EXTRA SEMINAR: Using Bijels for Advanced Materials Synthesis

Particle sequestration at the interface of immiscible fluids has been known for decades and widely utilized in the formulation of solid-stabilized emulsions and foams. However, recent advances in colloid science and materials engineering, triggered by the discovery bijels as a new class of soft materials1,2, have revealed much broader potential for these multi-phase mixtures in the synthesis of bulk composites with tunable structure at the nano- to micrometer length scales. In this talk, our recent efforts in the use of bijels for advanced materials engineering will be presented. In particular, the physicochemical characteristics that govern the rheology and processability of bijels into scaffolds for templating will be deliberated. Finally, the potential applications of bijel derivatives in electrochemical energy conversion systems, catalyst supports, and tissue engineering will be discussed.

1. K. Stratford, R. Adhikari, I. Pagonabarraga, J.-C. Desplat, and M.E. Cates, Science 309, 2198 (2005) 2. E.M. Herzig, K.A. White, A.B. Schofield, W.C.K. Poon, and P.S. Clegg, Nature Materials 6, 966 (2007)