In nature, we often see seemingly disordered (partially organized) patterns such as zebra stripes, coccoliths, corals, etc. which are aesthetically pleasing. Such patterns result from simple, non-linear rules of self-replicating building units across multiple length scales to give rise to complex morphologies that demonstrate unpredictable chemical, optical and mechanical properties. However, mimicking nature’s complexity from the nano-macro scale by the computational design of thermodynamical and kinetical pathways remains a challenge. The barrier between accurate predictions and rapid realization of complex materials lies in the gap in understanding spatial and temporal variations of interaction forces at play during growth and self-assembly. My research interests are centred around understanding and manipulating nanoscale colloidal interactions characterized via liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) and multi-modal scattering techniques to investigate and intervene at early crystal growth and self-assembly stages.
Current Research - I have demonstrated through two key studies that, informed intervention at the early stages of crystal growth lead to (i) record-breaking membrane performance and, (ii) hierarchically complex chiral micro-particles. Both these studies leverage the synergistic application of state-of-the-art characterization, computational and mathematical tools across multiple length scales towards a unified understanding of non-classical growth.
Moving forward - I want to pose the following challenges –
-
Can we push the limits of characterization techniques (such as TEM) to study active nucleation events?
-
Can we discern and control the driving forces that guide the disorder to order transitions?
-
Can we create systems that combine optical, mechanical and separation properties within a single package?
Exploration of these questions will result in programmable platforms with far-reaching advances in climate science, pharmaceutical industry, and data transmission technologies.