Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhan-Wei Li, Yu-Wei Sun, Yan-Hui Wang, You-Liang Zhu, Zhong-Yuan Lu, Zhao-Yan Sun
Summary: Using simple deformable triblock Janus colloids, increasing particle softness enhances the self-assembly and photonic bandgap performance of the structures. Direct pyrochlore lattices formed from overlapping soft particles exhibit larger photonic bandgaps than nonoverlapping structures, and proper overlap caused by softness can significantly improve the photonic properties of the structures.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meneka Banik, Shaili Sett, Chirodeep Bakli, Arup Kumar Raychaudhuri, Suman Chakraborty, Rabibrata Mukherjee
Summary: Experimental and simulation studies have revealed the influence of substrate wettability on the orientation of Janus particles during self-assembly. The particles show specific orientation on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates, while exhibiting random arrangement on neutral substrates.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hossein Eslami, Florian Mueller-Plathe
Summary: The self-assembly of triblock Janus particles and the relative stability of different lattices were simulated. The nucleation process consists of two steps: the formation of a compact and disordered liquid cluster, followed by the reorientation of particles to form crystalline nuclei. The nucleation barriers for pyrochlore and perovskite were similar to previously studied 2D kagome lattices, while the barrier for diamond was larger.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhe Xu, Theodore Hueckel, William T. M. Irvine, Stefano Sacanna
Summary: The research team has created non-biological capsules that can capture, concentrate, store, and release microscopic payloads as needed. This design uses hollow colloids as cell-membrane mimics with a well-defined single pore, allowing for mass production and offering a blueprint for developing smart materials, micro-machinery, and artificial cell mimics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fei Xu, Jiao Zhu, Huaguang Wang, Zexin Zhang
Summary: The controllable assembly of polystyrene microspheres was achieved through a photocatalytically driven electroosmotic flow induced by UV irradiation of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles in water. Different assembly phases such as crystallites, chains, and gels were programmed by systematically adjusting UV intensity, microsphere packing density, and nanoparticle concentration. This study highlights the significant ability of light-responsive nanoparticles in colloidal assembly, offering a new approach for manipulating assembly at the microscale.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Olga Koshkina, Lijun Thayyil Raju, Anke Kaltbeitzel, Andreas Riedinger, Detlef Lohse, Xuehua Zhang, Katharina Landfester
Summary: This study elucidates the significant role of surface properties of colloidal particles in the formation of supraparticles in colloidal Ouzo droplets. By modulating the surface properties, the shape of the final deposit can be changed, from spheroidal supraparticles to flat deposits, with implications for applications such as optics and catalysis.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rachel S. Hendley, Lechuan Zhang, Michael A. Bevan
Summary: We report a controlled interfacial assembly and reconfiguration method for rectangular prism colloidal particles between microstructures with varying positional and orientational order. By programming time-dependent electric fields, we can manipulate the particle's position, orientation, compression, and chaining. We have identified a set of order parameters that define each state, and used them as reaction coordinates to capture the microstructure evolution. The trajectory manifolds between states reveal a dynamic pathway map that provides information about pathway accessibility, reversibility, and kinetics. By navigating this dynamic pathway map, we can achieve reconfiguration between states on minute time scales, which is useful for particle-based materials processing and device responses. Our findings demonstrate a conceptually general approach to control the assembly and reconfiguration of self-organizing building blocks that respond to global external stimuli.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shurui Yuan, Xiankun Lin, Qiang He
Summary: The study focuses on the reconfigurable assembly of colloidal motors, which is driven and modulated by chemical reactions and external fields. It discusses the adaptive reconfiguration behaviors and mechanisms, aiming to develop interactive soft matter materials and systems with adaptation and interactive functions comparable to natural systems in the future.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cicely Shillingford, Brandon M. Kim, Marcus Weck
Summary: Capillary assembly of liquid particles (CALP) is a microfabrication strategy for engineering arbitrarily shaped polymer colloids. CALP demonstrates versatility by engineering geometrically diverse Janus and patchy colloids using consecutive assembly and heterogeneous coassembly. It enables the design and fabrication of colloids with complex internal construction to target hierarchical functional materials, with the potential for further processing into colloid-based microscale devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alex McGlasson, Eva Morgenthaler, Laura C. Bradley, Thomas P. Russell
Summary: This study investigates the interfacial kinetics and assembly mechanism of anisotropic amphiphilic Janus particles using dynamic pendant drop tensiometry. The results shed light on the assembly mechanism of more complex Janus particle morphologies and highlight their effectiveness as interface stabilizers.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. D. Torrenegra-Rico, A. Arango-Restrepo, J. M. Rubi
