Dr. Alan R. Denton, Department of Physics, North Dakota State University

Stability of Nanomaterials:  A Multiscale Modelling Approach

Abstract

Soft nanomaterials typically comprise giant molecules (polymers or amphiphiles)
or mesoscopic particles (colloids or nanoparticles) with sizes ranging from
nanometers to microns.  Weak and highly tunable intermolecular forces render
these remarkable materials mechanically fragile and impart unusual thermal and
optical properties.  Polymers are ubiquitous as rubbers, plastics, and fabrics;
biopolymers (DNA, proteins) and lipids (biomembranes) are the building blocks of
life; liquid crystals lurk behind flat panel displays, while colloids surround us
in the form of paints, clays, foods, and pharmaceuticals.  Practical applications
of soft materials often rely on controlling stability by suppressing or promoting
phase separation.  After a brief introduction to soft matter and challenges to
computational modelling posed by multiple length scales, I will illustrate the
powerful concept of effective interactions in the context of charged colloids.
Finally, I will describe our exploits with soft materials in science outreach.