MSE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: “Polymer Infiltrated Nanoporous Gold: Kinetics and Optical Properties of Novel Polymer Nanocomposites” (Weiwei Kong)

LRSM Reading Room 3231 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, United States

Abstract: One of the biggest challenges in the field of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) is to disperse high nanofiller loadings into the polymeric matrix. The high loading and uniform dispersion are limited by the unfavored polymer/nanofiller thermodynamics and the tendency for nanofiller to aggregate. In this thesis, these are circumvented by using nanoporous gold (NPG) as […]

CBE Doctoral Dissertation Defense: “Designing Solvent-Based Order Parameters for Characterizing Binding of Surfaces with Different Hydrophobicity Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations” (Jun Lu)

Greenberg Lounge (Room 114), Skirkanich Hall 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Abstract: Life is dependent on water: most self-assembly and binding processes of biomolecules take place in water. Water-mediated interactions are an essential driving force behind these processes, which is largely affected by the hydrophobicity of the binding surfaces. As many biomolecular binding interfaces are amphiphilic, the hydrophobic interactions are largely affected by polar and charged […]