(3t) Theory and Modeling of Confined, Templated Colloidal Systems

Confinement and templating allow experimentalists unprecedented control over colloidal systems, and will dominate colloidal and nanoparticle self-assembly and synthesis of responsive materials in the near future.  I will develop theory and modeling of these systems, including three-dimensional, unsteady behavior of soft matter in complex geometries, to guide experimentalists, and shed light into new physics.  A particular area of interest is anisotropic particle assembly.  Tremendous advancements in the synthesis of complex-shaped colloids have created a driving need for numerical and theoretical modeling. The finite size of these colloidal “building blocks” allows continuum simulation techniques to be used, giving the opportunity to explore length and time scales well out of the reach of atomistic simulations and to provide predictions amenable to experimental confirmation. My initial research will focus on  simulations of highly coupled problems involving anisotropic colloids and the physico-chemistry of interfaces, solid substrates and membranes.