Self-assembly, self-organization, and the design of new materials

My research focuses on understanding and controlling the self-assembly and self-organization of nanoparticle-based materials, which find applications ranging from photonics and plasmonics to industrial formulations such as coatings. A central aim of my work is to develop quantitative design strategies for controlling dynamic pathways to self-assembly. At the intersection of physics and engineering, this research utilizes synthetic chemistry, advanced imaging techniques, micromanipulation, and statistical physics. I will discuss the development of a suite of non-equilibrium pathways to self-assembly that are implemented using DNA reaction networks, including self-limiting growth of finite-sized structures, assembly of novel periodic lattices due to specific next-nearest-neighbor interactions, and design of smart materials that can reconfigure themselves in response to an external cue. These pathways can be understood quantitatively using core chemical-engineering concepts, including chemical kinetics and reaction engineering, transport, and thermodynamics.