Marino Xanthos Lecture Series

Liquid Crystals - From Simple Self-Assembled Constructs, to Autonomous Materials​

Juan de Pablo Ph.D.
Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
The University of Chicago

Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2:30 PM
Central King Building, Room L-70

Abstract

Liquid Crystals - From Simple Self-Assembled Constructs, to Autonomous Materials.

Polymeric materials comprising mechano-chemically active components are able to undergo spontaneous structural rearrangements that generate internal stresses and motion. These stresses can be particularly large in the case of liquid crystalline polymers, where elasticity plays an important role on the structure of the underlying materials. Understanding how internal activity leads to specific behaviors is important for design of autonomous materials systems capable of delivering desired functionalities. This lecture will focus on the relationship between structure, activity, and motion in lyotropic liquid crystalline polymeric systems. More specifically, results will be presented for actin and tubulin suspensions, where activity is generated by protein motors. A distinctive feature of these biopolymers is that characteristic contour lengths can range from hundreds of nanometers to tens of microns, thereby making them amenable for study by optical microscopy. By relying on molecular and meso-scale models, it is possible to arrive at a comprehensive description of these suspensions that helps explain the connections between molecular structure, the formation and shape of distinct topological defects, activity, and defect dynamics. One of the outcomes of such a description is the realization that hydrodynamic interactions can in some cases exacerbate or mitigate the elasticity of the underlying materials, leading to non-intuitive phenomena that do not arise at equilibrium. By balancing such effects, these findings raise the possibility of designing functional materials where specific, macroscopic dynamical responses are engineered into a system to create function.

Biography

Juan de Pablo is the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, Vice President for National Laboratories and Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. A prominent materials scientist, de Pablo’s research focuses on polymers, biological macromolecules, and liquid crystals by developing molecular models and computer simulations of complex processes over wide ranges of length and time scales. In addition to his approximately 500 publications and a textbook on Molecular Engineering Thermodynamics, he holds more than 20 patents. Among his awards, de Pablo received the Polymer Physics Prize from the American Physical Society in 2018, the DuPont Medal for Excellence in Nutrition and Health Sciences in 2016, the Intel Patterning Science Award in 2015, and the Charles Stine Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2011. He served as chair of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee for the National Science Foundation, and the Committee on Condensed Matter and Materials Research at the National Research Council. He is the founding editor of Molecular Systems Design and Engineering journal, and co- director of the new Center for Hierarchical Materials Design. de Pablo was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2016 for “design of macromolecular products and processes via scientific computation.” He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, and is a foreign correspondent member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.

RSVP to Sheryl Baker by Monday, October 21, 2019; sheryl.baker@njit.edu or 973-596-2314.

About Marino Xanthos

Marino Xanthos, Ph.D. was a professor of Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering.  Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, and Senior Technical Advisor to the Polymer Processing Institute (PPI) at NJIT until his passing in the summer of 2013.  Dr. Xanthos earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki and master's and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto, where he studied under Professor R.T. Woodhams.  

After receiving his doctorate in 1974, he joined the research division of Martin Marietta Resources International, where he eventually rose to the position of Research, Development, and Technical Services Manager.  From 1980 to 1986 he served as professor and later as director of Stevens Institute of Technology overseas International Programs Office Department of polymer science, engineering and technology, jointly operated with the Algerian Petroleum Institute.  During the period of 1987 to 1995, he was the research director of the PPI and Stevens Research Professor.  He was appointed professor of chemical engineering at NJIT in 1995, where he served until his passing as Director of the Polymer Engineering Center, Director of the Center of Processing of Plastics Packaging, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Materials Research Council, Senior Technical Adviser to the PPI at NJIT, and finally Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.

Dr. Xanthos was internationally recognized for his polymer blends, polymer composites and polymer foams expertise, and his studies on polymer modification through the use of functional particulate additives and reactive extrusion processes, which he also applied to the processing of pharmaceutical oral dosage forms. His research work and publications involved Ph.D. and master's students at NJIT and Stevens.  He was also involved with PPI technical staff and industrial colleagues nationally and internationally in the solution of numerous important industrial problems.

Dr. Xanthos became a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in 2003 and received the NJIT Board of Overseers Harlin J. Perlis Award that same year in recognition of his exemplary scholarship and outstanding research in the field of polymers.  He served as the U.S. representative to the Board of the Polymer Processing Society since 2005.  In 2010, he received the Heinz List Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Reactive Processing and Devolatilization.

Dr. Xanthos deeply cared for and was a renowned mentor and advisor to his graduate and undergraduate students.  For many years, he was the advisor and life force of the NJIT student chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

This lecture series was established by his family, friends and colleagues to memorialize his accomplishments and love of his chosen field.
 

Previous Lectures

Functional Polymer Materials Designed for Advanced Applications and Sustainability

Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science & Engineering
Texas A&M University
  

Engineered Silk Proteins for Regenerative Medicine

David L. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering
Professor & Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Distinguished University Professor
Tufts University
Director, NIH P41 Resource Center on Tissue Engineering
Editor-in-Chief, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2017

Breaking Moore's Law, 

Thomas P. Russell, Ph.D.
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and
Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2016

The Unusual Rheology of Concentrated Suspensions

Morton M. Denn, Ph.D.
Benjamin Levich Institute, City College of New York
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2015