The research objective of this grant is to elucidate the underlying kinetic processes that are responsible for intricate surface patterns observed in both synthetic soft materials and biological systems. With high mechanical flexibility and chemical tunability similar to biological tissues, hydrogel-like soft materials have been exploited recently as soft active materials in biomedical and bio-inspired devices for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, microscale sensors and actuators. It has also been recognized that the swelling behavior of hydrogel-like soft materials could be used to unravel some of the universal physical processes at work during biological growth. Motivated by experimental observations, the proposed research will develop a kinetics approach with analytical and numerical methods for the study of surface instability patterns in soft materials, such as wrinkles and creases. These instability phenomena reflect the typically complex behaviors of soft materials, where mechanics is inherently coupled with chemistry and multiphysical interactions (e.g., thermal, electrical, optical, etc.).
If successful, the proposed study will significantly enhance fundamental understanding on the physical nature of soft materials in both synthetic and biological systems. The theoretical and computational tools developed in the proposed research will enable characterization and design of soft materials for active device applications. Education and outreach activities will be integrated within the proposed project to enhance its societal impacts. The proposed project will open ample research opportunities for broad participation including graduate, undergraduate, minority and female students. The results from the research will be incorporated into graduate and undergraduate courses. The outcomes of the research and education activities will be broadly disseminated to the academic community as well as the general public.
