Soft Matter Blog

Chakrabarti and Wales draw inspiration from DNA to perform theoretical studies on a model supramolecular helix system. They demonstrate the inversion of helix handedness results from cooperative rotation of the two segments of opposite handedness in opposite directions. A mechanical motion rarely observed in molecular machines.

Read the communication for free until March 25: Dwaipayan Chakrabarti and David J. Wales
Soft Matter, 2011, (Advance Article), DOI: 10.1039/C0SM01507E, Communication

Stimulus responsive soft matter with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST), the temperature at which a mixture is miscible in all proportions, has potential uses in drug delivery and separation technology.

The authors of this hot article study one of the few known polymers which exhibit Flory-Huggins UCST-behaviour, poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA), in aliphatic alcohols.

Read the article for free until Friday March 25: Peter J. Roth, Florian D. Jochum and Patrick Theato, Soft Matter, 2011, (Advance Article), DOI: 10.1039/C0SM01324B, Paper

Preparation of polymer single chain nanoparticles using intramolecular photodimerization of coumarin. An easy method for preparing polymer single chain nanoparticles has been developed by scientists at Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. The method uses the photodimerization of coumarin groups located on the same chain to obtain the intrachain cross-linking required for chain collapse in solution. This approach be used as a nanoreactor for the synthesis of AuNPs and provides a way to optically control the kinetics of AuNP formation. (Soft Matter, 2011, Advance Article DOI:10.1039/C0SM01383H)

Three-dimensional patterning of porous materials using vapor phase polymerization. Scientists at University of Southern California, USA, have demonstrated that solventless initiated chemical vapor deposition can be used for three-dimensional patterning of porous substrates. They demonstrated the utility of their patterning process by fabricating three-dimensional hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions into the chromatography paper for use as paper-based microfluidic devices. The patterning process represents an environmentally friendly method to pattern three-dimensional materials since no organic solvents are used during the polymerization process or patterning step the team claim. (Soft Matter, 2011, Advance Article DOI:10.1039/C0SM01214A)

Deformation induced pattern transformation in a soft granular crystal. A novel pattern transformation when regular arrays of macroscopic particles are subjected to uniaxial compression has been discovered by a team of scientists based in USA, UK, and The Netherlands. The team used a combined experimental and numerical study to uncover the transformation. They say the 2D granular crystals studied in the current study combined with pattern transformation could find interesting applications in tunable phononic devices and that the same mechanism could offer colour tuning by mechanical loading and other novel applications in photonic crystals. (Soft Matter, 2011, Advance Article DOI:10.1039/C0SM01408G)

An excellent overview of an emerging strategy for synthesising hydrogels with more specific bio-responsiveness. Known protein motions are used as building blocks for synthetic dynamic materials, exploiting the conformational changes in proteins in response to specific biochemical triggers. Potential applications include drug delivery and bio-sensing.

Read the article for free here until March 18. William L. Murphy, Soft Matter, 2011, (Advance Articl3), DOI: 10.1039/C0SM01351J, Emerging Area.

Nanofluidic networks created and controlled by light. Nanofluidic networks have been fabricated in an oil-in-water emulsion by a team from the UK. In this hot paper, the authors demonstrate the principles required to create networks of micron-sized reactors connected by conduits less than 100 nm in diameter and to transfer reagents between them, entirely with lasers. These networks form a platform for chemistry on the attolitre scale and could open a path to controlled chemical reactions between single molecules the team claim. (Soft Matter, 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0SM01183E Advance Article)

Cluster theory of Janus particles. A cluster theory for the vapor of Janus fluid has been constructed by a team from Italy and South Africa. The team say that main idea behind the present approach is to consider the vapor phase as formed by clusters, containing an increasing number of particles, that are weakly interacting among each other so that simple fluid models—such as ideal gas or hard spheres—can be used to mimick their physical properties. (Soft Matter, 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0SM00995D Advance Article)

Read both articles for free until 18th March.