Soft Condensed Matter & Physics of Living Systems Seminar: Prof. Andrey Dobrynin, University of Akron

During the last decade our understanding of polymers and soft matter has tremendously benefited from synergistic approach combining computer simulations, theory and experiments. In this talk, I will describe several examples where this approach was instrumental.

In particular, I will show how computer simulations helped with: (i) development of a new theoretical framework for contact mechanics of micro- and nano-scale objects; (ii) understanding of nonlinear elasticity of biological and polymeric networks and gels; and (iii) discovery of mechanism for graphene exfoliation and stabilization at interface between two immiscible solvents and utilization of this phenomena for design of polymer/graphene foams.