Collaborative Research: Topological Defects and Dynamic Motion of Symmetry-breaking Tadpole Particles in Liquid Crystal Medium

合作研究：液晶介质中对称破缺蝌蚪粒子的拓扑缺陷与动态运动

• 批准号: 2344490
• 负责人: Ying Bao
• 金额: $ 19.85万
• 依托单位: Western Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-01 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2344490&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Topological; Defects; Dynamic

A fast-growing technology market is related to microactuators: small-scale active devices capable of generating mechanical motion of solids or fluids by converting one form of energy into kinetic energy. Their programmable motion capabilities could influence several applications including sensors, drug delivery, and soft robotics. Manipulating microactuators to operate at a specific position is still challenging. Substantial efforts have been made on using symmetrical colloidal particles of nano- to micro-scale in conventional aqueous mediums as microacutators. This award aims to synthesize asymmetric tadpole particles composed of a spherical head and highly asymmetrical tail features and explore the impacts of multiple asymmetrical features on particle-induced topological defects and controllable motion in anisotropic liquid crystal medium. The project will provide an interdisciplinary platform involving chemistry, physics, and engineering to develop the potential for local targeting, with applications such as drug delivery and bioimaging on specific cells and initiation of site-specific reactions by carrying catalysts. The collaborative nature of this proposal will provide undergraduate students from a predominantly undergraduate institution (PUI) the opportunity to be exposed to very high intensity R1 institutional culture through summer rotations. The proposed outreach efforts will also expand the participation of underrepresented groups. This award will provide fundamental knowledge of how particles’ asymmetric factors affect topological defects, out-of-equilibrium motion, and controllable hydrodynamics in ordered liquid crystal (LC) medium. The proposed research is to determine the relationship between asymmetric parameters of tadpole particles and the morphology of the resulting distorted nematic field. Elucidating this fundamental knowledge is vital to the rational design of chemically patterned surfaces that have featured topological boundary conditions for commanding particle motion. The long and flexible tail of tadpole particles, as compared to spherical or other symmetric particles, can significantly enhance the asymmetric distortion of long-range order anisotropic liquid crystal medium and the capability to encapsulate a second media at the interface, to facilitate a propulsion mechanism for the particle and enable cargo transportation. The degree of freedom in surface modification of SiO2 tails further enhances the manipulation of direction and velocity of particle motion. Through a feedback loop between asymmetric particle synthesis, experimental evidence on its physical morphologies in LC and further engineering motion, interdisciplinary knowledge will be developed to connect the particle design, synthesis and surface chemistry to topological defects and out-of-equilibrium motion in the ordered liquid crystal media.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

一个快速增长的技术市场与微型施工机有关：小尺度的活动设备，能够通过将一种形式的能量转换为动能来产生固体或烟道的机械运动。它们可编程的运动能力可能会影响多种应用，包括传感器，药物输送和软机器人技术。操纵微犯料以在特定位置运行仍然是挑战。在使用纳米尺度的对称胶体颗粒中，在常规水培养基中作为显微球尺度做出了重大努力。该奖项旨在合成由球形头和高度不对称的尾部特征组成的不对称t颗粒，并探索多个不对称特征对粒子诱导的拓扑缺陷的影响，并在各向异性液体晶体介质中受控运动。该项目将提供一个涉及化学，物理和工程的跨学科平台，以开发局部靶向的潜力，并通过携带催化剂来提供药物输送和对特定细胞和倡议的应用。该提案的协作性质将为来自本科机构（PUI）的本科生提供有机会通过夏季轮换暴露于非常高强度的R1机构文化的机会。拟议的外展工作还将扩大代表性不足的团体的参与。该奖项将提供有关颗粒的不对称因素如何影响拓扑缺陷，平衡运动外运动和受控流体动力学的基本知识。拟议的研究是确定t颗粒的不对称参数与所得扭曲的列场的形态之间的关系。阐明这种基本知识对于具有指挥粒子运动的拓扑边界条件的化学图案表面的合理设计至关重要。与球形或其他对称颗粒相比，t颗粒的长而柔韧的尾巴可以显着增强长距离阶向各向异性液体晶体介质的不对称失真，并能够将第二个介质封装在界面上，以促进颗粒的推进机制，并启用货物运输。 Sio2尾巴表面修饰的自由度进一步增强了对粒子运动的方向和速度的操纵。通过反馈循环在不对称的颗粒合成之间，其在LC中的物理形态和进一步的工程运动之间的实验证据，将开发跨学科知识，以将粒子的设计，合成和表面化学连接到拓扑缺陷和拓扑缺陷以及拓扑缺陷以及在阶段的液态媒体中的不平衡运动。影响审查标准。