Colloidal Gels

Heterogeneous charge distribution imparts unique self-assembly capabilities to nanoclay-based colloidal systems. These colloidal gels are promising biomaterials for a broad range of biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering and therapeutic delivery. They can also undergo ion-mediated coacervate formation and phase separation, yielding new stimuli-responsive soft material platforms. Colloidal gels may further be combined with polyampholyte macromolecules to form reversible shear-responsive networks with fascinating self-healing properties. We aim at leveraging fundamental understanding of these colloidal systems for designing multi-functional biomaterials.