软凝聚态物质
Assemblies of ring DNA and proteins, such as kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and the chainmail-like network of the HK97 bacteriophage capsid, form "Olympic" topologies that govern the dynamics of gene-regulatory proteins, cellular metabolites, and…
We study the particle-scale dynamics that give rise to bulk flow behaviours of highly concentrated particle-fluid mixtures using discrete element method (DEM) simulations. We utilize boundary conditions of a stress-controlled shear cell and…
Elastic networks can be tuned to exhibit complex mechanical responses and have been extensively used to study protein allosteric functionality, where a localized strain regulates the conformation at a distant site. We show that cooperative…
Molecular computing promises massive parallelization to explore solution spaces, but so far practical implementations remain limited due to off-target binding and exponential proliferation of competing structures. Here, we investigate the…
We report on an experimental investigation of the interplay between friction, contact geometry and finite strains for smooth frictional contacts between rigid spherical glass probes and flat silicone substrates. Using both bulk and layered…
Synthetic active matter systems, such as active colloids, often have complex interactions, which can be of hydrodynamic, chemical or electrostatic origin and cannot be computed from first principles. Here, we use Stochastic Force Inference…
Self-propelled particles, like motile cells and artificial colloids, can spontaneously form macroscopic clusters. This phenomenon is called motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) and occurs even without attractive forces, provided that…
Bubble formation in electrochemical system often hinders reaction efficiency by reducing active surface area and obstructing mass transfer, yet the mechanisms governing their nanoscale nucleation dynamics and impact remains unclear. In this…
The interaction of surfaces in relative motion in wet environments is dominated by lubrication forces, which play a pivotal role in the dynamics of microscopic systems. Here, we develop motile vesicles that exploit lubrication forces to…
Recent studies of the self-assembly of Langmuir monolayers have revealed novel forms of lateral molecular ordering. Such studies typically involve the use of grazing-incidence synchrotron radiation scattering, and the lateral order…
The Gibbs adsorption equation is the thermodynamic cornerstone for the description and understanding of the surface tension in a surfactant solution. It relates the decrease in surface tension to an increased surfactant adsorption. In the…
Soft glassy materials often consist of deformable objects. Here, we use a two-dimensional assembly of semi-flexible ring polymers as a model system to investigate how polydispersity in particle stiffness or size influences the onset of…
Active particle systems are a class of non-equilibrium systems composed of self-propelled Brownian particles; through interactions between particles within the system, a variety of intriguing collective behaviors can emerge. Based on…
The thermosensitivity and microstructure of microgels made by copolymerizing standard microgel-forming monomers with more hydrophilic comonomers is investigated, with the aim of increasing the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT). We…
We introduce a design principle for mechanical metamaterials based on "odd elasticity, once removed." By revisiting classic results relating the variation of Cauchy stress and Lagrangian strain around a prestressed reference state, we show…
The problem of contact angle and hysteresis determination has direct implications for engineering applications of wetting, colloid and surface science. Significant technical challenges can arise under real-world operating conditions,…
Dielectric spectra are typically obtained in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations by analyzing the fluctuations, in the absence of an applied electric field, of the total dipole moment of the simulation box. We compare this standard method…
Hydrophobic interactions are central to biological self-assembly and soft matter organization, yet their microscopic origins remain debated. A key hallmark is the strengthening of attraction between hydrophobic solutes with increasing…
It has long been believed that the atomic dynamics in disordered structures, such as undercooled liquids and pre-melted interfaces, are characterized by collective atomic rearrangements in the form of quasi-one-dimensional chains of atomic…
Inspired by dense contractile tissues, where cells are subject to periodic deformation, we formulate and study a generic hydrodynamic theory of pulsating active liquids. Combining mechanical and phenomenological arguments, we postulate that…