“Guiding the Programmable Design of Soft Materials”

Professor Andrey V. Dobrynin, 
Department of Polymer Science at the University of Akron

Professor Andrey V. Dobrynin, Department of Polymer Science at the University of Akron

Abstract: During the last decade, our understanding of soft matter has been transformed through the synergistic consolidation of theory, computer simulations, and experiments into a materials design engine (platform). In this talk, I will describe how this approach has guided synthesis towards programmable molecular architectures to yield novel functional materials with well-controlled physical properties. In particular, I will demonstrate how theory and computer simulations have empowered the design of polymeric networks capable of replicating the unique self-assembly, mechanics and temporal evolution of living tissue. These synthetic tissue mimics are vital for biomedical device engineering and embody significant implications for decoding a multitude of cellular processes including proliferation, locomotion, and differentiation.  This interdisciplinary approach has also driven the discovery of a graphene exfoliation mechanism utilized in synthesis of superabsorbing and conductive polymer/graphene foams.