Biomineralization,, nanowires, and soft materials: processes and properties at the nanometer scale

我的研究兴趣集中在纳米尺度的机械性能和工艺。例如，我的兴趣之一是结晶，特别是通过吸附在晶体生长面上的分子“毒药”来控制结晶。这与工业中重要的广泛系统相关（例如，防止柴油燃料中蜡结晶的冬季添加剂）和生物学（例如，使某些生物在零度以下的温度下生存的蛋白质）。我的研究小组的另一个主题是纳米纤维，电线和管的表征。了解这些材料的机械性能是它们在技术中使用的先决条件。这两个主题在我实验室使用的一种工具中相交：原子力显微镜（AFM），它通过锋利的微加工探针来感知表面特征和属性。但是，我们会根据需要使用一套其他技术。例如，我们正在研究聚（乙烯醇）水凝胶，其微观结构涉及从纳米到几十微米的长度尺度。为了解开这种材料的结构，其应用包括活性伤口敷料和血管移植，我们采用机械测试，中子散射和数值模拟。

My research interests focus on mechanical properties and processes at the nanometer scale. For example, one of my interests is crystallization and, in particular, its control by molecular "poisons" that adsorb to crystal growth faces. This is relevant to a wide range of systems that are important in industry (e.g., winter additives that prevent wax crystallization in diesel fuels) and biology (e.g., proteins that allow some organisms to survive subzero temperatures). Another theme in my research group has been the characterization of nanofibres, wires, and tubes. Understanding the mechanical properties of such materials is a prerequisite to their use in technology. These two themes intersect in one of the tools employed in my laboratory: the atomic force microscope (AFM), which senses surface features and properties through a sharp, microfabricated probe. However, we employ a suite of other techniques as necessary. For instance, we are studying poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels, which have microstructures involving length scales ranging from nanometers to tens of micrometers. To unravel the structure of this material whose applications include active wound dressings and vascular grafts, we employ mechanical testing, neutron scattering, and numerical modeling.