Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/06/2022
9:15 am - 10:15 am
Location
New Engineering Building - Room 100
Categories
Carlos A. Silvera Batista, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Title: Engineering Nonequilibrium Interactions and Dynamic Assembly of Polarizable Colloids
Abstract: Colloidal materials display impressive features such as dynamic assembly, self- assembly and self-propulsion. These features are promising for achieving advanced materials that mimic the versatility of natural systems. Nonetheless, to harness colloidal building blocks into functional, reconfigurable, and active materials will require the capacity to encode structural and dynamical information into simpler autonomous units, that upon interaction, assemble and coordinate their motion. Patchy particles under electric fields serve as important model systems to achieve such goals. However, the polarizability—the property linking materials design with electrokinetics—has rarely been characterized, and therefore, it is not well understood. This talk will focus on our attempts to connect the polarizability to the locomotion and collective dynamics of patchy particles. The research approach consists in the synthesis of model systems, transport analysis and characterization of polarizability through electrorotation. The insights from this study provide helpful quantitative information for the design of colloidal machines with targeted propulsion, interparticle interactions and collective dynamics. In addition, our results provide the experimental basis for the design of non-equilibrium strategies for materials fabrication.
Bio:
Dr. Carlos A. Silvera Batista initiated undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at the Universidad de San Buenaventura (Cartagena, Colombia) and subsequently obtained a bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York (CCNY). Dr. Silvera began his research trajectory as a LSAMP scholar under the guidance of Prof. Ilona Kretzschmar (CCNY). After earning a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Florida, Dr. Silvera held postdoctoral positions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and at the University of Michigan, where he received the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. Currently, as an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, his research interest is on the electrokinetics and directed assembly of colloidal systems. His research work has resulted in over 20 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact scientific journals, such as JACS, ACS Nano, Langmuir and Science. During his spare time, Dr. Silvera enjoys watching basketball, gardening, and the cooking of BBQ recipes from all over the world.
