Welcome to the Soft Matter Interfaces and Energy Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, headed by Dr. Siddhartha Das. The main research focus of the group is to devise new theoretical and numerical models to explain different fascinating physical phenomena related to soft matter and interfaces. Our research endeavour range from better understanding the colloidal dynamics in an ubiquitous drying coffee drop and the response of an elastomer to surface tension forces to pinpointing the interplay of rheology and electrohydrodynamics in relevant biophysical and micro-nanofluidic problems. The group is also involved in extensive collaborations in several projects with strong experimental components — the main focus of the group for such problems is to clearly identify and hypothesize the central phenomena dictating the experimental observations.
Cheerios Effect (Photo Credit: David Duprey/Associated Press)
Prof. Das has been selected for invitation to the 2021 inaugural PCCP (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics) Emerging Investigators Themed Issue. He was previously selected for…
SMIEL’s 1st Ph.D. student and also SMIEL postdoc Dr. Gunag Chen will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advanced Manufacturing and…
This paper develops ultrathin and ultra-sensitive CNT-based printed sensors capable of multiple uses on surfaces of widely varying curvatures and wettabilities. This is Beihan’s 3rd…
Former SMIEL postdoc Dr. Chenglin Yi has joined the Mechanical Engineering School of the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) China as a tenure-track Assistant Professor. Chenglin…
In this paper, we discover the effect the presence of the polyelectrolyte (PE) brush induced confinement in altering the water-water and water-PE hydrogen bond energies…