Cylindrical crystalline-core micelles: pushing the limits of solution self-assembly
Joachim Schmelz, Felix H. Schacher and Holger Schmalz
Viscoelastic effects on electromechanical instabilities in dielectric elastomers
Harold S. Park and Thao D. Nguyen
Compositional interface dynamics within symmetric and asymmetric planar lipid bilayer membranes
Tao Han and Mikko Haataja
Soft Matter is planning to produce a themed issue on Directed self-assembly in 2013. Please e-mail the editorial office at softmatter-rsc@rsc.org, if you are interested in contributing an article.
The Guest Editor of the issue is Professor Eric M. Furst (University of Delaware).
The presence of random thermal processes is an important characteristic of soft materials. This intrinsic motion often drives soft matter to a thermodynamic equilibrium, and consequently, spontaneous self-assembly into a specific microstructure. Surfactant micelles, ordered block co-polymers, and colloidal crystals are just a few examples of the rich array of assemblies. In nanotechnology, self-assembly promises to enable new forms of scalable manufacture, reducing the cost of sophisticated functional nanomaterials and devices. However, to achieve this will require direction and control. The fundamental programming rules for self-assembly remain elusive—what structures with molecular or particle building blocks with different shapes and interactions form? How do we work backwards from a desired structure to direct the properties of the constituent building blocks that encode assembly? Moreover, there is no guarantee that the equilibrium state can be reached on a desired timescale, and non-equilibrium barriers to self-assembly, such as glassy arrest or gelation, may hamper the way. Moderate external directing fields have proven useful for circumventing non-equilibrium states.
The deadline for the receipt of manuscripts for this themed issue is April 2013.
Manuscripts can be submitted using the RSC’s online submissions service. Please clearly mark that the manuscript is submitted for the themed issue on ‘Directed self-assembly’.
Please would you inform the editorial office by e-mail at softmatter-rsc@rsc.org as soon as possible if you plan to submit to the issue and whether your contribution will be original research or a review-type article. We would like to have a list of authors who intend to contribute as soon as possible.
Kinetics of multicompartment micelle formation by self-assembly of ABC miktoarm star terpolymer in dilute solution
Long Wang, Rui Xu, Zilu Wang and Xuehao He
A novel particle tracking method with individual particle size measurement and its application to ordering in glassy hard sphere colloids
Mathieu Leocmach and Hajime Tanaka
The buckling and invagination process during consolidation of colloidal droplets
F. Boulogne, F. Giorgiutti-Dauphiné and L. Pauchard
Understanding the health, safety and nutritive aspects of foods is becoming increasing important, as evidence builds to suggest that diet plays a part in some chronic illnesses. As a part of this, the effective nutritive intake may differ from the food content, for example a structure containing a micronutrient is not broken down during digestion. A popular model food system is an emulsion, a liquid-liquid dispersion.
In this hot paper, Marze and Choimet compare the in vitro digestion of emulsions with different formulations using various techniques. They use classical physicochemical methods to build on their previous study (DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26334c) on diffusion methods to check the roles of other factors other than the effect of the triglyceride on digestion. The authors describe mass transfer models that identify the mechanistic paramenters and help the data interpretation. All the techniques showed that the type of triglyceride is the dominant parameter in explaining the emulsion digestion.
In vitro digestion of emulsions: mechanistic and experimental models
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 10982. DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26336j. (free to read for a short time)
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Liquid crystals (LCs) can form polygonal cylinder arrays through self-assembly of polyphilic molecules of a rod-like core, two polar end groups and flexible lipophilic lateral chains. Although LC phases are highly dynamic fluid structures, they have the ability to form 2D lattices over large areas because of the self-healing ability and self-assembling. Understanding these process allows for the practical applications of these complex LC phases in organising π-conjugated aromatic in functional organic emitting devices.
In this hot paper, Cheng, Tschierske and co-workers report the synthesis of a series of new 5,5′-diphenyl-2,2′-dithiophene based bolaamphiphiles and their self-assembling into LC honeycombs. The authors show a transition from triangular/rhombic cylinders to a square honeycomb goes through a disordered isotropic state upon reaching a critical lateral chain length of the dithiophene.
