Cross-sectional focusing of red blood cells in a constricted microfluidic channel

in SOFT MATTER (2020), 16(2), 534-543

Constrictions in blood vessels and microfluidic devices can dramatically change the spatial distribution of passing cells or particles and are commonly used in biomedical cell sorting applications ... [more ▼]

Constrictions in blood vessels and microfluidic devices can dramatically change the spatial distribution of passing cells or particles and are commonly used in biomedical cell sorting applications. However, the three-dimensional nature of cell focusing in the channel cross-section remains poorly investigated. Here, we explore the cross-sectional distribution of living and rigid red blood cells passing a constricted microfluidic channel by tracking individual cells in multiple layers across the channel depth and across the channel width. While cells are homogeneously distributed in the channel cross-section pre-contraction, we observe a strong geometry-induced focusing towards the four channel faces post-contraction. The magnitude of this cross-sectional focusing effect increases with increasing Reynolds number for both living and rigid red blood cells. We discuss how this non-uniform cell distribution downstream of the contraction results in an apparent double-peaked velocity profile in particle image velocimetry analysis and show that trapping of red blood cells in the recirculation zones of the abrupt construction depends on cell deformability. [less ▲]

Swimming of bacterium Bacillus subtilis with multiple bundles of flagella

in SOFT MATTER (2019), 15(48), 10029-10034

We characterize the bundle properties for three different strains of B. subtilis bacteria with various numbers of flagella. Our study reveals that, surprisingly, the number of bundles is independent of ... [more ▼]

We characterize the bundle properties for three different strains of B. subtilis bacteria with various numbers of flagella. Our study reveals that, surprisingly, the number of bundles is independent of the number of flagella, and the formation of three bundles is always the most frequent case. We assume that this relates to the fact that different mutants have the same body length. There is no significant difference between the bundle width and length for distinct strains, but the projected angle between the bundles increases with the flagellar number. Furthermore, we find that the swimming speed is anti-correlated with the projected angle between the bundles, and the wobbling angle between the swimming direction and cell body increases with the number of flagella. Our findings highlight the impact of geometrical properties of bacteria such as body length and bundle configuration on their motility. [less ▲]

Influence of interface stabilisers and surrounding aqueous phases on nematic liquid crystal shells

in Soft Matter (2015), in press

We investigate the nematic–isotropic (N–I) transition in shells of the liquid crystal 5CB, surrounded by aqueous phases that conven- tionally are considered to be immiscible with 5CB. The aqueous phases ... [more ▼]

We investigate the nematic–isotropic (N–I) transition in shells of the liquid crystal 5CB, surrounded by aqueous phases that conven- tionally are considered to be immiscible with 5CB. The aqueous phases contain either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as stabiliser, the former additionally promoting homeotropic director alignment. For all shell configurations we find a depression of the clearing point compared to pure 5CB, indicating that a non-negligible fraction of the constituents of the surrounding phases enter the shell, predominantly water. In hybrid- aligned shells, with planar outer and homeotropic inner boundary (or vice versa), the N–I transition splits into two steps, with a consequent three-step textural transformation. We explain this as a result of the order-enhancing effect of a monolayer of radially aligned SDS molecules adsorbed at the homeotropic interface. [less ▲]

Molecular versus macroscopic perspective on the demixing transition of aqueous PNIPAM solutions by studying the dual character of the refractive index

in Soft Matter (2014), 10(37), 7297-7305

The phase separation of aqueous poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions is known to strongly affect their volume expansion behaviour and the elastic moduli, as the latter are strongly coupled to ... [more ▼]

The phase separation of aqueous poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions is known to strongly affect their volume expansion behaviour and the elastic moduli, as the latter are strongly coupled to the macroscopic order parameter. On the molecular scale, considerable changes in H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, as well as in the structure govern the demixing process. However, the relationship between the molecular and macroscopic order parameters is unclear for such complex phase-separating solutions. We contribute to the clarification of this problem by relating optical to volumetric properties across the demixing transition of dilute to concentrated aqueous PNIPAM solutions. Far from the demixing temperature, the temperature dependence of the refractive index is predominantly determined by thermal expansion. In the course of phase separation, the refractive index is dominated by the anomalous behaviour of the specific refractivity, which reflects the spatio-temporally averaged changes in molecular interactions and the structural reorganization of the demixing solutions. Moreover, the presence of relaxation processes is studied by the complex expansion coefficient using the novel technique of temperature modulated optical refractometry. [less ▲]

Kinetic processes at the demixing transition of PNIPAM solutions

in Soft Matter (2013), 9

Kinetic processes, which are joined with mass transport, are studied in the vicinity of the sharp LCST-type demixing transition of semi-dilute aqueous poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions ... [more ▼]

Kinetic processes, which are joined with mass transport, are studied in the vicinity of the sharp LCST-type demixing transition of semi-dilute aqueous poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions. These processes are slow as compared to the highly cooperative collapse of individual polymer chains. Purely elastic properties, that are particularly sensitive to this phase transition, are addressed depending on the temperature, space and time by Brillouin spectroscopy. Above the demixing temperature Tc, we discriminate between kinetics related to the phase separation into PNIPAM-rich and PNIPAM-poor domains and kinetics connected to the impact of gravitation on the on-going phase separation. Using shallow temperature jumps of 0.3 C, the growth of compact PNIPAM-rich agglomerates with identical gel-like mechanical consistency is provoked independently of temperature and position within the sample above Tc. Astonishingly, the transition temperature does not vary while heating or cooling the solutions across the phase transition, although the elastic properties depend strongly on space and time during the equilibration of PNIPAM concentration gradients following the re-entrance into the lowtemperature phase. [less ▲]

