DMREF: Collaborative Research: Materials Engineering of Columnar and Living Liquid Crystals via Experimental Characterization, Mathematical Modeling, and Simulation

DMREF：协作研究：通过实验表征、数学建模和仿真进行柱状和活性液晶材料工程

• 批准号: 1729589
• 负责人: Maria-Carme Calderer
• 金额: $ 25.1万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1729589&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DMREF; Collaborative; Research; Materials; Engineering

Scientific exploration of soft matter resulted in numerous technological advances, such as synthesis of a super-strong polymer Kevlar, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), development of new approaches to drug delivery, electrolytes, nano-templated materials, etc. The goal of this project is to explore the remarkable ability of soft matter to form a plethora of complex, well-organized functional structures and to understand the underlying principles by which the complex soft matter structures can be designed, produced, and controlled under both equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium conditions. The focus is on a broad class of biologically-compatible orientationally-ordered materials, the so-called lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) and their composites with swimming bacteria, called living liquid crystals (LLCs). Complex structures of LCLCs and LLCs span a broad range of length scales, ranging from about 1 nm (the typical molecular size), to 10 microns (the size of a swimming bacterium), and further to the macroscopic scale, at which the structure can perform a useful function, such as microfluidic mixing or delivery of microscopic cargo (such as drugs). The project is a combination of modeling and experimental efforts connected to several emerging applications. In particular, the investigations will outline the potential of using the swimming ability of bacteria in constructing microscale systems for mixing and targeted delivery of microscopic cargo. The project will also elucidate the connections between LCLC and packing of DNA in viral capsids.The principal research objectives of this project are to explore morphogenetic complexity of the equilibrium biphasic states of LCLCs that require an implicit balance between the interfacial and bulk energy and to understand the mechanisms of coupling between the out-of-equilibrium behavior of living LCs and anisotropic interactions between the constituents, including the interplay of bacterial activity, bacterial concentration, vector field of velocities, and orientational order. These goals will be achieved through controlled experiments and theoretical modeling. In the case of an equilibrium behavior, a challenge is in finding the shapes of orientationally- and translationally-ordered structures in confined geometries, exemplified by the nuclei of the chromonic hexagonal columnar phase in the isotropic environment. The complex shapes observed in experiments need to be described through minimization of both the internal elastic bulk energy and the anisotropic surface anchoring energy. In the studies of dynamics of LLCs the challenge is in simultaneous tracking of a number of scalar, vector, and tensor fields. The project aims to advance our ability to use mathematical algorithms for fast acquisition of big data characterizing dynamic systems with complex structure. It will also enhance predictive capabilities via the development and analysis of associated mathematical models.

对软物质的科学探索带来了许多技术进步，如合成超强聚合物芳纶、液晶显示器(LCD)、药物输送新方法的开发、电解液、纳米模板化材料等。该项目的目标是探索软物质形成大量复杂、有序的功能结构的非凡能力，并了解在平衡和非平衡条件下设计、生产和控制复杂软物质结构的基本原理。重点放在一大类生物相容的定向有序材料上，即所谓的溶致变色液晶(LCLCs)及其与游动细菌的复合材料，称为活液晶(LLC)。LCCs和LLCs的复杂结构跨越了广泛的长度尺度，从大约1 nm(典型的分子尺寸)到10微米(游动细菌的尺寸)，以及进一步到宏观尺度，在宏观尺度上，该结构可以执行有用的功能，如微流控混合或运送微观货物(如药物)。该项目是与几个新兴应用相连接的建模和实验工作的组合。特别是，这些研究将概述利用细菌的游动能力来构建微尺度系统以混合和定向运送微观货物的潜力。本项目的主要研究目标是探索LLC平衡两相状态的形态发生复杂性，并了解活LLC的非平衡行为与各向异性相互作用之间的耦合机制，包括细菌活性、细菌浓度、速度向量场和取向顺序之间的相互作用。这些目标将通过控制实验和理论建模来实现。在平衡行为的情况下，一个挑战是在受限几何中寻找取向和平移有序结构的形状，例如各向同性环境中色调六方柱状相的核。实验中观察到的复杂形状需要通过最小化内部弹性体能和各向异性表面锚定能来描述。在LLC动力学研究中，挑战在于同时跟踪多个标量场、矢量场和张量场。该项目旨在提高我们使用数学算法快速获取表征复杂结构动态系统的大数据的能力。它还将通过开发和分析相关的数学模型来加强预测能力。

项目成果

Stability analysis of flow of active extensile fibers in confined domains

受限区域内主动可伸展纤维流动的稳定性分析

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0023924
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science
• 作者: Zhao, Longhua;Yao, Lingxing;Golovaty, Dmitry;Ignés-Mullol, Jordi;Sagués, Francesc;Carme Calderer, M.
• 通讯作者: Carme Calderer, M.

Electrokinetic effects in nematic suspensions: Single-particle electro-osmosis and interparticle interactions

向列悬浮液中的动电效应：单粒子电渗和粒子间相互作用

• DOI: 10.1103/physreve.98.022703
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Physical Review E
• 影响因子: 2.4
• 作者: Conklin, Christopher;Tovkach, O. M.;Viñals, Jorge;Calderer, M. Carme;Golovaty, Dmitry;Lavrentovich, Oleg D.;Walkington, Noel J.
• 通讯作者: Walkington, Noel J.