School of Physics & Astronomy Institute for Condensed Matter
& Complex Systems Hard, soft and biological matter Experiment,
theory, simulation working together Interdisciplinarity Themes:
Hard: extreme conditions Soft: model systems Biological: multiscale
Slide 2 Quantum Ordering: Looking for new electronic states of
matter Making high-purity single crystals of new materials State of
the art low- temperature measurements at extreme conditions (10mK,
17 T, 10 GPa, two- axis rotation) Low temperature measurements and
experiments at central facilities ISIS(UK), FRM2 (Ger), LLB (Fra),
ILL (Fra) seek locateelucidate Growing UGe 2 Mapping the Phase
diagram of YbNiSn Neutron Scattering at ILL Slide 3 Metals at
Extremes: Transparent Sodium & Black Lithium PNAS 104, 17297
(2007); Science 320, 1054 (2008); PRB 79, 064105 (2009) Shiny oP8
122GPaBlack tI19 128GPa Transparent hP4 178GPa Black Li 125GPa
Melting T of sodium at 118GPa is just 305K. Minimum is associated
with 6 complex phases. Detailed study at Diamond and ESRF (High-P
Na was first paper from Diamond) Further compression of shiny
metallic Na leads first to dark semimetal and then to transparent
insulator at ~180GPa Reflected light Transmitted light Lithium is a
black semiconductor above 100GPa. We have grown single crystals
& are determining atomic structure at ESRF. Slide 4
Understanding the flow of concentrated suspensions Rewrites the
textbooks Unique imaging under flow PRL (2007) (Prog Grant +
NSF/EPSRC Materials) Flow profile in capillary yield stress fluid
Instabilities induced by confinement Implications for microfluidics
of suspensions Knowledge transfer & commercialisation EPSRC
Follow-on grant for imaging module Exploring application to
chocolate (Please dont tell anyone!!) Mode coupling theory
Advection of modes of density fluctuation The only ab initio theory
of colloid rheology PRL (2007) PRL (2007, 2008) Slide 5 STRUCTURE
AND FORMATION Bijels are gels comprising bicontinuous water and oil
domains. Bicontinuous structure formed by the arrest of (spinodal)
phase separation by interfacially trapped particles. Encapsulation
of bijel in Pickering droplets (bijel capsules). APPLICATIONS
Delivery of incompatible ingredients (e.g. sun cream) Triggered
release (T sensitive) Controlled delivery of components (e.g.
toothpaste) Unique sensory properties (skin, hair) Unique spreading
properties Solar cells Designer interfacial electro-optical
properties Motor A BIJEL (Simulation) Science (2005) Bicontinuous
Interfacially Jammed Emulsion Gel A BIJEL (Confocal) Nature
Materials (2007) A BIJEL CAPSULE EPSRC Programme grant (including
computer simulations) EPSRC Follow on fund Scottish Enterprise PoC
FUNDING ROUTE oil particles water Bijels: a new soft solid Slide 6
Protein self-assembly: nanomaterials, cataract, foodstuffs, and
beyond Soft Matter (2009) 5: 2725-2730 J Am Chem Soc. (2009) 131:
12520-1 EMBO J (2002) 21: 6005-6014 EPSRC Programme Grant &
EPSRC-funded studentships An understanding of the physics driving
biological self-assembly underpins our knowledge of disease, the
development of new materials, and inspires (bio)nanotechnology. A
mouse eye lens shows inappropriate protein self-assembly leading to
heritable cataract Adding fluorophores yields self- assembled
light-harvesting (bio)nanofibres for optoelectronics AFM image of
self-assembled protein fibres A laboratory-produced pickled egg
made up of self-assembled proteins: transparent, robust, and stable
for weeks Protein self-assembly mechanism MacPhee Group, Physics
and Life Sciences Slide 7 Bacteria Physics: from cells to
ecosystems E. Coli motility New methods to measure swimming speed u
body rotation rate flagella rotation rate averaged over ~ 4000 bugs
in < 2 minutes Non-monotonic dependence of u on concentration in
polymer solutions Pond mud = microbial ecosystem Denaturing
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) Community structure [Programme
Grant + Senior Fellowship + RSE fellowship] Extract DNA Theory and
simulations Predict? [Leverhulme + Programme Grant] Wider programme
on the statistical physics of interacting agents: trees, farmers,
etc. [EPSRC NANIA, etc.] Spread of neolithic farming PNAS
