IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-29 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00344j

Emily Y Chen, Sujit S Datta

{"title":"Elastic instability of wormlike micelle solution flow in serpentine channels.","authors":"Emily Y Chen, Sujit S Datta","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00344j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00344j","url":null,"abstract":"Wormlike micelle (WLM) solutions are abundant in energy, environmental, and industrial applications, which often rely on their flow through tortuous channels. How does the interplay between fluid rheology and channel geometry influence the flow behavior? Here, we address this question by experimentally visualizing and quantifying the flow of a semi-dilute WLM solution in millifluidic serpentine channels. At low flow rates, the base flow is steady and laminar, with strong asymmetry and wall slip. When the flow rate exceeds a critical threshold, the flow exhibits an elastic instability, producing spatially-heterogeneous, unsteady three-dimensional (3D) flow characterized by two notable features: (i) the formation and persistence of stagnant but strongly-fluctuating and multistable \"dead zones\" in channel bends, and (ii) intermittent 3D \"twists\" throughout the bulk flow. The geometry of these dead zones and twisting events can be rationalized by considering the minimization of local streamline curvature to reduce flow-generated elastic stresses. Altogether, our results shed new light into how the interplay between solution rheology and tortuous boundary geometry influences WLM flow behavior, with implications for predicting and controlling WLM flows in a broad range of complex environments.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Pressure effects on the nanostructure of bicontinuous propane microemulsions with extended surfactants: a SANS study. 压力对扩展表面活性剂双连续丙烷微乳纳米结构的影响：一项SANS研究。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-29 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00343a

Maximilian Krappel, Christian Bittner, Ralf Schweins, Thomas Sottmann

{"title":"Pressure effects on the nanostructure of bicontinuous propane microemulsions with extended surfactants: a SANS study.","authors":"Maximilian Krappel, Christian Bittner, Ralf Schweins, Thomas Sottmann","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00343a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00343a","url":null,"abstract":"In our recent work, we investigated the influence of pressure on the temperature-dependent phase behavior of symmetric, application-relevant microemulsions containing propane, stabilized by an extended surfactant mixture. By means of high-pressure small-angle neutron scattering, the present study provides further insights by unraveling the impact of pressure and propane on the nanostructure of these microemulsions near their optimum point. Despite the obvious presence of multiple scattering, all recorded scattering curves show the typical characteristics of symmetric bicontinuous microemulsions. Analysis of the scattering data using the Teubner-Strey model and Porod's law for diffuse interfaces provided the periodicity dTS, the correlation length ξTS, and the specific interface S/V, as well as the amphiphilicity factor fa and the effective bending rigidity κeff of the amphiphilic film. The overall structural order of pure propane microemulsions was found to be markedly lower compared to the n-decane microemulsions. While the structure of n-decane-rich microemulsions only shows a weak pressure dependence, propane-rich formulations exhibit a significant increase of ξTS with pressure due to an increasing surfactant monolayer rigidity, caused by enhanced interactions of the compressible propane with the surfactant tails. Microemulsions containing mixtures of the two hydrocarbons behave accordingly, demonstrating that the presence of the short-chain alkane gradually amplifies the sensitivity of the amphiphilic film to pressure changes. Interestingly, the geometric prefactor a of bicontinuous structure models increases from slightly above 7 for n-decane microemulsions to a > 8 for propane formulations, owing to the increasing disorder.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Designing hydrogel dimensionality to investigate mechanobiology. 设计水凝胶尺寸以研究力学生物学。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-29 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm01458h