Towards tunable defect arrangements in smectic liquid crystal shells utilizing the nematic-smectic transition in hybrid-aligned geometries

in Soft Matter (2012), 8(20), 5443-5450

We produce and investigate liquid crystal shells with hybrid alignment—planar at one boundary, homeotropic at the other—undergoing a transition between the nematic (N) and smectic-A (SmA) phases. The ... [more ▼]

We produce and investigate liquid crystal shells with hybrid alignment—planar at one boundary, homeotropic at the other—undergoing a transition between the nematic (N) and smectic-A (SmA) phases. The shells display a dynamic sequence of patterns, the details depending on the alignment agents and on the diameter and thickness of the shell. In shells of sufficient diameter we typically find a transient striped texture near the N–SmA transition, stabilising into a pattern of tiled, more or less regularly spaced focal conic domains in the SmA phase. The domain size and spacing decrease with reduced shell thickness. In case of strong homeotropic anchoring at one boundary and small shell size, however, the increased curvature favors homeotropic against planar alignment in the smectic phase, and the shell then tends to adapt to complete homeotropic alignment at the final stage of the transition. This is the first study of hybrid-aligned smectic shells and the results constitute a beautiful demonstration of the capacity for dynamic structure formation and reformation via self-assembly in soft matter. The new patterns extend the range of arrays of topological defects that can be realised with liquid crystals in spherical morphology and the correlation between the feature arrangements and the variable parameters of the shell and its environment opens a route towards tunability. However, the observed strong impact from increasing curvature, even for these rather large shells, indicates that the choice of alignment agents inducing planar or homeotropic alignment with varying strength will become critical when targeting the most attractive colloidal size scale of about a micron or smaller. [less ▲]

Filament formation in carbon nanotube-doped lyotropic liquid crystals

in Soft Matter (2011), 7(6), 2663-2667

By introducing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into lyotropic nematic liquid crystals, strongly enhanced viscoelastic behaviour results, allowing the extraction of very thin and long filaments in which the CNTs ... [more ▼]

By introducing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into lyotropic nematic liquid crystals, strongly enhanced viscoelastic behaviour results, allowing the extraction of very thin and long filaments in which the CNTs are uniformly aligned. The filament formation requires the liquid crystallinity of the host phase and it does not take place for coarsely dispersed nanotubes or if their concentration is below a threshold value. The type of nanotube plays only a small role, single- as well as multiwall CNTs both trigger the filament formation, but spherical C60 fullerenes do not give rise to the phenomenon. We argue that individualized CNTs stiffen the rod-shaped micelles of the liquid crystal host and that the elongational flow then increases the nematic long-range order as well as the micelle length. If the CNTs are present at a sufficient concentration to connect in continuous linear chains of arbitrary extension, the micelle stiffening is ensured regardless of length, taking the system into a positive feedback loop between increasing orientational order and diverging micelle length. It is this percolation-like transition to aligned and quasi-infinite micelles stabilized by chains of nanotubes that makes the filament formation possible. [less ▲]

Smart polymer surfaces: mapping chemical landscapes on the nanometre scale

in Soft Matter (2010)

We show that Scattering Infrared Near-field Microscopy (SNIM) allows chemical mapping of polymer monolayers that can serve as designed nanostructured surfaces with specific surface chemistry properties on ... [more ▼]

We show that Scattering Infrared Near-field Microscopy (SNIM) allows chemical mapping of polymer monolayers that can serve as designed nanostructured surfaces with specific surface chemistry properties on a nm scale. Using s-SNIM a minimum volume of 100 nm × 100 nm × 15 nm is sufficient for a recording of a “chemical” IR signature which corresponds to an enhancement of at least four orders of magnitudes compared to conventional FT-IR microscopy. We could prove that even in cases where it is essentially difficult to distinguish between distinct polymer compositions based solely on topography, nanophase separated polymers can be clearly distinguished according to their characteristic near-field IR response. [less ▲]

Spontaneous macroscopic carbon nanotube alignment via colloidal suspension in hexagonal columnar lyotropic liquid crystals

in Soft Matter (2008), 4(3), 570-576

The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solution into lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs), characterised by soft yet long-range ordered nanoscale structures, constitutes a fascinating phenomenon ... [more ▼]

The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solution into lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs), characterised by soft yet long-range ordered nanoscale structures, constitutes a fascinating phenomenon at the heart of soft matter science which can be employed in a manifold of creative ways. Particularly interesting structures may arise as a result of functionalisation of the LC with appropriate guest molecules, adopting the order of their host. Here we combine cat- and anionic surfactants to form a liquid-crystalline colloidal suspension of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which by virtue of the spontaneously formed hexagonal columnar LC structure are uniaxially aligned over macroscopic areas. The nanotube concentration can be so high, with sufficiently uniform alignment, that the mixture becomes a fluid linear polariser, the anisotropic optical properties of CNTs having been transferred to macroscopic scale by the LC. Moreover, thin and highly aligned filaments can be drawn and deposited in selected directions on arbitrary surfaces, after which the LC template can be rinsed away. Combined with recently developed methods for CNT fractionation according to chirality, the technique would yield an unprecedented degree of control in the practical realisation of carbon nanotube-based devices and materials. [less ▲]