Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Beibei Wang, Bangqi Yin, Hao Yu, Zhao Zhang, Guan Wang, Shaowei Shi, Xinggui Gu, Wantai Yang, Ben Zhong Tang, Thomas P. Russell
Summary: Nanoparticle surfactant (NPS) is a powerful strategy to create all-liquid constructs with integrated properties of nanoparticles. In this study, the assembly and jamming behavior of a new type of NPS at the oil-water interface is investigated using fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles and amine-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane. Soft polymeric nanoparticles, unlike solid inorganic nanoparticles, can reorganize when jammed, leading to relaxation and deformation of interfacial assemblies.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ciera M. Wentworth, Alexander C. Castonguay, Pepijn G. Moerman, Caleb H. Meredith, Rebecca Balaj, Seong Ik Cheon, Lauren Zarzar
Summary: This study reports emulsions with a behavior opposite to the typical one where solubilization decreases the interfacial tension and leads to droplet attraction. By adjusting the oil chemical structure, nonionic surfactant structure, and surfactant concentration, three regimes corresponding to droplet attraction, repulsion, or inactivity are identified.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Deborah Feller, Matthias Karg
Summary: Microgels adsorb to air/water and oil/water interfaces driven by a significant reduction in interfacial tension. Depending on the available interface area per microgel, strong lateral deformation and hexagonally ordered structures can be observed. Transfer to solid substrates allows for macroscopically sized microgel monolayers that are important for photonic and plasmonic studies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jolien Bertouille, Sandor Kasas, Charlotte Martin, Ulrich Hennecke, Steven Ballet, Ronnie G. G. Willaert
Summary: Peptide-based hydrogels have potential applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. The physical properties of these materials depend on their gel network morphology, but the self-assembly mechanism of peptides leading to different network shapes is still debated.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Aniruddha Seal, Utkarsh Tiwari, Ankur Gupta, Ananth Govind Rajan
Summary: This paper introduces the phenomenon of electrical double layers (EDLs) and their applications in various fields. The development of Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) models and their modifications have greatly enhanced the understanding of the structure and dynamics of EDLs. However, the exclusion of van der Waals (vdW) and soft repulsive interactions in the models remains a notable knowledge gap. The modified PB-LJ approach presented in this study, which incorporates vdW and soft repulsion interactions, provides a more accurate theoretical description of EDLs and has practical applications. Overall, the paper receives a rating of 8.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Beibei Wang, Bangqi Yin, Zhao Zhang, Yixuan Yin, Yang Yang, Haiqiao Wang, Thomas P. Russell, Shaowei Shi
Summary: By using the interactions between nanoparticles and polymeric ligands, nanoparticle surfactants can be generated at the liquid-liquid interface, increasing the binding energy. Through a simplified model, it is found that competitive ligands can reduce the binding energy, leading to the dissociation and disassembly of the surfactants at the interface and allowing the construction of responsive and reconfigurable all-liquid systems.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zahra Abbasian Chaleshtari, Reza Foudazi
Summary: This research comprehensively studies the rheological properties of nanoemulsions with different structural states, including repulsive glass, attractive glass, and gel states, by adjusting the droplet volume fraction and surfactant concentration. The study provides a master curve for the storage and loss moduli of nanoemulsions, revealing a more satisfactory prediction for repulsive systems than systems with attractive interactions. The findings offer control over the physicochemical properties of nanoemulsions for the design of new food products with enhanced quality and functionality.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anne C. Nickel, Timon Kratzenberg, Steffen Bochenek, Maximilian M. Schmidt, Andrey A. Rudov, Andreas Falkenstein, Igor I. Potemkin, Jerome J. Crassous, Walter Richtering
Summary: This study investigates the two-dimensional ordering of different core-shell microgels with varying softness and size at oil-water interfaces, revealing that softness affects the alignment of tip-to-tip or side-to-side ordering, i.e., the alignment mode, along with hardness and size. Thin and harder microgel shells lead to side-to-side ordering, while large, soft microgel shells result in tip-to-tip alignment.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuai Zhang, Jiajun Chen, Jianli Liu, Harley Pyles, David Baker, Chun-Long Chen, James J. De Yoreo
Summary: Biomolecular self-assembly is a fundamental process used by life to create functional materials, but progress in engineering self-assembly at solid-liquid interfaces lags behind that in bulk solutions. Recent research has focused on programming self-assembly of peptides, proteins, and peptoids at solid-liquid interfaces, as well as advancing physical understandings of self-assembly pathways using in situ atomic force microscopy. These developments are leading to novel strategies for designing biomaterials organized at and interfaced with inorganic surfaces.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Benedikt C. Huck, Durairaj Thiyagarajan, Aghiad Bali, Annette Boese, Karen F. W. Besecke, Constantin Hozsa, Robert K. Gieseler, Marcus Furch, Cristiane Carvalho-Wodarz, Franziska Waldow, Dominik Schwudke, Olga Metelkina, Alexander Titz, Hanno Huwer, Konrad Schwarzkopf, Jessica Hoppstaedter, Alexandra K. Kiemer, Marcus Koch, Brigitta Loretz, Claus-Michael Lehr
Summary: The effect of fucosylated and nonfucosylated liposomes on cellular uptake and delivery was investigated, with fucosylated liposomes showing enhanced bacterial killing effect on nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, suggesting a potential improvement in treatment efficacy.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Thomas J. Neal, Andrew J. Parnell, Stephen M. King, Deborah L. Beattie, Martin W. Murray, Neal S. J. Williams, Simon N. Emmett, Steven P. Armes, Sebastian G. Spain, Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk
