Research

Gelled Complex Fluids are soft materials in which the microstructure of the complex fluid is combined with the mechanical stability of a gel, which makes them an interesting candidate in (trans)dermal drug delivery or tissue healing applications. The most prominent example of a “natural” gelled complex fluid is the cell. One strategy to form gelled complex fluids is orthogonal self-assembly, i.e. the independent but simultaneous formation of two coexisting structures. In order to study orthogonal self-assembly, we chose the system H₂O – n-decane – tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₀E₄) ... [more...]

Foams are non-equilibrium dispersions of a gas in a liquid, which typically is a surfactant solution. Foams are widely used in industrial applications and everyday products, e.g., for household, personal care, pharmacy, and food. However, the reason for their stability - or instability - is not yet understood in sufficient detail. The work of our research group is focusing on foam properties such as foamability, foam stability and foam drainage. The influence of the surfactant structure, the surfactant and salt concentration as well as of the pH-value on the foam properties ...

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Porous materials are thoroughly investigated in academic research with a view to developing innovative materials for a wide range of applications, such as tissue engineering, acoustic and thermal insulation, human protection and structural foams. Depending on their use, the porous materials need to be monodisperse, polydisperse or functionally graded. In addition, the pore size and pore connectivity also play important roles which need to be controlled and optimized for each application. We use microfluidics ... [more...]