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Research

Our research explores how soft materials and interfaces can be engineered to create functional structures and devices. By integrating microfluidics, colloid and interface science, and polymer physics, we investigate fundamental interfacial phenomena while developing new routes for materials synthesis and processing.

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Microfluidics

Droplet & Emulsion Microfluidics

  • Lipid nanoparticle manufacturing

  • Multiphase microfluidic systems

  • Microfluidic synthesis of functional materials

AI-augmented Microfluidics

  • Automated droplet library generation

  • High-throughput single cell phenotyping

  • In-line analytics

Scalable Microfluidic Manufacturing

  • Parallelized droplet generation

  • High-throughput microfluidic reactors

  • Translation of microfluidics toward industrial production

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Colloids and Interfaces

Colloidal Assembly at Interfaces

  • Capillary-driven particle assembly

  • Particle interactions at liquid–liquid and liquid–air interfaces

  • Directed organization of anisotropic colloids

Interfacial Soft Matter

  • Adsorption of polymers and biomolecules at interfaces

  • Wetting, adhesion, and surface interactions

  • Interfacial stability of emulsions and colloidal systems

Structured Colloidal Materials

  • Self-assembled particle networks and membranes

  • Nanoparticle-based coatings and films

  • Functional colloidal composites

Interfacial Phenomena in Complex Fluids

  • Capillarity and curvature-driven particle migration

  • Interface-mediated interactions between particles

  • Dynamics of particles trapped at interfaces

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Polymers

Polymer–Nanoparticle Composites

  • Polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films

  • Nanocomposites with high nanoparticle loading

  • Structure–property relationships in hybrid materials

Polymer Transport in Confined Environments

  • Polymer dynamics in nanoporous structures

  • Capillary infiltration of polymer melts

  • Polymer motion under nanoscale confinement

Nanostructured Polymer Materials

  • Assembly of polymers within nanoparticle packings

  • Patterning and structuring of polymer nanocomposites

  • Functional polymer thin films

Interactions in Polymer–Particle Systems

  • Polymer adsorption on nanoparticle surfaces

  • Effects of surface chemistry on polymer behavior

  • Interplay of polymer entanglement and particle networks

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© 2021 SMART Lab at the University of Pennsylvania

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