Summary: A series of amphiphilic statistical copolymers were synthesized with varying hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, which self-assembled into well-defined spherical nanoparticles in aqueous solution. The PSC model was used to describe the relationship between copolymer composition and nanoparticle size, while contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering revealed partial phase separation within the nanoparticles. This study demonstrates the potential for using such statistical copolymers to control and predict nanoparticle size in various industrial applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gianpietro Malescio, Francesco Sciortino
Summary: The phase behavior of a 2D system of particles interacting through a Gaussian repulsive core, short-range attraction, and long-range repulsion is studied through numerical simulations. Various crystals, a phase characterized by stripe patterns, and quasicrystalline phases with 8-fold, 12-fold, and 18-fold symmetry are observed. Remarkable clusters with dodecagonal symmetry, a phenomenon not previously reported in the literature, are discovered in a narrow density range.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ramona Achermann, Andraz Kosir, Brigitta Bodak, Luca Bosetti, Marco Mazzotti
Summary: In this study, the crystallization of two polymorphs of L-glutamic acid (LGA) was carried out in a continuous process, and the performance of different operating conditions was evaluated. The goal was to identify suitable conditions for high polymorphic purity in either alpha LGA or beta LGA production. The study employed theoretical analysis and experimental tests using either a single stirred-tank crystallizer or a cascade of two stirred tank crystallizers. The results showed that beta LGA could be successfully and continuously produced according to the theory, while alpha LGA could not due to operational challenges.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jinpeng Li, Huarui Zhang, Zhanxin Li, Ming Du, Jiulong Chen, Yesheng Xiong, Hu Zhang, Ying Cheng
Summary: This study investigates the wetting characteristics and flow behavior of sand particles bonded with silicate binder. It finds that coarse and circular particles demonstrate stronger wetting properties compared to fine and angled particles. The ring shear test can measure the cohesion and internal friction angle of the wet sand mixture, while the Mohr Coulomb model can calculate the unconfined yield strength and main consolidation stress to quantify the flowability. The particle size distribution is identified as the most important factor affecting the flowability of wet sand particles.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haiyan Jia, Zhangjun Huang, Murat Kaynak, Mahmut Selman Sakar
Summary: A minimally invasive strategy based on in situ self-assembly of photovoltaic microdevices (PVMs) is presented for manufacturing biomimetic retinas with a wide field of view and high resolution. The PVMs transduce photoelectricity upon visible light illumination to effectively activate the retinal ganglion cell layers. The spatial distribution and packing density of the PVMs within the assembled device are modulated through concentration, liquid discharge speed, and coordinated self-assembly steps. The methodology introduces three unique features: minimally invasive implantation, personalized visual field and acuity, and a device geometry adaptable to retina topography.
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Minaspi Bantawa, Wayan A. Fontaine-Seiler, Peter D. Olmsted, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: By varying the model parameters of particulate gels, different gel morphologies can be obtained, and the local elastic structures identified to estimate their contribution to the gel elasticity.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abhay Goyal, Ivan Palaia, Katerina Ioannidou, Franz-Josef Ulm, Henri van Damme, Roland J-M Pellenq, Emmanuel Trizac, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: The cohesion of cement arises from the organization of interlocked ions and water, progressively confined in nanoslits between charged surfaces of calcium-silicate-hydrates. By reducing dielectric screening and strengthening ionic correlations, the cohesive strength of cement is enhanced.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ivan Palaia, Abhay Goyal, Emanuela Del Gado, Ladislav Samaj, Emmanuel Trizac
Summary: This article discusses the attraction between like charges, challenging our understanding of electrostatics in both soft and hard matter. The research shows that even at low correlation strength, the relevant physics can be understood by studying the ground-state properties, regardless of fluctuations. By deriving a simple and accurate interaction pressure equation, the researchers explain the exotic attractive regime observed in certain materials, even without the presence of multivalent counterions.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Francis Dragulet, Abhay Goyal, Katerina Ioannidou, Roland J-M Pellenq, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: Ion specificity has significant effects on hydrated clays, influencing the swelling and shrinkage behaviors of soil and sediments. Our computational approach reveals that the ion-water structures in nanoscale confinement are responsible for the ion-specific surface forces between clay particles. As confinement and surface charge densities increase, the ion-water structures deviate from the ions' bulk hydration shells, forming highly ordered, nearly solid-like assemblies and leading to strongly attractive interactions between charged surfaces.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jake Song, Qingteng Zhang, Felipe de Quesada, Mehedi H. Rizvi, Joseph B. Tracy, Jan Ilavsky, Suresh Narayanan, Emanuela Del Gado, Robert L. Leheny, Niels Holten-Andersen, Gareth H. McKinley
