Materials at Surface and Interface

We design, synthesis and (co)assemble nanoparticles, microparticles, liquid crystals, polymers and their composites at the surface and interface with or without physical confinement. We investigate surface tension vs. other forces, e.g. elasticity from the assembly of liquid crystal molecules or shape memory effect.  In turn, we study wettability, adhesion, optical properties, locomotion, and related heat, water and light transport within the structured materials.

Wei, Wei-Shao*; Xia, Yu, Ettinger, Sophie; Yang, Shu and Yodh, Arjun G.*, “Molecular heterogeneity drives reconfigurable nematic liquid crystal drops”, Nature, 2019, 576, 433–436. DOI. News. View-only

Liu, Jiaqi; Radja, Asja; Gao, Yuchong; Yin, Rui; Sweeney, Alison; and Yang, Shu*, “Diverse Pollen-like Microparticles from Liquid Crystal Oligomers via a Biological Pathway”, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 2020, 117 (18) 9699-9705. DOI

Wu, Gaoxiang; Zhao, Yiping; Ge, Dengteng; Zhao, Yubo; Yang, Lili*, and Yang, Shu*, “Highly Robust, Pressure-Resistant Superhydrophobic Coatings from Monolayer Assemblies of Chained Nanoparticles”, Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 2000681. DOI

Liao, Zhiwei; Wu, Gaoxiang; Lee, Daeyeon*, and Yang, Shu*, "Ultrastable Underwater Anti-Oil Fouling Coatings from Spray Assemblies of Polyelectrolyte Grafted Silica Nanochains", ACS Appl. Nano Mater., 2019, 11, 14, 13642-13651. DOI

Xia, Yu; Mathis, Tyler; Zhao, Meng-qiang; Anasori, Babak; Dang, Alei; Zhou, Zehang; Cho, Hyesung; Gogotsi, Yury*; and Yang, S.*, “Thickness Independent Capacitance of Vertically Aligned Liquid Crystalline MXenes”, Nature, 2018, 557, 409-412. DOI.