CAREER: Entropic Control of Colloidal Stability, Phase Transition, and Particle Deposition: Theory of Depletion Forces

摘要CTS-0133780D。普渡大学科尔蒂-这一提议处于一个领域的前沿，即密集悬浮中的自组装，在该领域中，理论落后于快速发展的实验技术。专注于基于几何的统计力学和新的模拟来解决熵驱动的过程，有望在更高的智力水平上进行研究。该理论有明确的物理基础，相对简单，但并不容易，并得到了与一个配备了直接测量粒子间势能的小组合作的实验工作的补充。这种方法可能足够强大和简单，可以为寻求自组装新结构的实验者提供指导，并吸引其他应用统计力学的人。教育努力明智地集中在化学工程本科课程上，特别是热力学方面的内容。在研究生研究中，将课程内容与实际可触及的主题联系起来会有很大好处。

AbstractCTS-0133780D. Corti, Purdue UniversityThis proposal lies at the frontier in an area, self-assembly in dense suspensions, in which theory lags behind rapidly evolving experimental techniques. The focus on geometrically-based statistical mechanics and novel simulations to address entropy-driven processes promises research at a high intellectual level. The theory has a clear physical basis and is relatively simple, but not easy, and is complemented by an experimental effort in collaboration with a group equipped to measure interparticle potentials directly. This approach might be powerful and simple enough to provide guidance for experimentalists seeking to self-assemble novel structures and to appeal to others applying statistical mechanics. The educational effort wisely concentrates on the undergraduate curriculum for chemical engineering, particularly the thermodynamic content. There is much to gain from linking course content to physically accessible topics in graduate research.