IMX/IPHYS Talks - Designing Hierarchical Soft Materials through Self-Assembly and Phase Separation

In this talk, I will discuss how interface science phenomena such as self-assembly and phase separation can be harnessed as powerful tools to robustly design and control the structure of soft materials across scales. I will begin by introducing a colloidal system of banana-shaped particles, highlighting how their curvature influences their self-assembly into exotic liquid crystal phases. Next, I will present a novel, mechanically controlled phase separation method that enables the creation of micron-sized bicontinuous structures in polymer gels over large volumes. Finally, I will discuss the integration of biofabricated materials with self-assembly and phase separation techniques, which might pave the way toward the development of structured, sustainable materials.

Bio: Carla Fernández-Rico is a Group Leader in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich. She earned a BSc in Nanoscience from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and an MSc in Nanomaterials from Utrecht University. Carla then moved to the UK, to pursue a PhD in Physics and Colloid Chemistry at the University of Oxford. In 2021, she joined ETH as a Postdoctoral Fellow where she worked in phase separation processes and gel mechanics. After receiving an SNSF Ambizione Fellowship, she currently leads a research group focusing on soft matter physics and biofabricated materials.