Dithiophene based X-shaped bolaamphiphiles: liquid crystals with single wall honeycombs and geometric frustration
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 10921. DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26575c (free to read for a short time)
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Professor Jianbin Huang is interested in the research of the physical chemistry of surfactants, especially in mixed surfactant systems. The main work in his group is research on the molecular organized assemblies in aqueous solutions, such as vesicle or micelles. He is interested in vesicle formation in mixed cationic and anionic surfactant systems (including the mixed systems of ionic surfactant with oppositely charged polymer) and try to find:
a) the relations among the molecular structures of amphiphiles, properties of molecular organized assemblies and phase behavior of mixed surfactants;
b) the effective methods to adjust the phase behavior and micro-structure transition (i.e.transformation between vesicle to micelle) by the variation of environmental factors (for example, pH, salt and additives).
Some novel surfactants (such as some bola and Gemini amphiphiles) and the mixture of classical surfactant with them also fixed our eyes. The researches on the synthesis, aggregation behavior and interface properties in these kinds of surfactant systems are investigated in aqueous, non-aqueous and mixed solvents. Moreover, the applications of surfactant, especially mixed surfactant in detergent and daily use are also developed. As the first author or correspondence, Professor Huang has published over 40 articles in international and Chinese academic journals in the last five years.
His recent papers include:
A surfactant-assisted unimolecular platform for multicolor emissions
Soft Matter, 2012,8, 10472-10478
Extremely pH-sensitive fluids based on a rationally designed simple amphiphile
Soft Matter, 2012,8, 9079-9085
Self-assembled laminated nanoribbon-directed synthesis of noble metallic nanoparticle-decorated silica nanotubes and their catalytic applications
J. Mater. Chem., 2012,22, 18314-18320
Metal-driven hierarchical self-assembled zigzag nanoarchitectures with electrical conductivity
Chem. Commun., 2013,49, 704-706
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The in vitro application of the self-organisation process of ‘active self-organisation (AcSO)’, in which a steady state non-equilibrium structure is maintained by a constant supply of energy, is attracting more and more attention in the production of complex structures on various scales. In this hot paper, featured on the front cover of issue 42 of Soft Matter, Kakugo, Gong et al. report the assembly process of microtubules at an air-buffer interface. Using the AcSO method in the presence of ATP resulted in ring-shaped structures. The team introduce an air–buffer interface control system, which combined with the inert chamber system, shows direct in situ observation of the assembly processes.
Formation of ring-shaped assembly of microtubules with a narrow size distribution at an air–buffer interface
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 10863. DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26441b (free to read for a short time)
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Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their contribution to the soft matter field?
Now is your chance to propose they receive the accolade they deserve.
Soft Matter is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the Soft Matter Lectureship 2013. This annual award was established by the journal in 2009 to honour a younger scientist who has made a significant contribution to the soft matter field.
Qualification
To be eligible for the Soft Matter Lectureship, the candidate should be in the earlier stages of their scientific career, typically within 15 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, and will have made a significant contribution to the field.
Description
The recipient of the award will be asked to present a lecture three times, one of which will be located in the home country of the recipient. The Soft Matter Editorial Office will provide the sum of £1000 to the recipient for travel and accommodation costs.
The award recipient will be presented with the award at one of the three award lectures. They will also be asked to contribute a lead article to the journal and will have their work showcased on the back cover of the issue in which their article is published.
Selection
The recipient of the award will be selected and endorsed by the Soft Matter Editorial Board.
Nominations
Those wishing to make a nomination should send details of the nominee, including a brief C.V. (no longer than 2 pages A4) together with a letter (no longer than 2 pages A4) supporting the nomination, to the Soft Matter Editorial Office (softmatter-rsc@rsc.org) by 28 February 2012. Self nomination is not permitted.
This Highlight by Silvia Corezzi and colleagues reviews a series of recent numerical studies that evidence the analogies between reversible and irreversible gelation in small functionality particles. These studies also investigate the crossover from chemically controlled to diffusion-controlled aggregation. The authors suggest that these results will be a useful guide for the interpretation of the kinetic in real systems. They use an example of measuring the extent of reaction in epoxy-resin systems to show this.
Chemical and physical aggregation of small-functionality particles
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 11207. DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26112j (free to read for a short time)
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All of us in the Soft Matter Editorial team would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year! The Editorial office will be closed from 21 December 2012 and will reopen on 2 January 2013.
We’re really looking forward to 2013, which will see some great themed issues in Soft Matter as well as the 2013 Soft Matter Lectureship (opening for nominations early in the year).
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