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Scientific topics

01

Interfacial physics

The behavior of numerous natural and technical processes is significantly influenced by the properties of interfacial regions, where two different materials or phases intersect. These interfaces can exhibit unique behaviors and characteristics that are distinct from the bulk properties of each material. My work has focused on creating novel photonic interfaces based on interfacial physics and soft matter physics. 

02

Structural colors

Structural colors are colors that result from the microscopically structured surfaces of materials rather than pigments or dyes. Unlike colors produced by pigments, which absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others, structural colors arise from the interference, diffraction, or scattering of light by the material's nanostructures. Structural colors serve as colorimetric sensors, reflective displays, anticounterfeiting measures that save energy while displaying nonfading colors. My research mainly focuses on structural colors from photonic bandgap, but I am also familiar with diffraction colors and retroreflective colors.

03

Plasmonics

Plasmonics deals with the study of surface plasmons which are collective oscillations of free electrons at the interface between a metal and a dielectric (insulator) material. These oscillations occur when the frequency of incident light matches the natural frequency of the surface electrons leading to resonance of light. My research goal is to induce colors by achieving the resonance within the visible range, especially on the microspheres utilized for applications such as twisting ball display or biosensors with photonic barcodes.

04

Soft robotics/actuators 

Soft robotics is a subfield of robotics that focuses on the design and application of robots with soft, flexible, and deformable structures. Unlike traditional rigid robots, soft robots are made from materials that can undergo significant deformation, which can be controlled by chemical, electrical, or mechanical stimuli. My objective is to enable actuation processes such as bending, untwisting, or pneumatic inflation to activate soft robots or devices designed for mechanical and medical applications.

Kids Playing with Lego

Materials

My interest is in SOFT MATTER .

Colloids

01

Colloids are mixtures composed of particles suspended in a medium, typically dispersed in a liquid, solid, or gas. Colloidal systems are prevalent in various natural and synthetic materials and exhibit unique properties due to their particle size and dispersion. I mainly delved into composite materials where silica particles are dispersed into acrylate polymers and interacts with one another to induce certain photonic or rheological effects.

02

Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals (LCs) are a unique state of matter that exhibits properties of both conventional liquids and solid crystals. Liquid crystals are composed of elongated or rod-shaped molecules that have some degree of orientational order while retaining fluid-like mobility. I am dealing with liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and cholesteric LCEs (CLCEs) for mechanical and optical applications, respectively.

03

Polymers

I have used various photo-crosslinkable acrylate polymers that comprises photonic composite materials with silica particles. Their material properties of polymers affect rheological, mechanical, and photonic properties of the ink or cured results. I have also utilized photoresists for lithographic fabrication including micropatterning and soft microfluidics. I am currently employing ene-thiol click chemistry to crosslink silicone rubbers for soft robots.

04

Nanostructured Metals

Nanostructured metals, albeit not soft matter, play a significant role in the field of plasmonics, which focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and metal nanostructures at the nanoscale. I have deposited a thin layer of metal on a periodic surface with dimples to create both the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for plasmonic coloration.

Tools

I am experienced in ...

3D Printing

  • Direct Ink Writing (DIW) for 2D patterning and 3D printing

  • Digital Light Processing (DLP)

  • Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Photolithography

  • Familiar with both the negative and positive photoresists

  • Laser writing for photomask fabrication (@UPenn)

  • Reaction-diffusion-mediated photolithography affected by oxygen diffusion during the crosslinking

Microfluidics

  • Glass microfluidic devices for oil-in-water emulsions

  • PDMS microfluidic devices for water-in-oil emulsions

Molding/demolding

  • Using soft lithography

  • Fiber molding/demolding

  • Current work

If you’d like more information about my research, feel free to contact me today!

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