Summary: In this study, the energetic cost of formation of Janus particle structures is computed using an approach that couples particle dynamics to the evolution of fuel concentration in the medium. Different types of structures are shown to emerge, and the energy dissipated in their formation is obtained from the entropy production rate. Analyzing the free energy of these particles allows for the establishment of a thermodynamic criterion for structure formation based on the behavior of chemical potential.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingchun Long, Qiuhua Wu, Xiuyuan Zuo, Guolin Zhang, Zexin Zhang, Zhenzhong Yang, Fuxin Liang
Summary: Nanoparticles with anisotropic morphology and composition were successfully synthesized via a sol-gel process. The neck length of the particles could be controlled by different precursors, and colloidal motors with explicit directionality and tunable speeds were achieved by selectively loading Pt catalyst.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuan Zhou, Rose K. Cersonsky, Sharon C. Glotzer
Summary: The study explores new ways to assemble diamond using modified gyrobifastigial (mGBF) nanoparticles, comparing the likelihood of defects in diamond self-assembled via mGBF vs. the current focus shape for assembling diamond, truncated tetrahedra. The potential route for realizing mGBF particles by dimerizing triangular prisms using attractive patches is introduced, along with the impact of this superstructure on photonic properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Susana Marin-Aguilar, Fabrizio Camerin, Marjolein Dijkstra
Summary: The assembly of colloidal cubic diamond is a challenging process. This study explores the conditions for the nucleation of cubic diamond, focusing on the effect of depletion and DNA-mediated interactions. The study finds that a specific balance between the strength and range of depletion interactions enhances the self-assembly of stable cubic diamond.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Mayarani, Madivala G. Basavaraj, Dillip K. Satapathy
Summary: The study focuses on the self-assembly of two-dimensional nanostructures using evaporating sessile drops containing surface active colloids. It examines how evaporation kinetics under controlled humidity conditions affect the microstructure of colloidal monolayers. Experimental findings show different regions forming at the water-vapor interface under saturated humidity conditions, impacting the interface microstructure.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Indra Apsite, Sahar Salehi, Leonid Ionov
Summary: Soft actuators offer advantages such as flexibility, adaptability, and reconfigurability compared to conventional hard actuators, making them promising for applications in various fields. Intelligent materials can provide additional degrees of freedom for soft actuators, allowing them to change structure, properties, and shape under external signals. Utilizing intelligent materials can significantly reduce device size and enable applications not achievable by externally powered systems.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan Uribe-Gomez, Dennis Schoenfeld, Andres Posada-Murcia, Michel-Manuel Roland, Anja Caspari, Alla Synytska, Sahar Salehi, Thorsten Pretsch, Leonid Ionov
Summary: Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer fabricated via touch spinning technique can mimic the structure of muscle tissues and has important advantages for engineering skeletal muscles.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Andres Posada-Murcia, Juan Manuel Uribe-Gomez, Stephan Foerster, Jens-Uwe Sommer, Martin Dulle, Leonid Ionov
Summary: This paper presents a detailed investigation of the structural changes occurring in two-way shape memory polymers upon thermal cycling at constant strain conditions. The results show that the stress first decreases slowly, then drops rapidly, and finally sharply increases during the cooling process. These changes are attributed to the crystallization and shrinkage of polymer chains.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gissela Constante, Indra Apsite, Paul Auerbach, Sebastian Aland, Dennis Schoenfeld, Thorsten Pretsch, Pavel Milkin, Leonid Ionov
Summary: This paper reports the fabrication and investigation of wetting properties of structured surfaces formed by lamellae with a high aspect ratio. The wetting properties of these surfaces depend on temperature and thermal treatment history, offering opportunities for the design of smart elements for microfluidic devices.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Pavel Milkin, Michael Danzer, Leonid Ionov
Summary: In this study, the electromechanical properties of self-healing polymer-carbon composites were thoroughly investigated, revealing a strong dependence on the viscoelastic properties of the polymers. Low molecular polymer composites showed high conductivity and rapid restoration of electrical and mechanical properties but exhibited brittleness, while high relaxation time polymer composites demonstrated self-healing capabilities but had inferior electrical properties.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Hossein Goodarzi Hosseinabadi, Elvan Dogan, Amir K. Miri, Leonid Ionov
Summary: Digital light processing (DLP) bioprinting is a fast and robust biofabrication method with great potential in tissue engineering. It can replicate the resolution and complexity of natural tissues and constructs, making it suitable for tissue modeling. This review provides a summary of DLP fundamentals, focusing on bioink properties, photoinitiator selection, and light characteristics in bioprinted construct resolution. It also offers a simple guideline for bioengineers interested in using DLP platforms and customizing technical specifications. The literature review reveals a promising future for DLP bioprinting in disease modeling and biofabrication.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mairon Trujillo-Miranda, Indra Apsite, Jose A. Rodriguez Agudo, Gissela Constante, Leonid Ionov
