studied by dynamic light scattering. The network is formed by microemulsion droplets linked by telechelic polymers (modified hydrophilic polymers with two grafted hydrophobic…

Liquid crystal elastomers are rubber-like solids with liquid crystalline mesogens (stiff, rod-like molecules) incorporated either into the main chain or as a side chain of the polymer. These solids display a range of unusual…

Chromonic liquid crystals (CLCs) are lyotropic materials which are attracting growing interest for their adaptability to living systems. A considerable body of works has been devoted to exploring their properties and applications. In this…

We analyze numerically the optical response and effective macroscopic parameters of fishnet metamaterials infiltrated with a nematic liquid crystal. We show that even a small amount of liquid crystal can provide tuning of the structures due…

Pendant drops suspended on the underside of a wet substrate are known to accumulate fluid from the surrounding thin liquid film, a process that often results in dripping. The growth of such drops is hastened by their ability to translate…

Elastic models of the glass transition relate the relaxation dynamics and the elastic properties of structural glasses. They are based on the assumption that the relaxation dynamics occurs through activated events in the energy landscape…

In this paper, the two-dimensional pure bending of a hyperelastic substrate coated by a nematic liquid crystal elastomer (abbreviated as NLCE) is studied within the framework of nonlinear elasticity. The governing system, arising from the…

We report molecular dynamics simulation results on the equilibrium properties of polymer thin films adsorbed onto flat and curved substrates. We first systematically determine the contact angle of polymer droplets on flat substrates as a…

Simulation of fluid flow in porous media has many applications, from the micro-scale (cell membranes, filters, rocks) to macro-scale (groundwater, hydrocarbon reservoirs, and geothermal) and beyond. Direct simulation of flow in porous media…

A molecular theory of the glass transition of network forming liquids is developed using a combination of self-consistent phonon and liquid state approaches. Both the dynamical transition and the entropy crisis characteristic of random…

Viscous flows through configurations manufactured from soft materials apply both pressure and shear stress at the solid-liquid interface, leading to deformation of the cross-section, which affects the flow rate-pressure drop relation.…

We develop a quantum-mechanical theory for Landau damping of surface plasmons in metal nanostructures larger that the characteristic length for nonlocal effects. We show that the electron surface scattering, which facilitates plasmon decay…

Polymer gels with photo-responsive cross-links enable tunable mechanics and surface morphologies, making them promising for adaptive materials. While prior work on coumarin cross-linked gels has focused on photo-mediated events in dilute…

We study the time evolution and driven motion of thin liquid films lying on top of chemical patterns on a substrate. Lattice-Boltzmann and molecular dynamics methods are used for simulations of the flow of microscopic and nanoscopic films,…