International Collaboration in Soft Matter Research and Training

The Triangle MRSEC enjoys a vibrant ongoing partnership with German researchers supported through an International Graduate Research and Training Grant (IGRTG) from the DFG. A significant component of this partnership is extended graduate student exchanges. An example of funded projects is the fundamental modeling of particle gelation by molecular dynamics simulations by Prof. Sabine Klapp (Technical Univ. - Berlin), Carol Hall and Orlin Velev. Velev is also involved in collaborations with the TU-Berlin groups of Profs. Michael Gradzielski and Gerhard Findenegg. 

• A combination of Monte-Carlo, Molecular Dynamics and Brownian Dynamics
• The model displays both 1D and 2D network formation
• The networks transform into one another by percolation phase transitions
• Excellent correlation with experimental data
• Particle assembly in droplets suspended on hydrophobic surfaces