Directing Colloidal Systems with Rotating Magnetic Fields
Lisa Biswal
Associate Professor
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CHBE) and
Material Science and Nanoengineering (MSNE)
Rice University, Houston, TX
Abstract:
One of the most exciting areas in colloid research is the control of interparticle interactions to generate new structures. The ease of tuning interactions, size, shape and composition has made these nano- and micrometer sized particles appealing probes for a number of fundamental studies. Recent work has focused on the use of colloidal particles that can act as models for studying the fundamental phenomena of atomic systems. The self-assembly of these “colloidal atoms” has led to investigations of the dynamics of chemical transformations such as nucleation or phase transitions. I will describe the application of a unique colloidal assembly system, with an isotropic interaction potential, to study material properties, such as phase transitions and melting. Additionally, studies on out of equilibrium phenomena will offer novel dynamic behavior, such as colloidal microscale swimmers. Our results promise to open up new insights into magnetically actuated
2-D materials.
Brief Bio:
Dr. Sibani Lisa Biswal is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University in Houston, TX and leads the Soft
Matter Engineering Laboratory. Dr. Biswal’s research focuses on the directed assembly of colloidal systems with magnetic fields, nanomaterials for lithium ion batteries, and the understanding and manipulation of microscale fluids for oil processes. She has a B.S in chemical engineering from Caltech (1999) and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University (2004). She is the recipient of an
ONR Young Investigator Award (2008), a National Science Foundation CAREER award (2009), and the Southwest Texas Section AICHE Best Applied Paper Award
(2013).