March 09, 2010
Self assembly promises a completely different paradigm for manufacturing small devices: instead of piece-by-piece manufacturing, structures will spontaneously assemble into functional structures. Enabling this technology requires understanding how to choose the parts list and assembly protocol be chosen for robust self assembly. Although examples in biology demonstrate that such algorithms exist, the fundamental principles that govern design choices have not been discovered. What can be assembled and what cannot be assembled? How does the complexity of the algorithm for assembling structures depend on the complexity of the object? In this talk I will outline our research program aimed at addressing these questions. The first part of the talk will focus on the thermodynamics of finite clusters of small spheres that bind to each other on sticking (joint work with Vinny Manoharan's lab). We map out the free energy landscape of such clusters for identical spheres, and discuss how coating the spheres with specific stickers can bias the assembly towards complex structures. The second part of the talk focuses on using microfluidics to enable kinetically driven self assembly.
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Colloquia are held Tuesdays in Room 1410 at 4:00 pm (preceded by light refreshments at 3:30). If you have additional questions, please call 301-405-5946.
