(7hz) Curvature Matters. Reconfigurable Materials from Anisotropic Colloid Interactions

My research interests are centered on the fundamental phenomenological behavior and applications of colloidal suspensions. In particular, I am interested in suspensions composed of anisotropic particles, and suspensions with a polarized behavior generated by the influence of an external field. These kinds of colloids have directional interactions, which depend on the relative position and orientation while undergoing a translational and rotational Brownian motion. Different applications of colloidal suspensions take advantage of the precise control over the individual and the collection of particles using different fields, such as gravitational, electric, magnetic, acoustic, etc. The directional behavior generated by anisotropic particles will impact, lead advances in the colloid science, and improve the current applications, such as controlling the directed assembly, tunable/responsive (soft) materials, active suspensions, colloidal delivery systems, heat transfer fluids, photonic materials, separation processes, etc.

My research combines my expertise in synthesis, characterization, real-time imaging/measurements, and modeling at different scales of approximation, to fundamentally understand the interactions and collective response of suspensions composed of colloidal particles. The future research plan combines the fundamental understanding and quantification of anisotropic particle interactions, and its applications which include, but not limited to, the next topics:

• Polarized soft matter (electromagnetic fields, active suspensions, ferrofluids and tunable suspensions): Improve the actuation of colloidal suspension by the effect of the orientational dependence of anisotropic particles and highly concentrated suspensions.

• Asymmetry for hierarchical assembly (colloidal crystals, hierarchical structures, photonic/phononic materials): Production of colloidal tunable/multifunctional crystals accomplished by the multipolar interactions of anisotropic particles under the influence of electric/magnetic/acoustic fields.

• Shape-enable delivery systems (encapsulation, fragrance delivery, drug delivery and theranostics): Use the directional and orientational surface and field interaction of anisotropic particles to improve the delivery/transport of encapsulated fluids.

Teaching Interests:

I have had the experience to teach “Fluid Mechanics” as Assistant Professor. Additionally, I have previous experience as an instructor of “Chemical Engineering Laboratory I”, and as a Course Coordinator of “Thermal Sciences Laboratory”, in Chemical and Mechanical Engineering. Furthermore, I have had several experiences as Teaching Assistant in the last ten years. I have taken this role in courses such as “Fluid Mechanics”, “Thermodynamics”, and “Transport Phenomena” at the undergrad level, and “Transport Phenomena/Continuum Basis” at the graduate level.

I would be interested in teaching “Fluid Mechanics”, and the introductory course of transport phenomena commonly offered to undergraduates. Likewise, due to the nature of my work and academic interests, I would be interested in teaching “Transport phenomena/Continuum Basis” at the graduate level. From my research experience, I would be interested in teaching courses related to modeling of anisotropic particles, as well as on particle-particle interactions.