Related papers: Designing enhanced entropy binding in single-chain…
Under high cylindrical confinement, segments of ring polymers can be localized along the long axis of the cylinder by introducing internal loops within the ring polymer. The emergent organization of the polymer segments occurs because of…
We study the unfolding of a single polymer chain due to an external force. We use a simplified model which allows to perform all calculations in closed form without assuming a Boltzmann-Gibbs form for the equilibrium distribution.…
The self-consistent field (SCF) theory of dense polymer liquids assumes that short-range correlations are almost independent of how monomers are connected into polymers. Some limits of this idea are explored in the context of a perturbation…
Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) integrated within thermoresponsive polymeric microgels provide a versatile platform for the realization of stimuli-responsive optical materials, where the microgel volume phase transition enables dynamic…
Self-assembly of colloidal particles is a promising avenue to control the shape and dynamics of larger aggregates. However, achieving the necessary fine control over the dynamics and specificity of the bonds between such particles remains a…
We consider the flow-driven translocation of single polymer chains through nanochannels. Using analytical calculations based on the de Gennes blob model and mesoscopic numerical simulations, we estimate the threshold flux for the…
Mesogens, which are typically stiff rodlike or disklike molecules, are able to self-organize into liquid crystal (LC) phases in a certain temperature range. Such mesogens, or LC groups, can be attached to polymer chains in various…
Reversible crosslinking is a design paradigm for polymeric materials, wherein they are microscopically reinforced with chemical species that form transient crosslinks between the polymer chains. Besides the potential for self-healing,…
Bottom-up synthesized graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are quantum materials that can be structured with atomic precision, providing unprecedented control over their physical properties. Accessing the intrinsic functionality of GNRs for quantum…
Controlled synthesis of materials with specified atomic structures underpins technological advances yet remains reliant on iterative, trial-and-error approaches. Nanoparticles (NPs), whose atomic arrangement dictates their emergent…
We employ molecular dynamics simulations to explore how internal flexibility affects phase transitions in soft-matter systems composed of dimers interacting via a core-softened potential with two characteristic length scales. Monomers are…
Realizing a controllable network with multiple degrees of interaction is a challenge to physics and engineering. Here, we experimentally report an on-chip reconfigurable network based on nanoelectromechanical resonators with…
Thermoresponsive hydrogels have been studied intensively for creating smart drug carriers and controlled drug delivery. Understanding the drug release kinetics and corresponding transport mechanisms of nanoparticles (NPs) in a…
An important goal of self-assembly is to achieve a preprogrammed structure with high fidelity. Here, we control the valence of DNA-functionalized emulsions to make linear and branched model polymers, or `colloidomers'. The distribution of…
Multivalent particles bind to targets via many independent ligand-receptor bonding interactions. This microscopic design spans length scales in both synthetic and biological systems. Classic examples include interactions between cells,…
The demand for innovative synthetic polymers with improved properties is high, but their structural complexity and vast design space hinder rapid discovery. Machine learning-guided molecular design is a promising approach to accelerate…
Single polymer dynamics offers a powerful approach to study molecular-level interactions and dynamic microstructure in materials. Direct visualization of single chain dynamics has uncovered new ideas regarding the rheology and…
Mean-field techniques provide a rather accurate description of single-chain conformations in spatially inhomogeneous polymer systems containing interfaces or surfaces. Intermolecular correlations, however, are not described by the…
We present the results of analytic calculations and numerical simulations of the behaviour of a new class of chain molecules which we call thick polymers. The concept of the thickness of such a polymer, viewed as a tube, is encapsulated by…
Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) offer a broad range of thermophysical properties that are linked to their compositions. However, it is challenging to establish a universal composition-property relation of PNCs due to their enormous…