(4ks) Controlling Multidimensional Energy Landscapes of Responsive Soft Material through Multiple Stimuli

Biology creates highly adaptable and responsive soft matter for a variety of roles. In fact, all our interactions with our environment are based on these soft material systems and often combine a variety of independent inputs to program a specific output. In synthetic systems we directly program one input to result in one output. While more direct it often lacks the potential for complex and adaptable behavior. I’m currently a Walter Benjamin postdoctoral fellow in Joanna Aizenberg’s group at Harvard University focusing on multiphase photoresponsive liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators. Previously, I obtained a PhD from University of California Santa Barbara in the group of Javier Read de Alaniz focusing on the multistep mechanism of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) and its application. During my postdoctoral and doctoral experiences, I realized how multidimensional energy landscapes for materials or molecules can be used to obtain continuous but unique and predetermined responses.

As an example of this, during my PhD I showed that light and solvent polarity could be harnessed to control and select the molecular state of one DASA derivative out of a mixture without the need for selective stimuli. During my postdoctoral work we showed how heat and light can be used to control directionality of movement of liquid crystal elastomer without changing the directionality of the inputs. For my independent career I’m planning to explore controlling multidimensional energy landscapes for adaptable and responsive soft materials capable of emergent properties. Through this we will investigate soft materials which change optical or conductive properties based on their environments and can be finely tuned through multiple simultaneous inputs. Through this interdisciplinary research I hope to foster a diverse group both regarding scientific as well as personal backgrounds. This research will pave the way for sustainable materials capable of fulfilling multiple roles or adapt to their environment at different length scales with a core emphasis on incorporating the progress and learning of each group member into the process.