scholarly journals Agile reversible shape-morphing of particle rafts

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyungmin Son ◽  
Jeong-Yun Sun ◽  
Ho-Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Soft Matter ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Wearable Electronics ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
Soft Matter Physics ◽  
External Stimuli

Materials that transform shapes responding to external stimuli can bring unprecedented innovations to soft matter physics, soft robotics, wearable electronics, and architecture. As most conventional soft actuation technologies induce large...

Introduction to molecular simulations in soft matter

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-L. Barrat ◽  
J. J. de Pablo
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Numerical Methods ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Soft Interfaces ◽  
Molecular Scale ◽  
Soft Matter Physics ◽  
The Continuum

We describe the main features of the coarse-grained models that are typically useful in modelling soft interfaces, from force fields to the continuum descriptions involving density fields. We explain the theoretical basis of the main numerical methods that are used to explore the phase space associated with these models. Finally, three recent examples, illustrating the spirit in which relatively simple simulations can contribute to solving pending problems in soft matter physics, are briefly described. Clearly, a short series of lectures can offer, at best, a biased and restricted view of the available approaches. Our aim here will be to provide the reader with such an overview, with a focus on methods and descriptions that ‘bridge the scale’ between the molecular scale and the continuum or quasi-continuum one. The objective to present a guide to the relevant literature—which has now to a large extent appeared in the form of textbooks.

Topological liquid crystal superstructures as structured light lasers

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (49) ◽  
pp. e2110839118
Author(s):  
Miha Papič ◽  
Urban Mur ◽  
Kottoli Poyil Zuhail ◽  
Miha Ravnik ◽  
Igor Muševič ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Structured Light ◽  
Topological Defects ◽  
Photonic Devices ◽  
Light Polarization ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Fabry Perot ◽  
Self Assembled ◽  
External Stimuli

Liquid crystals (LCs) form an extremely rich range of self-assembled topological structures with artificially or naturally created topological defects. Some of the main applications of LCs are various optical and photonic devices, where compared to their solid-state counterparts, soft photonic systems are fundamentally different in terms of unique properties such as self-assembly, self-healing, large tunability, sensitivity to external stimuli, and biocompatibility. Here we show that complex tunable microlasers emitting structured light can be generated from self-assembled topological LC superstructures containing topological defects inserted into a thin Fabry–Pérot microcavity. The topology and geometry of the LC superstructure determine the structuring of the emitted light by providing complex three-dimensionally varying optical axis and order parameter singularities, also affecting the topology of the light polarization. The microlaser can be switched between modes by an electric field, and its wavelength can be tuned with temperature. The proposed soft matter microlaser approach opens directions in soft matter photonics research, where structured light with specifically tailored intensity and polarization fields could be designed and implemented.

Application of video microscopy in experimental soft matter physics

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (18) ◽  
pp. 1840012
Author(s):  
Hao Feng ◽  
Huaguang Wang ◽  
Zexin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Video Processing ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Colloidal Suspensions ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Video Microscopy ◽  
Quantitative Image ◽  
Soft Matter Physics ◽  
Microscopic World ◽  
The One ◽  
Microscopic Measurement

Combining precise microscopic measurement with quantitative image analysis, video microscopy has become one of the most important, real-space experiment techniques to study the microscopic properties of soft matter systems. On the one hand, it provides a basic tool to observe and record the microscopic world. On the other hand, it offers a powerful experiment method to study the underlying physics of the microscopic world. In this paper, we review the development of the video microscopy, introduce the corresponding hardware and video processing software, and summarize the typical applications and recent progresses of video microscopy in colloidal suspensions. The future of the video microscopy in the soft condensed matter physics and interdisciplinary research is discussed.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Conservation–Dissipation Formalism for Irreversible Processes

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1447
Author(s):  
Liangrong Peng ◽  
Liu Hong
Keyword(s):  
Soft Matter ◽  
Irreversible Processes ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Fourier Heat Conduction ◽  
Soft Matter Physics ◽  
Novel Applications ◽  
Fokker Planck Equations ◽  
Mathematical Foundations ◽  
Well Posed

