Towards Autonomous Soft Matter Systems: Experiments On Membranes And Active Emulsions (springer Theses)
by Shashi Thutupalli /
2013 / English / PDF
6.4 MB Download
This book focuses on the assembly, organization and resultant
collective dynamics of soft matter systems maintained away from
equilibrium by an energy flux. Living matter is the ultimate
example of such systems, which are comprised of different
constituents on very different scales (ions, nucleic acids,
proteins, cells). The result of their diverse interactions,
maintained using the energy from physiological processes, is a
fantastically well-organized and dynamic whole. This work describes
results from minimal, biomimetic systems and primarily investigates
membranes and active emulsions, as well as key aspects of both soft
matter and non-equilibrium phenomena. It is shown that these
minimal reconstitutions are already capable of a range of complex
behaviour such as nonlinear electric responses, chemical
communication and locomotion. These studies will bring us closer to
a fundamental understanding of complex systems by reconstituting
key aspects of their form and function in simple model systems.
Further, they may also serve as the first technological steps
towards artificial soft functional matter.
This book focuses on the assembly, organization and resultant
collective dynamics of soft matter systems maintained away from
equilibrium by an energy flux. Living matter is the ultimate
example of such systems, which are comprised of different
constituents on very different scales (ions, nucleic acids,
proteins, cells). The result of their diverse interactions,
maintained using the energy from physiological processes, is a
fantastically well-organized and dynamic whole. This work describes
results from minimal, biomimetic systems and primarily investigates
membranes and active emulsions, as well as key aspects of both soft
matter and non-equilibrium phenomena. It is shown that these
minimal reconstitutions are already capable of a range of complex
behaviour such as nonlinear electric responses, chemical
communication and locomotion. These studies will bring us closer to
a fundamental understanding of complex systems by reconstituting
key aspects of their form and function in simple model systems.
Further, they may also serve as the first technological steps
towards artificial soft functional matter.
