Folding Colloidomers into Functional 3D Architectures

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NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This proposal aims to build complex materials through the art of folding. Just like chains of amino acids fold into proteins to perform a specific biological function, here short chains of droplets coated with DNA are designed to fold into preprogrammed novel materials. These folded structures serve as building blocks to seed further assembly into unusual crystals with symmetries that are as yet unexplored. It has been predicted that the creation of crystalline structures on the same length scale as the wavelength of light can lead to materials with unique properties, such as structural color. This work could lead to the development of new dyes or even the creation of an optical transistor. A longstanding goal is to integrate science education and research activities within the laboratory and beyond. The PI is a founding member of a science education facility called the Biobus, which is a mobile lab that provides school students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with a research grade microscopy facility and welcomes 20,000 K-12 students every year.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The past decade has witnessed more major innovations in colloidal materials than in the entire previous history of the field. Instead of classical colloids with interactions such as Van der Waals and depletion attraction that lead to aggregates or colloidal crystals, modern designer particles come with controllable chemistry, specific interactions enabled by functionalization with complementary DNA strands, directed by patches and their geometry. Here the goal is to modify self-assembly via folding and induce programmable arbitrary structures. Emulsion droplets serve as slippery designer particles, which can reorganize during self-assembly. Inspired by Nature’s creation of 3D materials via folding mechanisms, linear colloidomer chains of droplets will fold by secondary DNA interactions into programmable 2D or 3D architectures to make functional materials. Emulsion folding constitutes a nonequilibrium system, driven by temperature protocols to reversibly unfold and refold. The experiments are guided by numerical simulations and theory, which optimizes the interaction matrices, as well as the time-dependent drive, in order to achieve high yield and fidelity of structures with arbitrary shapes. The goal is to achieve well-defined functionalities, while revealing self-organizing non-equilibrium principles underlying droplet folding. As part of the broader impacts, this project will yield 'Mayonnaise Robots' curriculum module for educational outreach to K-12 students, which will allow students to design and build their own folds and familiarize themselves with the art and science of programmable design.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.