Summary: This study reports the fabrication and comparison of highly porous electrospun self-folding bilayers based on biocompatible and biodegradable polymers. The results show that the PHB-based bilayers have superior mechanical stability and can maintain their shape during manipulations. Furthermore, the PHB/HA-MA bilayers exhibit better biocompatibility, degradability, and long-term stability compared to the PCL/HA-MA bilayers.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Waseem Kitana, Indra Apsite, Jonas Hazur, Aldo R. Boccaccini, Leonid Ionov
Summary: This study reports a 4D biofabrication-based concept for the fabrication of a T-shaped vascular bifurcation using 3D printed shape-changing layers. The tubular structures with various diameters were formed by controlling the parameters precisely. The fabricated T-junction showed minimal leakages and supported excellent cell growth. This approach has the potential to fabricate fully automatic self-actuated vascular bifurcations.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Fabian Kopsch, Astrid Drechsler, Martina Priebs, Anja Caspari, Anett Mueller, Sarah Lentz, Jens Friedrichs, Alla Synytska
Summary: Biofilm formation on material surfaces, known as biofouling, has a significant economic impact on various applications and industries. This study focuses on the prevention of unwanted interactions between coatings and proteins, cells, and bacteria in biomaterials, biosensors, and other applications. The researchers prepared and characterized surfaces with different biofouling properties using polymer brushes made of various zwitterionic polymers. They also developed nano- and microstructured coatings based on polymer-functionalized core-shell particles, finding that coatings made of poly(phosphorylcholine) modified particles with a diameter of 100 nm had the lowest bioadhesion. These findings contribute to the development of scalable anti-fouling coatings in the future.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yixuan Du, Yuemeng Wang, Volodymyr Shamraienko, Kathrin Poeschel, Alla Synytska
Summary: Water-processable organic semiconductor nanoparticles are a promising material for optoelectronic applications. This work presents a simple and effective approach for designing self-assembled monolayers of donor:acceptor nanoparticles. The self-assembly procedure allows for the preparation of large-scale arrays with controlled density and morphology. The resulting Janus nanoparticle-based device exhibits improved electron mobility and balanced charge extraction, leading to high-performance organic photovoltaics.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jacob Peloquin, Alina Kirillova, Cynthia Rudin, L. C. Brinson, Ken Gall
Summary: This research proposes a framework for quickly predicting key mechanical properties of 3D printed gyroid lattices using information about the base material and porosity of the structure. The performance of the model was then compared to numerical simulation data and demonstrated similar accuracy at a fraction of the computation time. The model development serves as an advancement in ML-driven mechanical property prediction that can be used to guide extension of current and future models.
MATERIALS & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hossein Goodarzi Hosseinabadi, Arpan Biswas, Anant Bhusal, Ali Yousefinejad, Aastha Lall, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, Amir K. Miri, Leonid Ionov
Summary: 4D printing is an evolution of 3D printing that allows printed constructs to transform in response to stimuli. In this study, a special ink was synthesized for light-assisted 4D printing, which showed great potential in tissue engineering and actuator applications. Experimental results demonstrated high biocompatibility and biodegradability of the printed constructs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob Peloquin, Alina Kirillova, Elizabeth Mathey, Cynthia Rudin, L. Catherine Brinson, Ken Gall
Summary: This article presents a dataset of experimentally gathered tensile stress-strain curves and measured porosity values for 389 unique gyroid lattice structures manufactured using vat photopolymerization 3D printing. The data serves as a valuable resource for the development of novel printing materials and lattice geometries, and provides insights into the influence of photopolymer material properties on the printability, geometric accuracy, and mechanical performance of 3D printed lattice structures.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gissela Constante, Indra Apsite, Dennis Schoenfeld, Thorsten Pretsch, Leonid Ionov
Summary: In this study, the fabrication of light-sensitive high-aspect ratio surfaces with switchable topography is reported, which involves using melt-electrowriting of shape-memory polymers and deposition of light-to-heat converting black ink by dip coating. The surfaces can be locally deformed and recovered by water droplets due to the softening of the polymer upon illumination. The developed approach and materials are demonstrated to be suitable for the fabrication of smart light-controlled valves for the controlled mixing of fluids in microfluidic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yongkang Bai, Leonid Ionov
Summary: In this study, a shape memory polymer with thermo-, near-infrared light-, and water-induced shape memory performance was successfully fabricated by introducing tannic acid/ferric ion coordination into cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol). The shape memory performance was achieved through cross-linking PVA and TA with hexamethylene diisocyanate, while the near-infrared light and water responsiveness were provided by the photothermal effects of TA/Fe3+ and the hydrophilic nature of PVA, respectively. The shape recovery ratio induced by all three stimuli could reach over 95%, and the fatigued shape memory performance can be healed by simply immersing materials into water, which is of great significance for improving the service life and reliability of SMPs.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