Marine Luciano, Sylvain Gabriele

{"title":"Designing hydrogel dimensionality to investigate mechanobiology.","authors":"Marine Luciano, Sylvain Gabriele","doi":"10.1039/d4sm01458h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sm01458h","url":null,"abstract":"Hydrogels are indispensable tools for mechanobiology, providing tunable platforms that mimic the complex extracellular matrix and facilitate the study of cell-microenvironment interactions. This review highlights recent advances in the design of hydrogel systems with dimensionality ranging from 2D to 3D, including innovative 2.5D and sandwich configurations, to dissect the role of biophysical cues in cellular behavior and phenotype regulation. Special attention is given to alginate and gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA) hydrogels, which offer unique mechanical and biochemical properties tailored for diverse applications in 3D cell culture. Cutting-edge strategies to dynamically modulate hydrogel stiffness, viscoelasticity, and spatial confinement are discussed, showcasing their impact on cancer progression, stem cell differentiation, and collective cell migration. By integrating advanced hydrogel fabrication methods, including photopolymerization, dual cross-linking, and microfabrication techniques, this review underscores the transformative potential of hydrogels for unraveling the complexities of cellular mechanotransduction in evolving environments. We also explore the clinical potential of engineered hydrogels across applications including tissue regeneration, disease modeling, and controlled drug delivery. Finally, we discussed key challenges in replicating the dynamic mechanical complexity of living tissues and highlight emerging opportunities in the development of smart and adaptive hydrogel systems. Together, these innovations are paving the way toward next-generation biomimetic platforms that bridge fundamental research and translational applications in mechanobiology.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Stress-induced and anchoring-programmed smectic layer architectures. 应力诱导和锚定编程的近晶层结构。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-28 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00393h

Jin-Bing Wu, Geng Chen, Daoxing Luo, Jingge Wang, Zhenghao Guo, Qiguang Wang, Hefeng Chang, Wei Hu

{"title":"Stress-induced and anchoring-programmed smectic layer architectures.","authors":"Jin-Bing Wu, Geng Chen, Daoxing Luo, Jingge Wang, Zhenghao Guo, Qiguang Wang, Hefeng Chang, Wei Hu","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00393h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00393h","url":null,"abstract":"The large-area architecture of ordered stimuli-responsive systems is of vital importance in nanotechnology and functional materials. However, the entropy-driven self-organization of soft matters remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we adopt mechanical stress to regulate the layered structures of smectic A liquid crystals. Direct transformation from focal conic domains (FCDs) to periodic zigzag FCDs (ZFCDs) is realized as a result of layer curvature reversion due to the tilt instability of liquid crystal molecules and dislocation dynamics under mechanical stress. By further introducing patterned surface anchoring, unprecedented hierarchical architectures of ZFCDs are demonstrated. The deflecting, bending and even complicated manipulations of ZFCDs are presented via preprogramming the photoalignment patterns. Diffractions and imaging functions of two-fold rotationally symmetric dependency on the incident linear polarization are verified. This work provides a new versatile method for hierarchical architectures of smectic layered systems. It extends our knowledge of soft matters and may inspire intriguing applications in advanced optics and photonics.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Run-and-tumble dynamics of active giant vesicles. 活动巨囊泡的跑动和翻滚动力学。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00309a

Vivien Willems, Alexandre Baron, Daniel Fernandez-Matoz, Gianna Wolfisberg, Jean-Christophe Baret, Eric Dufresne, Laura Alvarez

{"title":"Run-and-tumble dynamics of active giant vesicles.","authors":"Vivien Willems, Alexandre Baron, Daniel Fernandez-Matoz, Gianna Wolfisberg, Jean-Christophe Baret, Eric Dufresne, Laura Alvarez","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00309a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00309a","url":null,"abstract":"Cell-inspired architectures offer a promising path toward self-regulating and functional artificial microswimmers. Here, we fabricate Janus lipid vesicles with reconfigurable motion enabled by membrane fluidity. Depending on temperature and their membrane composition giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) can undergo spontaneous phase separation, forming Janus-like structures at room temperature. We demonstrate that due to their Janus architecture, they self-propel under external electric fields as their colloidal analogues. Interestingly, their fluid membrane coupled to the electric field induces transitions between laterally phase separated and disordered reconfigured states, characterized by 2D domain analysis. These transitions drive distinct run-and-tumble dynamics, with runs linked to phase-separated Janus states of the GUV and tumbles to transient disorder of the lipid domains, leading to an instantaneous halt of their activity due to loss of the Janus asymmetry. We identify a faster reorientation timescale decoupled from thermal effects provoked by the tumble events. This cell-inspired system offers a novel strategy for developing motile artificial cells and programmable microswimmers.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A novel microscopic origin of co-nonsolvency. 共同不偿付能力的一个新的微观起源。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00164a

