Perspective
Soft matter science and the COVID-19 pandemic
Much of the science underpinning the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic lies in the soft matter domain.
Electric field modulated peptide based hydrogel nanocatalysts
The ability to modulate self-assembly is the key to manufacture application-oriented materials.
Thermophobic Leidenfrost
We report that a volatile liquid or a sublimating solid deposited on a hot substrate with a gradient of temperature does not only levitate (Leidenfrost effect), but also spontaneously accelerates to the cold.
Colloidal aggregation in anisotropic liquid crystal solvent
We report on colloidal aggregation in the nematic liquid crystal phase. Luminescent colloids are self-assembled in situ, providing a unique method to study large-scale hierarchical assembly in an anisotropic solvent.
Paper
Agile reversible shape-morphing of particle rafts
The highly morphable particle raft changes its topography under an electric field without any prescribed patterns. The interface is stably driven to upheave and move by metallic electrodes, paper, and even human fingers.
The role of complementary shape in protein dimerization
Shape alone guides colloidal nanoparticles to form complex assemblies, and in some cases can define interfaces in biomolecular complexes.
On the relationship between cutting and tearing in soft elastic solids
Unique observations of cutting energy in silicone elastomers motivate a picture of soft fracture that qualitatively and quantitatively links far-field tearing with push cutting for the first time.
Paper
Structural color from solid-state polymerization-induced phase separation
Inspired by living organisms that exploit phase separation to assemble structurally colored materials from macromolecules, we show that solid-state polymerization-induced phase separation can produce stable structures at optical length scales.
A self-healing, recyclable, and degradable fire-retardant gelatin-based biogel coating for green buildings
Application of a self-healing, recyclable and fire-retardant gelatin-based biogel coating is a sustainable and eco-friendly method for the fire safety of green buildings.
Hetero-network hydrogels crosslinked with silica nanoparticles for strategic control of thermal responsive property
Hetero-network hybrid hydrogels in which two copolymers having different LCST connected with silica nanoparticles exhibit two phase transitions accompanied by volume shrinkage and transparency reduction at near the LCSTs of each copolymer.
Disentangling collective motion and local rearrangements in 2D and 3D cell assemblies
We propose a new tracking-free method for the quantification of multiscale dynamics in 2D and 3D cell collectives.
Splitting dynamics of ferrofluid droplets inside a microfluidic T-junction using a pulse-width modulated magnetic field in micro-magnetofluidics
A novel, simple, and robust ferrofluid droplet splitting in microfluidics employing a pulse-width modulated magnetic field is proposed.
Intestines of non-uniform stiffness mold the corners of wombat feces
The bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is a fossorial, herbivorous, Australian marsupial, renowned for its cubic feces.
About this collection
New Soft Matter Editor-in-Chief Alfred Crosby (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA) has selected a few outstanding recent articles in Soft Matter that he has found particularly interesting or insightful for this Editor’s Choice collection.