Programming anisotropy into responsive soft materials

该项目旨在利用具有可调表面涂层的胶体棒的水悬浮液，生成具有可编程各向异性的粘弹性软材料。该项目希望在这种独特材料的流变学和结构特性方面产生新的知识。一个关键的创新是使用电荷导向聚合物自组装来控制胶体相互作用、悬浮流变学和相行为。预期的结果是对纳米结构方向的空间控制，有可能模仿自然界中发现的结构层次。这将为制造具有复杂流变学以及结构、机械和光学非均质性的粘弹性材料提供显著的好处。

The project aims to generate viscoelastic soft materials with programmable anisotropy using aqueous suspensions of colloidal rods that have tunable surface coatings. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the rheology and structural characteristics of this unique class of materials. A key innovation is the use of charge-directed polymer self-assembly to control colloidal interactions, suspension rheology and phase behaviour. The intended outcome is spatial control over the orientation of nanostructures, potentially mimicking the structural hierarchy found in nature. This should provide significant benefits to the creation of viscoelastic materials with complex rheology as well as structural, mechanical and optical heterogeneity.