Xingye Li, Zhiyuan Wang, Zheng Wang, Yuhua Yin, Run Jiang, Pengfei Zhang, Baohui Li

{"title":"A novel microscopic origin of co-nonsolvency.","authors":"Xingye Li, Zhiyuan Wang, Zheng Wang, Yuhua Yin, Run Jiang, Pengfei Zhang, Baohui Li","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00164a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00164a","url":null,"abstract":"Co-nonsolvency presents a fundamental paradox in polymer physics where macromolecules undergo collapse or precipitation in mixed good solvents. Through investigations combining simulations of various binary good solvent systems of polymers, including single-chain and multi-chain of homopolymers and block copolymers, and ternary Flory-Huggins theoretical validation, we reveal that the competition between the enthalpy of the system and the mixing entropy of binary solvents results in the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of the better solvent (S-solvent) and the co-nonsolvency phenomenon. To reduce the enthalpy, the polymer and S-solvent tend to mix together to maximize their contact, which, however, is entropically unfavorable due to the localization of the S-solvent in the polymer domain. The LLPS of the S-solvent, where different chain segments share the localized S-solvent molecules, simultaneously lowers the enthalpy and reduces the loss of the mixing entropy. This sharing leads the chain in single-chain systems to be in a locally folding conformation with a size being much smaller than that of the ideal chain. In multi-chain systems, however, the sharing can be among segments from different chains, which causes chain condensation and hence an average chain size larger than its ideal value. Our study provides a novel mechanism for co-nonsolvency and may provide insights into the LLPS in other soft matter systems.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Pinch-point singularities in stress-stress correlations reveal rigidity in colloidal gels. 应力-应力相关性中的尖点奇点揭示了胶体凝胶的刚性。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00296f

Albert Countryman, H A Vinutha, Fabiola Diaz Ruiz, Xiaoming Mao, Emanuela Del Gado, Bulbul Chakraborty

引用次数: 0

The electrostatic charge on exuded liquid drops. 渗出的液滴上的静电电荷。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-23 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00089k

Schuyler Arn, Pablo Illing, Joshua Mendéz Harper, Justin C Burton

{"title":"The electrostatic charge on exuded liquid drops.","authors":"Schuyler Arn, Pablo Illing, Joshua Mendéz Harper, Justin C Burton","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00089k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00089k","url":null,"abstract":"Fluid triboelectrification, also known as flow electrification, remains an under-explored yet ubiquitous phenomenon with potential applications from material science to planetary evolution. Building upon previous efforts to position water within the triboelectric series, we investigate the charge on individual, millimetric water drops falling through air. Our experiments measured the charge and mass of each drop using a Faraday cup mounted on a mass balance, and connected to an electrometer. For pure water in a glass syringe with a grounded metal tip, we find the charge per drop (Δq/Δm) was approximately -5 pC g-1 to -1 pC g-1. This was independent of the release height of the drop, tip diameter and length, tip cleaning preparation, and whether the experiment was shielded with a Faraday cage. Biasing the tip to different voltages allowed for linear control of the drop charge, and the results were consistent with known electrochemical effects, namely the Volta potential expected between most metals and bulk water (≈-0.5 V). Introducing insulating plastic materials into the experiment (from the syringe body or tip) imparted large amounts of charge on the drops with systematic charge evolution. Together these results show that the flow electrification of water is more complex than previously reported, and is driven by material-dependent electrostatic processes.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Covalent cross-linking approaches for all-trans retinoic acid-loaded thermo-responsive hydrogels. 全反式维甲酸负载热响应水凝胶的共价交联方法。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-23 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00228a

