Soft Matter Blog

Read the following for free until 30 March:

The extent to which long-time dynamics of a single tracer particle can be enhanced were tested using a combination of simulations and liquid-state theory in this hot paper. It was found that adding a soft repulsion to interactions with neighbouring particles of a hard-sphere-like tracer particle could significantly enhance the long-time diffusivity.

Enhancing tracer diffusivity by tuning interparticle interactions and coordination shell structure
James Carmer ,  Gaurav Goel ,  Mark J. Pond ,  Jeffrey R. Errington and Thomas M. Truskett
Soft Matter, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06932B

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Read for free until 12 March!

The influence of surfactants on the self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PA) which form beta-sheet structures is investigated in this Hot Paper. Addition of SDS could be used to control the morphology of PA self-assemblies, which in turn can be used to tune rheological properties with considerable scope to create novel bionanomaterials for important applications in skincare and tissue engineering.

Modulating self-assembly of a nanotape-forming peptide amphiphile with an oppositely charged surfactant
Valeria Castelletto, Ian W. Hamley, Jozef Adamcik, Raffaele Mezzenga and Jeremie Gummel
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 217-226
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06677C

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Free to read until 28 February!

Colloidal lighography is a key technique for the creation of surface patterns. However, high order in the colloidal monolayer is required. This Review discusses current crystallization techniques, including their scope and limitations, for just this requirement.

From soft to hard: the generation of functional and complex colloidal monolayers for nanolithography
Nicolas Vogel, Clemens K. Weiss and Katharina Landfester
Soft Matter, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06650A

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Read the article for free until 23 February>>

Scientists from China have conducted studies to model the antireflective behaviours of butterfly scales in an attempt to understand the blackness of butterfly wings.

By examining effective solar collection systems found in nature, the team hopes to find inspiration for designing solar cells, sunlight splitting water reactors, anti-reflection films in lenses, micro-optical sensors, stealth technology, photocatalysis, as well as other artificial systems that require efficient light harvesting.

The team found that the blackness of the scales is a result of the coupling effect of physical and chemical factors. The nanostructure of the scales acts as the physical element and enhances light harvesting by reducing reflection when light enters the structured scales. Then, the melanin distributed in the bottom part of the scales chemically absorbs incident light and energy is transferred to the electrons of the pigment melanin. The physics and chemistry mutually assist each other to give maximum light absorption of the butterfly scales, generating the ultra-black effect.

Art of blackness in butterfly wings as natural solar collector
Qibin Zhao, Xingmei Guo, Tongxiang Fan, Jian Ding, Di Zhang and Qixin Guo
Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 11433-11439
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06167D

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Read for free until February 20>>

Researchers used fluorescence microscopy and particle tracking velocimetry to image the motion of concentrated emulsions and microgel suspensions near solid surfaces. Two non-thixotropic yield stress materials were used as models to study how soft particle glasses yield and flow at solid surfaces. The flow of the soft particle glasses was shown to be influenced over macroscopic distances by the nature of the surface (rough, smooth, etc).

Liquid crystals formed by giant graphene oxide flakes with an aspect ratio (difference between length of two dimensions) above 10,000 have been observed by scientists in the US. This is the highest aspect ratio so far, they say, and it affects the liquid crystal’s properties.

As the concentration of the flakes increased, they underwent transitions from an isotropic dispersion to a biphasic system and then to a discotic nematic liquid crystal. The gel-like liquid has an unusually defect-free uniform director alignment over hundreds of micrometres. 

Read for free until January 10!

Liquid crystals of aqueous, giant graphene oxide flakes
Budhadipta Dan, Natnael Behabtu, Angel Martinez, Julian S. Evans, Dmitry V. Kosynkin, James M. Tour, Matteo Pasquali and Ivan I. Smalyukh
Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 11154-11159
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06418E

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Injectable shear-thinning hydrogel systems are reviewed in this recent paper by Jason Burdick and co-workers. Injectable hydrogels are important for tissue engineering and drug delivery, they can be applied through a syringe and undergo a rapid sol-gel transition at the target site. This review highlights the mechanisms for hydrogel formation to obtain shear-thinning behaviour and subsequent self-healing properties of the gels.

Read for free until January 10:

Shear-thinning hydrogels for biomedical applications
Murat Guvendiren, Hoang D. Lu and Jason A. Burdick
Soft Matter, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06513K

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Read for free until Dec 9 >> 

Insects use hairy or smooth adhesive pads to stick to almost all known surfaces. Although studied for more than 300 years, the principles of insect adhesion are still not fully understood. This ‘Hot Highlight article’ summarizes  recent advances in the understanding of fluid-based insect adhesion and highlights the large number of unresolved questions, regarding the mechanism of fluid secretion, the thickness of the mediating fluid layer, and the influence of surface properties on insect adhesive forces.

Fluid-based adhesion in insects – principles and challenges
Jan-Henning Dirks and Walter Federle
Soft Matter, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06269G

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Read for free until Dec 5>> 

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) grafted with promesogenic ligands show temperature induced liquid crystalline polymorphism with unique phase sequence: from smectic to columnar structure. Most studied liquid crystals made of NPs show only simple mesomorphism but authors in this Hot Article have shown that NPs can also give complex, temperature tuneable structures.

Temperature-controlled liquid crystalline polymorphism of gold nanoparticles
Michal M. Wojcik, Monika Gora, Jozef Mieczkowski, Jerzy Romiszewski, Ewa Gorecka and Damian Pociecha
Soft Matter, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1SM06436C

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