Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston Dec 2020

Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we explore two experimental systems probing the interactions of nanoparticles with lipid bilayer membranes. Inspired by the ability of cell membranes to alter their shape in response to bound particles, we report two experimental studies: one of nanospheres the other of long, slender nano-rods binding to lipid bilayer vesicles and altering the membrane shape. Our work illuminates the role of particle geometry, particle concentration, adhesion strength and membrane tension in how membrane morphology is determined. We combine giant unilamellar vesicles with oppositely charged nanoparticles, carefully tuning adhesion strength, membrane tension and particle concentration. In the case of …


Assembly Of Particles Onto Rigid Cylinders And Flexible Membranes: Probing Effects Of Surface Curvature And Deformation, Derek Wood Nov 2017

Assembly Of Particles Onto Rigid Cylinders And Flexible Membranes: Probing Effects Of Surface Curvature And Deformation, Derek Wood

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we explore two specific topics within the broad field of particle adhesion. First, we examine the effect of substrate shape and geometry on the self assembly of adsorbed particles, by performing molecular dynamics simulations of interacting particles constrained to the surface of cylinders of varying diameters. We find the diameter of the cylinder imposes a constraint on the shape and crystallographic orientation of the self-assembled lattice, essentially determining the optimal arrangement of particles a priori. We propose a simple one-dimensional model to explain the optimal arrangement of particles as a function of the particle interaction potential …


Symbiotic Plasmonic Nanomaterials: Synthesis And Properties, Abhinav Malasi May 2016

Symbiotic Plasmonic Nanomaterials: Synthesis And Properties, Abhinav Malasi

Doctoral Dissertations

Metal particles of the dimensions of the order of 1 to 100's of nanometers show unique properties that are not clearly evident in their bulk state. These nanoparticles are highly reactive and sensitive to the changes in the vicinity of the particle surface and hence find applications in the field of sensing of chemical and biological agents, catalysis, energy harvesting, data storage and many more. By synthesizing bimetallic nanoparticles, a single nanoparticle can show multifunctional characteristics. The focus of this thesis is to detail the synthesis and understand the properties of bimetallic nanomaterial systems that show interesting optical, chemical, and …