Structure and Dynamics of Colloidal Gel and Glass
This project studies how colloidal particles form gels and glasses, aiming to understand and control the self-assembly process by adjusting particle and solvent properties.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research on the structure and dynamics of colloidal gels and glasses, focusing on understanding and controlling self-assembly processes via particle and solvent properties.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens holding a doctoral degree within the last 5 years; research conducted at NIST Center for Neutron Research; requires contacting a research adviser prior to application.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports postdoctoral research investigating the gelation and glass transitions of colloidal particles, phenomena common in everyday life but not yet fully understood at the physical mechanism level. The project aims to explore the structure and dynamics of colloidal particles in liquid and during transitions to gel and glass states, with an emphasis on controlling self-assembled colloidal structures by tuning particle and solvent properties.
Research includes studying systems such as Bijel (bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels) formed by neutrally wetted particles in binary solvents, as well as systems where particles preferentially wet one component of a binary solvent, leading to different structures. The project also addresses model systems with short-range attraction and long-range repulsion (SALR), which are relevant to biological and pharmaceutical applications, including protein systems.
Experimental techniques employed include small angle neutron scattering, neutron spin echo, and rheometry to characterize both structural and dynamic properties during gel/glass transitions. The research also investigates how external conditions like shearing forces and AC electric fields influence colloidal structures.
The fellowship is hosted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, MD.
