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The self-assembly of biological molecules into large, but finite-size, superstructures is fundamental to life. A grand challenge for colloidal self-assembly is to produce colloidal monomers with valence-limited interactions, that have arbitrary angles and strengths, to produce structures with the precision, complexity and functionality of biological assemblies.

The resarch focus of this effort involved computationally designing a homotetrameric helical bundle to have a variety of net charges. The charged bundle variants showcase how charge state can be controlled for a common peptide structure, as well as the properties of the fibril nanomaterials constructed by the peptide building blocks.

In collaboration with the newly established NSF BioPacific MIP, the MRL X-ray facility team spearheaded the development of an SAXS-WAXS (small and wide angle x-ray scattering) laboratory beamline with unparalleled beam brightness for high throughput characterization of biopolymers and nanostructures.

Solid-state polymer electrolytes offer a safer alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries based on organic electrolytes. However, current benchmark polymer electrolytes lack ion transport selectivity (t+ = 0.2) which limits their commercial use. We demonstrate the enhancement of lithium-ion transport (t+ = 0.48) of PMS-based polymers by taking advantage of the steric and electronic properties of imidazole ligands.

Samples of Alnico magnets were printed by selective laser melting, and their microstructure was investigated in 3D at the mm3-scale using the femtosecond-laser enabled TriBeam microscope.

Ionic transport in polymers typically undergoes a standard liquidlike transport mechanism whereby diffusion of ions is permitted only by relaxation of the local fluid elements, this mechanism results in limitations in designing conductive and cation-selective electrolytes. In this work we demonstrate that superionic transport (untethered to polymer dynamics) is possible in semicrystalline poly(zwitterionic liquids).

Since the 1980s, it has been assumed that the architecture of the mammary gland is defined by prealigned fibers of collagen, which were posited to serve as a template for the formation of the mammary epithelial tree. Princeton researchers tested the validity of this paradigm.

Temperature has been shown to be a critical factor impacting additive manufacturing (AM). During selective laser melting (SLM), the heat transfer and fluid flow affect grain growth and the microstructure of the printed material. Previous efforts have mostly relied on tuning parameters such as laser power and scan rate, but a more detailed understanding of temperature effects in AM is still lacking. In this Seed, we will probe and understand how dynamic and localized heating and cooling affect the microstructure of additive manufactured (AM) materials by operando temperature mapping and machine learning.

Switching Néel vector orientations in antiferromagnets has been proposed as an ultrafast means of data storage, but the fundamental energy scales of switching cannot be evaluated without oriented measurements on single crystals. These single-crystal methods are vital for understanding if first-principles calculations can predict the energies and dynamics that govern these devices.

A disordered material’s structure and macroscopic mechanical response are related in a non-trivial way. By studying a 2D jammed colloidal system under oscillatory shear, our study elucidates this link in the transition from elasticity to plasticity based on microstructural signatures.