Scrolling, Braiding and Branching in Fibrous Soft Materials

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Think about how useful braiding has been on the macroscopic scale in the context of the evolution of human society. The transformation of natural fibres into ropes, plaits and weaves has given rise to huge advances in construction, exploration, textiles and art. In biology the way in which fibre entangle is also hugely important. Tangled or entwined fibres are found in DNA and in serious protein misfolding diseases such as amyloidosis, and are responsible for the symptoms of old age. Fibre entanglement is also of huge industrial importance in polymer chemistry (entanglements create weak points that make your polythene bag tear, for example) and fibrous assemblies are found in gels, lubricants and creams (think hair gel, drilling 'mud', contact lenses and pill coatings, for example). In Nature fibres allow climbing plants to encircle a support according to quite subtle rules that are not readily apparent. Many of these fibrous assemblies occur chaotically and it is difficult to predict what the properties of the bulk material will be even with a good understanding of the fibrous components. This research project aims to create controlled, well-defined fibres whose evolution into complex (sometimes called 'emergent') assemblies can be studied in detail. We will examine how a fibre forms through aggregation of molecules and scrolling of molecular sheets, how it entwines through surface attachment and braiding, and how it branches through defect formation and entanglement, ultimately giving rise to the natural and everyday materials we are familiar with in the world around us.