Xueli Mei, Robert C Stewart, Xiao Zhen Zhou, Kun Ping Lu, Elizabeth R Gillies

{"title":"Covalent cross-linking approaches for all-trans retinoic acid-loaded thermo-responsive hydrogels.","authors":"Xueli Mei, Robert C Stewart, Xiao Zhen Zhou, Kun Ping Lu, Elizabeth R Gillies","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00228a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm00228a","url":null,"abstract":"All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a promising therapeutic for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. However, its short half-life, poor water-solubility, and low stability in vivo hinder its use. The development of injectable controlled release systems for ATRA delivery can potentially address these challenges. Building on a poly(caprolactone-co-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone-co-lactide) (PCLA-PEG-PCLA) triblock copolymer system that undergoes thermo-responsive gelation at 37 °C, we explore and compare different approaches to stabilize the gels through covalent bonding. The attempted cross-linking of methacrylate end-capped PCLA-PEG-PCLA through thiol-Michael addition reactions using small molecule and 4-arm-PEG thiols led to precipitation rather than gelation. However, azide end-capped PCLA-PEG-PCLA was gelled using 5 kg mol-1 4-arm-PEG with terminal dibenzocyclooctyne (DIBAC) groups by strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. This hydrogel was then compared with previously reported methacrylate end-capped PCLA-PEG-PCLA hydrogels cross-linked by free radical chemistry, as well as non-covalently cross-linked hydrogels. The azide-alkyne hydrogels exhibited properties intermediate between the free radical and non-covalently cross-linked gels. Incorporation of ATRA substantially disrupted the free radical cross-linking, but imparted only modest changes in the azide-alkyne gels. ATRA was released over about two weeks. The proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells in the presence of ATRA-loaded and control azide-alkyne gels was investigated. The ATRA-loaded gel released active drug, while the unloaded gel did not affect proliferation.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Gelation behavior of short protected peptides in organic medium. 短保护肽在有机介质中的凝胶行为。

IF 2.9 3区化学

Soft Matter Pub Date : 2025-05-23 DOI: 10.1039/d5sm00275c

Thomas M FitzSimons, Israt Jahan Duti, Nathaniel Conrad, Paridhi Agrawal, Alexandria Niemoeller, Emily Guinn, Jingyao Wang, Anastasiia Vasiukhina-Martin, Adrianne M Rosales

{"title":"Gelation behavior of short protected peptides in organic medium.","authors":"Thomas M FitzSimons, Israt Jahan Duti, Nathaniel Conrad, Paridhi Agrawal, Alexandria Niemoeller, Emily Guinn, Jingyao Wang, Anastasiia Vasiukhina-Martin, Adrianne M Rosales","doi":"10.1039/d5sm00275c","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d5sm00275c","url":null,"abstract":"Peptide gelators have been widely explored in aqueous systems due to their prevalence in biological and medical applications. However, gelation behavior of peptides is less understood in organic medium, despite the extensive use of organic solvents in solid phase peptide synthesis, hybrid synthesis protocols, and the formation and application of organogels. Here, peptides with a short aqueous gelator sequence, lysine-tyrosine-phenylalanine or KYF, were investigated for the ability to form gels in dichloromethane (DCM) when their side groups are protected. Protected KYF-containing peptides formed gels in DCM at similar concentrations to deprotected KYF peptides in water. Structural characterization via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the presence of antiparallel β-sheets in both the protected and the deprotected KYF gels. However, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering indicated the protected KYF gels in DCM consisted of short, anisotropic particles at the mesoscale, whereas the deprotected KYF gels in water showed entangled fibers. The protected KYF gels in DCM exhibited similar rheological properties to colloidal gels, namely an increasing resistance to flow at higher shear rates, a shear thinning profile, and a gel-to-fluid transition with increasing strain. Altogether, this study provides critical insights on the assembly behavior and structure of a tripeptide motif and its variants in organic medium, which can facilitate optimizing the processing conditions of similar peptides in organic solvents during synthesis or end-use applications.","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12101513/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

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