Field Mediated Assembly of Anisotropic Colloids on Surfaces

该项目的目标是了解如何创建具有先进材料特性的不同形状颗粒的有序涂层。该项目旨在了解具有不同长宽比和曲率的不同形状的颗粒如何相互作用，并动态组装成具有有用特性的微结构。总体方法是使用光学显微镜实验和计算机模拟一起测量和模拟粒子的相互作用，动力学和组装过程。通过微电极施加的电场将用于控制粒子如何集中，通过可调和定向吸引相互作用，并组装成有序的结构，同时避免无序状态。该项目将为不同形状的胶体颗粒之间的相互作用和微观结构的形成提供新的基本见解。这种理解将提供一个基础，工程工艺组装具有新的电磁性能的表面涂层。该项目的其他好处包括培训未来的先进劳动力，扩大代表性不足的群体在当地学校的参与。为了实现这些目标，该项目将系统地提升各向异性胶体相互作用，微观结构和动力学的显微镜测量和分析模型的复杂性。在第一步中，目的是了解如何操纵单个和整体各向异性粒子的位置，方向和结构。这一目标将通过测量和建模电场介导的颗粒形状的系统变化的各向异性颗粒之间的相互作用来解决。在下一步中，目的是了解平衡相行为和非平衡微观结构的形成对各向异性颗粒基材料性能的重要性。这一目标将通过测量和建模不同的热力学条件和场介导的相互作用如何控制微观结构来实现。在第三步中，目的是了解各向异性粒子系统中的有序状态的动态路径如何确定目标微结构的处理。这一目标将通过测量和建模如何相互作用和颗粒形状确定集体动力学和缺陷弛豫作为浓度和配置的函数来实现。最后，将尝试扩大使用电极阵列的工艺。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

The goal of this project is to understand how to create ordered coatings of different shaped particles with advanced material properties. The project aims to understand how different shaped particles, with different aspect ratios and curvature, interact with each other and dynamically assemble into microstructures with useful properties. The overall approach is to use optical microscopy experiments and computer simulations together to measure and model particle interactions, dynamics, and assembly processes. Electric fields applied through microelectrodes will be used to control how particles are concentrated, interact through tunable and directional attraction, and assemble into ordered configurations while avoiding disordered states. This project will provide new fundamental insights into the mechanisms governing the interactions among colloidal particles of different shape and the formation of microstructures. This understanding will provide a basis to engineer processes for assembling surface coatings with novel electromagnetic properties. Other benefits of the project include training a future advanced workforce and broadening participation of underrepresented groups in local schools. To achieve these goals, the project will systematically escalate complexity in microscopy measurements and analytical models of anisotropic colloidal interactions, microstructure, and dynamics. In the first step, the aim is to understand how to manipulate single and ensemble anisotropic particle position, orientation, and structure. This aim will be addressed by measuring and modeling electric field mediated interactions between anisotropic particles for systematic variations in particle shape. In the next step, the aim is to understand equilibrium phase behavior and non-equilibrium microstructure formation important to anisotropic particle based material properties. This aim will be attained by measuring and modeling how different thermodynamic conditions and field-mediated interactions control microstructures. In the third step, the aim is to understand how dynamic pathways towards ordered states in anisotropic particle systems determine processing of target microstructures. This aim will be achieved by measuring and modeling how interactions and particle shape determine collective dynamics and defect relaxation as functions as concentration and configuration. Finally, attempts will be made to scale-up processes using electrode arrays.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.