Abstract:
Emergent properties of disordered materials are often understood in terms of the spatial organization and interactions of constituent building blocks. This talk explores how strategies combining experimental measurements, including small-angle X-ray scattering and optical extinction spectroscopy, and computer simulation of coarse-grained models, help establish structure-property relationships for disparate molecular or colloidal network-formers. For concentrated solutions of monoclonal antibodies, the inferred interactions rationalize how different salt, pH, and cosolute conditions impact transient cluster formation and shear viscosity. These considerations are critical in the biopharmaceutical industry for designing stable, low-viscosity formulations for processing and delivery by subcutaneous injection. In the case of plasmonic nanoparticle gels, molecular linkers template interparticle separations and cluster formation, influencing the optical properties of the network. The model predicts how linker mixtures enable tunable mechano-optical response, which helps reconcile qualitatively different behaviors observed in experiments and suggests design strategies.
Bio:
Dr. Thomas M Truskett’s research is at the nexus of molecular thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and materials science. His research group develops and applies statistical mechanical theory and computer simulation techniques to address complex engineering challenges in condensed-phase materials ranging from biomolecular solutions to colloidal assemblies. His academic journey includes a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (1996), a Ph.D. from Princeton University (2001) focused on the statistical mechanics of liquids and glasses, and postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco, where he studied water and hydrophobic interactions. Dr. Truskett was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at UT Austin for 23 years, serving as Department Chair from 2013 to 2021. In August 2025, he joined the University of Michigan’s Biointerfaces Institute and Department of Chemical Engineering, where holds the Vennema Professorship.
1:30pm, Remsen Hall 1