RSA CE&C 2015-2021 Group descriptions

Molecular Systems and Materials Chemistry (MSMC) 69 SELF-ORGANIZING SOFT MATTER Program leader/section leader Prof .dr.ir. I.K. (Ilja) Voets Scientific staff FTE Full professor Prof .dr.ir. I.K. (Ilja) Voets ( since 02-2018 ) 1.0 Assistant professor Dr. P.G. (Pepijn) Moerman ( from 11-2022) 1.0 Mission The mission of the laboratory of Self-Organizing Soft Matter is to develop fundamental insights into self-organized and bio-inspired soft matter for the rational design of novel functional soft materials for a healthy and sustainable future. Our curiosity-driven research reveals new approaches to addressing societal challenges in areas such as health, sustainability and food, all of which require novel materials which are custom-tailored in composition and structure to meet application-specific functional requirements. Our discipline is also ideally positioned to design, develop and shed light on the structure-dynamics-function relations of highly sophisticated, adaptive materials and coatings for other application areas, including sensing and photonics. This is because soft matter is intrinsically adaptive as the (often tunable) physical interactions between the diverse building blocks are comparable to thermal energy. Our research program builds bridges between soft matter, supramolecular and polymer chemistry, colloid science, and biophysics. Through the application and development of a wide range of advanced measurement techniques and analytical methods to access the necessary spatiotemporal resolution, including time-resolved scattering techniques and super-resolution microscopy, the Self-Organizing Soft Matter group has acquired a prominent position in the field of soft matter and supramolecular chemistry. Research themes The Self-Organizing Soft Matter chair within the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry takes an experimental, multi-scale soft matter approach with a strong focus on interdisciplinary challenges, small length scales (sub-µm), short (ms) timescales, complex mixtures of different (organic) components and innovative experimental techniques. In doing so, the chair interfaces with and builds bridges between the classical disciplines of chemistry, physics and biology through excellent fundamental scientific research on topics relevant to society and (the chemical) industry. The research program focuses on the development of new, advanced measurement and analysis methods and on their application in the experimental study of the behavior of self-assembling and bio-inspired materials. Thematically, the research program is divided into three interconnected subjects: (1) bio-inspiredman-made soft materials, (2) biological soft matter and (3) biohybrid soft materials. In all cases, we seek to understand the simple design rules that orchestrate how complex functionalities emerge from hierarchical self-organization processes, ultimately aiming to manufacture and apply innovative life-like materials in a more environmentally benign, faster, cheaper and more (energy) efficient fashion. To realize this ambition and to study the materials in action at the relevant time and length scales, the group develops and applies a broad range of advanced measurement methods, including super-resolution microscopy 1 and scattering techniques (light, X-ray, neutrons). 1. Bio-inspired man-made soft materials This research line centers on the development of an effective method to direct aqueous self-assembly to yield a desired supramolecular structure with predictable properties. This requires a detailed understanding of the underlying physicochemical processes and