College of Science & Engineering
Twin Cities
This project aims to bring a new perspective into 2D self-assembly of particles. The spontaneous formation of disparate units into macroscopic structures is one of the key features of living matter that engineers and scientists alike have tried to emulate with synthetic materials. In particular, there has been a huge surge of interest in the self-assembly of particles on the fluid-fluid interface based on capillary interactions that are induced by the contact line pinning or gravity. However, the current research is solely focused on particle properties, while the fluid-fluid interface is merely treated as a passive site that remains quiescent. This high-risk project will define a new direction in this high impact research area by allowing the interface to dynamically deform and by investigating the dynamic coupling between the fluid-fluid interface and the particle assembly.