We focus on the bulk behavior of complex (macromolecular and colloidal) systems. The goal is to understand and predict i) the co-/self-assembly of surfactants, colloids and polymers and ii) the bulk phase behavior of colloid-polymer mixtures, colloidal dispersions and polymeric systems. Applications of co-/self-assembly involve, for example, the controlled encapsulation of compounds that need protection and/or need to be released at a desired rate for health applications and the quantification of the stability or control of the composition of formulations used in food and coating applications.
For bulk phase behavior, the goal is to advance the state of the art in understanding and predicting the phase stability of complex mixtures of colloids and polymers resembling real-life systems in which, for instance, charges on colloids and/or polymers are present, the polymers and/or colloids have a certain stickiness, the polymers have a certain stiffness or there are soft (polymeric) repulsions. To this end, we synthesize well-defined primary colloidal and polymeric building blocks (including polymer latexes, liquid phase exfoliated graphene and (bioinspired) silica) and formulate stable colloid/polymer inks. Applications involve understanding the dynamics and phase stability of complex mixtures such as coatings, paints, functional inks for printed electronics, heat storage materials or food products.