The main purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances of the Conservation–Dissipation Formalism (CDF), a new way for constructing both thermodynamically compatible and mathematically stable and well-posed models for irreversible processes. The contents include but are not restricted to the CDF’s physical motivations, mathematical foundations, formulations of several classical models in mathematical physics from master equations and Fokker–Planck equations to Boltzmann equations and quasi-linear Maxwell equations, as well as novel applications in the fields of non-Fourier heat conduction, non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluids, wave propagation/transportation in geophysics and neural science, soft matter physics, etc. Connections with other popular theories in the field of non-equilibrium thermodynamics are examined too.

scholarly journals Paraspeckles are constructed as block copolymer micelles through microphase separation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Yamazaki ◽  
Tetsuya Yamamoto ◽  
Hyura Yoshino ◽  
Sylvie Souquere ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Block Copolymer ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Microphase Separation ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Internal Organization ◽  
Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽  
Block Copolymer Micelles ◽  
Copolymer Micelles ◽  
Rna Domains ◽  
Soft Matter Physics

SummaryParaspeckles are constructed by NEAT1_2 architectural long noncoding RNAs and possess characteristic cylindrical shapes with highly ordered internal organization, distinct from typical liquid–liquid phase-separated condensates. We experimentally and theoretically investigated how the shape and organization of paraspeckles are determined. We identified the NEAT1_2 RNA domains responsible for shell localization of the NEAT1_2 ends, which determine the characteristic internal organization. We then applied a theoretical framework using soft matter physics to understand the principles that determine the NEAT1_2 organization, shape, number, and size of paraspeckles. By treating paraspeckles as amphipathic block copolymer micelles, we could explain and predict the experimentally observed behaviors of paraspeckles upon NEAT1_2 domain deletions or transcriptional modulation. Thus, we propose that paraspeckles are block copolymer micelles assembled through microphase separation. This work provides an experimentally-based theoretical framework for the concept that ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) can act as block copolymers to form RNA-scaffolding microphase-separated condensates in cells.

Evolutionary Soft Robotics

Impact ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (10) ◽  
pp. 9-11
Author(s):  
Jun Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Artificial Organs ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Elastic Materials ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Living Organisms

Soft robotics is a subfield of robots that deals with constructing robots from soft, elastic materials similar to those found in living organisms. These robots offer a particular set of advantages compared with conventional rigid robots. For example, in medicine they can be used in drug delivery and non-invasive surgical procedures, and be employed as assistive devices, prostheses or artificial organs. The field takes great inspiration from the way living organisms move and adapt to their surroundings, and the flexibility and adaptability of soft robots make them invaluable tools. Dr Jun Ogawa is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Organic Materials at Yamagata University, Japan. His key research interests are soft matter robotics and embodied artificial intelligence (AI).

Shape-changing polymers for biomedical applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 1597-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Kirillova ◽  
Leonid Ionov
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Smart Polymers ◽  
Shape Morphing ◽  
Shape Transformations ◽  
Biomedical Field ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Significant Attention

Smart polymers that are capable of controlled shape transformations under external stimuli have attracted significant attention in the recent years due to the resemblance of this behavior to the biological intelligence observed in nature. In this review, we focus on the recent progress in the field of shape-morphing polymers, highlighting their most promising applications in the biomedical field.

Phase Separation in Soft Matter Physics

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulat K. Khabibullaev ◽  
Abdulla A. Saidov
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Soft Matter Physics

scholarly journals Hydrogels as dynamic memory with forgetting ability

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (32) ◽  
pp. 18962-18968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengtao Yu ◽  
Honglei Guo ◽  
Kunpeng Cui ◽  
Xueyu Li ◽  
Ya Nan Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal History ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Thermal Stimulus ◽  
Water Release ◽  
Dynamic Memory ◽  
Learning Time ◽  
Hard Materials ◽  
External Stimuli

The memory of our brain, stored in soft matter, is dynamic, and it forgets spontaneously to filter unimportant information. By contrast, the existing manmade memory, made from hard materials, is static, and it does not forget without external stimuli. Here we propose a principle for developing dynamic memory from soft hydrogels with temperature-sensitive dynamic bonds. The memorizing–forgetting behavior is achieved based on fast water uptake and slow water release upon thermal stimulus, as well as thermal-history-dependent transparency change of these gels. The forgetting time is proportional to the thermal learning time, in analogy to the behavior of brain. The memory is stable against temperature fluctuation and large stretching; moreover, the forgetting process is programmable. This principle may inspire future research on dynamic memory based on the nonequilibrium process of soft matter.

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