Assembly in Non-equilibrium Systems
Control of the spatial arrangement of colloids into 3D lattices is of scientific and technological interest to achieve materials with optical properties such as bandgaps and structural colors. The electrokinetic behavior of anisotropic colloids in fields at low frequency shows emerging forms of transport (diffusioelectrophoresis) that manifest into unique levitation and aggregation behavior that can be exploited in separation and microfluidic operations.
Our aim is to characterize the phenomena of diffusioelectrophoresis and engineer electrochemical reactions with suitable concentration profiles. This work will lead to new ways to manipulate colloids through electric fields.
