软凝聚态物质
The sliding motion of aqueous droplets on hydrohobic surfaces leads to charge separation at the trailing edge, with implications from triple-line friction to hydrovoltaic energy generation. Charges deposited on the solid surface have been…
Ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity of polymers generally increases with chain length. However, for polyproline (PPro), a highly potent cryoprotectant, the IRI activity varies nonmonotonically with the degree of polymerization…
In dense systems of hard-interacting colloidal particles having anisotropic shapes, crystallization pathways represent an interesting frontier. The translational and rotational dynamics of such particles become coupled at higher densities,…
Hydra, a centimeter long cylindrical-shaped freshwater organism, has emerged as an interesting model system for studying morphogenesis in animals. Recently, fluorescent imaging of cytoskeletal actin filaments on the outer surface of hydra…
Water/glycerol mixtures are common for experiments with biomacromolecules at cryogenic temperatures due to their vitrification properties. Above the glass transition temperature, they undergo liquid-liquid phase separation. Using the novel…
Despite their significance in biology and materials science, the dynamics of multicomponent vesicles under shear flow remain poorly understood because of their nonlinear and strongly coupled nature, especially regarding the role of membrane…
In conflict with standard notions of thermodynamics, mesoscopically-sized inclusions (``clusters'') of a solute-rich liquid have been observed in equilibrated solutions of proteins and other molecules. According to a complexation scenario…
We develop and test a rheo-optical platform based on a two-axes, parallel plates shear cell coupled to an optical microscope and a photon correlation imaging setup, for simultaneous investigation of the rheological response and the…
Compatibilized polymer blends are a complex, yet versatile and widespread category of material. When the components of a binary blend are immiscible, they are typically driven towards a macrophase-separated state, but with the introduction…
Inspired by motile cells in tissue formation, we find that active systems of self-aligning adhesive particles undergo ballistic aggregation through a flocking transition. This kinetic regime emerges when the cluster persistence length grows…
We theoretically investigate the glass-transition problem for a quasi-two-dimensional colloidal dense suspension modulated by a one-dimensional periodic external potential as imposed by interfering laser beams. Relying on a mode-coupling…
We derive a microscopic theory for the structural dynamics in the vicinity of the glass transition for a liquid exposed to a one-dimensional periodic potential. The periodic potential breaks translational invariance, in particular, the…
Elastic instabilities such as buckling and snapping have evolved into a powerful design principle, enabling memory, sequential shape morphing, and computing in metamaterials and devices. Modifying the post-buckling configurations or their…
We present the GRASPion, a compact, open-source bristlebot designed for the controlled study of active matter systems. Built around a low-cost Arduino-compatible board and modular 3D-printed components, the GRASPion combines ease of use,…
Quantifying local structures in self-assembled systems is a central challenge in soft matter and materials science. When no a priori knowledge of the relevant structures is available, traditional order parameters often fall short.…
How do phase separated cellular structures set their size? To elucidate this, we study the dynamics and steady states of a phase separating nucleator that is advected by the self-straining cytoskeletal network which it nucleates. We find…
Many models for complex phenomena use a model for strongly-interacting elements on a small scale to generate larger-scale simulations of some aspects of experimental realizations. These models may be agent-based (as in the case of discrete…
Macromolecular crowding plays a crucial role in modulating protein dynamics in cellular and in vitro environments. Polymeric crowders such as dextran and Ficoll are known to induce entropic forces, including depletion interactions, that…
The work investigates the failure modes of the microstructure of an irregular ceramic foam subjected to uniaxial compression loading. The foam material is manufactured using the direct foaming method and has polydispersed pores…
Cytoskeletal networks can repair defects to maintain structural integrity. However, the mechanisms and dynamics of defect merging remain poorly understood. Here we report a geometry-tunable merging mechanism in microtubule-motor networks…