thesis

Flash sintering is a novel field assisted sintering technique, whereby ceramics can be sintered in just a few seconds. For example, 3 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) was shown to sinter in < 5 seconds at a furnace

The overall objective of this work is to develop a novel methodology of surface modification, which can be broadly applied to polymer networks such as elastomer and hydrogel. Two types of polymerization mechanisms,

Valvular interstitial cells (VICs), the main cell population within the aortic heart valve, transition from a quiescent fibroblast phenotype to an active phenotype, such as a pro-fibrotic myofibroblast or a pro-calcific osteoblast-like

Bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a promising cell source for many regenerative therapies; however, ex vivo expansion of hMSCs on stiff materials, such as tissue culture plastic or glass-based microbeads suspended in

Multiphase flows are so common in everyday life as to go unnoticed, yet they have eluded rigorous characterization, especially in confined settings and under the influence of surfactant. The objective of the present work is two-fold: (1) to develop

Phospholipids are amphiphillic molecules found in living tissues and the predominant components of cell membranes. Phospholipids self-assemble into bilayer structure, and self-closing of the bilayer structure forms a spherical membrane

Covalent adaptable network (CAN) has attracted significant interest in the soft matter community, as it enables stress relaxation in a crosslinked polymer network. However, all CAN systems have developed thus far are in the rubbery state. This

The coexistence of order and fluidity in soft condensed matter often mimics that found in biological cells, which allows for complex collective dynamics and for highly technological applications, like displays and sensors. In active soft matter,

This thesis is focused on the advancement of enabling photopolymer materials for holography and additive manufacturing. The first part of this thesis covers the design, synthesis and implementation of novel chemistries in

This research work is focused on the study of nanostructures of liquid crystalline materials and the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Various characterization techniques have been utilized to determine the