Summary: Arrested soft materials exhibit slow stress relaxation in response to linear mechanical perturbations, but the microscopic origins of this relaxation are poorly understood. Through X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, we studied the dynamics of a model associative gel system and found that the mean stress relaxation time is correlated to the quiescent superdiffusive dynamics of microscopic clusters during arrest. Small mechanical deformations can also induce intermittent avalanches, leading to a non-Gaussian spectrum of relaxation modes in stress relaxation measurements.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Abhay Goyal, Emanuela Del Gado, Scott Z. Jones, Nicos S. Martys
Summary: The ordering under shear in high-density suspensions of Brownian colloidal spheres is investigated, and a significant decrease in viscosity is observed. The defect structure and its contribution to stress in the suspension are studied, along with the effect of contact friction force.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Gavin J. Donley, Minaspi Bantawa, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: This study investigates the microscopic dynamics and macroscopic rheology of soft particulate gels through numerical simulations and experiments. By establishing a connection between time-resolved dynamic moduli and microstructural changes, the microscopic origin of nonlinear rheology is revealed.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
H. A. Vinutha, Fabiola Doraly Diaz Ruiz, Xiaoming Mao, Bulbul Chakraborty, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: We investigated the spatial correlations of microscopic stresses in soft particulate gels through 2D and 3D numerical simulations. By using a newly developed theoretical framework, we predicted the analytical form of stress-stress correlations in amorphous assemblies of athermal grains that acquire rigidity under an external load. These correlations exhibit a pinch-point singularity in Fourier space, resulting in long-range correlations and strong anisotropy in real space. Our analysis of model particulate gels showed that stress-stress correlations have similar characteristics to granular solids and can be used to identify force chains. We demonstrated that these correlations can distinguish between floppy and rigid gel networks and reflect changes in shear moduli and network topology during solidification.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Minaspi Bantawa, Bavand Keshavarz, Michela Geri, Mehdi Bouzid, Thibaut Divoux, Gareth H. McKinley, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: Soft particulate gels consist of a small amount of particulate matter dispersed in a continuous fluid phase. The mechanical response and gel elasticity are determined by the particle volume fraction. However, the diverse range of functional dependencies reported experimentally has made it difficult to identify general scaling laws.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ippolyti Dellatolas, Minaspi Bantawa, Brian Damerau, Ming Guo, Thibaut Divoux, Emanuela Del Gado, Irmgard Bischofberger
Summary: We reveal the mechanism for the strong reinforcement of attractive nanofiller-hydrogel composites. The attractive interactions induce a local increase in the gel density around the nanofillers, which leads to the formation of a percolated network. This network constrains the gel displacement and enhances stress coupling, resulting in a global reinforcement of the composite.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Emanuela Del Gado, Andrea Liu, C. Patrick Royall
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Meera Ramaswamy, Itay Griniasty, Danilo B. Liarte, Abhishek Shetty, Eleni Katifori, Emanuela Del Gado, James P. Sethna, Bulbul Chakraborty, Itai Cohen
Summary: Nearly all dense suspensions undergo dramatic and abrupt thickening transitions in their flow behavior when sheared at high stresses. In this study, we propose a complete theory of viscosity and find that the viscosity of two different systems can be collapsed onto a single universal curve. By incorporating microscale particle interactions into a scaling variable, we gain insights into the fundamental physical aspects of shear thickening transition. This research is of great importance for understanding the rheological behavior of fluids.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Francis Dragulet, Abhay Goyal, Katerina Ioannidou, Roland J. -M. Pellenq, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: Ion specificity and Hofmeister effects play an important role in hydrated clays, determining the swelling and shrinkage behaviors of soil and sediments. A computational study reveals that nanoscale confinement leads to ion-specific surface forces between clay particles. Increased confinement and surface charge densities result in deviations from bulk hydration shells and the formation of highly organized water-ion structures, leading to strong attractive interactions between charged surfaces.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Shang Zhang, Ethan Stanifer, Vishwas V. Vasisht, Leyou Zhang, Emanuela Del Gado, Xiaoming Mao
Summary: Prestress in amorphous solids plays a significant role in their mechanical properties by encoding formation memory and affecting mechanical response. Using stress as the fundamental variable, a set of mathematical tools are developed to investigate the mechanical response of prestressed systems, which is particularly suitable for nonconservative systems. The study reveals that amorphous materials can exhibit drastically different mechanical responses at the same density due to nonconservative interactions evolving over time or different preparation protocols, which are not visible from the configurations of the network in the case of nonconservative interactions.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Jeisson E. Otero-Leal, John Cortes-Romero, Efredy Delgado Aguilera, Felipe Galarza-Jimenez, Alexander Jimenez-Triana
Summary: This study applies the ADRC approach to a fractional-order system with a flat output and identifies conditions to establish an ultimate bound for a specific configuration of the system, compiling them into guidelines for tuning the observer implemented in the ADRC.
CONTROL THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)