Related papers: Liquid-liquid phase separation driven by charge he…
We introduce a microscopically realistic model of a physical gel and use computer simulations to study its static and dynamic properties at thermal equilibrium. The phase diagram comprises a sol phase, a coexistence region ending at a…
Proteins and nucleic acids can spontaneously self-assemble into membraneless droplet-like compartments, both in vitro and in vivo. A key component of these droplets are multi-valent proteins that possess several adhesive domains with…
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,…
Biomolecular condensates play essential roles in cellular processes, and recent efforts have focused on understanding their assembly and rational design principles. In this study, we have employed an explicit-solvent minimal statistical…
The self-organization of proteins into enriched compartments and the formation of complex patterns are crucial processes for life on the cellular level. Liquid-liquid phase separation is one mechanism for forming such enriched compartments.…
Fluids in which the interparticle potential has a hard core, is attractive at moderate separations, and repulsive at greater separations are known to exhibit novel phase behavior, including stable inhomogeneous phases. Here we report a…
Particle suspensions in confined geometries can become clogged, which can have a catastrophic effect on function in biological and industrial systems. Here, we investigate the macroscopic dynamics of suspensions in constricted geometries.…
When a fluid that undergoes a vapor to liquid transition in the bulk is confined to a long cylindrical pore, the phase transition is shifted (mostly due to surface effects at the walls of the pore) and rounded (due to finite size effects).…
Lithium-ion batteries rely on particulate porous electrodes to realize high performance, especially the fast-charging capability. To minimize the particle-wise reaction heterogeneities that may lead to local hot spots, deeper understandings…
Liposomes that achieve a heterogeneous and spatially organized surface through phase separation have been recognized to be a promising platform for delivery purposes. However, their design and optimization through experimentation can be…
We apply a phenomenological theory of polar liquids to calculate the interaction energy between two plane surfaces at nm-distances. We show that depending on the properties of the surface-liquid interfaces, the interacting surfaces induce…
We study the effect of dielectric inhomogeneities on the interaction between two planparallel charged surfaces with oppositely charged mobile charges in between. The dielectric constant between the surfaces is assumed to be different from…
Spontaneous liquid-liquid phase separation is commonly understood in terms of phenomenological mean-field theories. These theories correctly predict the structural features of the fluid at sufficiently long time scales and wavelengths.…
We theoretically study mixtures of chemically-interacting particles, which produce or consume a chemical to which they are attracted or repelled, in the most general case of many coexisting species. We find a new class of active phase…
We show that the existence of an intermediate phase between the Fermi liquid and the Wigner crystal phases is a generic property of the two-dimensional pure electron liqd in MOSFET's at zero temperature. The physical reason for the…
Biomolecular condensates such as membraneless organelles, underpinned by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), are important for physiological function, with electrostatics -- among other interaction types -- being a prominent force in…
Using molecular dynamics simulations we study the dynamics of a water-like TIP5P model of water in hydrophilic and hydrophobic confinement. We find that in case of extreme nanocofinement such that there is only one molecular layer of water…
Compared to pure fluids, binary mixtures display a very diverse phase behavior, which depends sensitively on the parameters of the microscopic potential. Here we investigate the phase diagrams of simple model mixtures by use of a…
Evaporation alters the molecular interactions and leads to phase separation within the evaporating liquid. The question of whether evaporation could lead to specific phase separation at the liquid interface and eventually to the formation…
A binary mixture of oppositely charged components confined to a plane such as cationic and anionic lipid bilayers may exhibit local segregation. The relative strength of the net short range interactions, which favors macroscopic…