Research
Aerosol drug delivery
High shear forces in nebulization is detrimental to complex surfactants, i.e. lung surfactant. Here, we report a new nebulization technique with low shear energy input to preserve the structural integrity of lung surfactant.
Drop coalescence dynamics
Droplet coalescence is essential from inkjet printing to aerosols in spraying. In all such processes the drop size distribution is of key importance, which is not only governed by drop formation, but also to a large part by coalescence. From fundamental point of view, how can we understand the drop coalescence?
Particle transport in viscoelastic fluid
In complex systems such as polymer fluids, the motion of a particle is typically described as a process with memory. The behavior of viscoelastic fluids differs from that of simple Newtonian media due to their distinct microscopic organization, typically involving the presence of macromolecules or nanostructures which are obstacles for the particle motion. Experimentally, we used a dark-field microscope to explore the particle transport in a viscoelastic fluid.
Polymer thin films
Polymer-based pyroelectric thin films are crucial functional materials at the core of flexible and lightweight electronic devices, such as wearable monitoring sensors, energy harvesters, and infrared detectors. Their mechanical stability and structures often determine the performance in applications. Here, we mainly focus on the physical problems of functional polymer thin films, such as wrinkling and pyroelectricity.
Active particle interaction with deformable boundaries
Active particles are self-propelled by converting external energy into their kinetic energy. When they move close to a boundary, additional forces, such as hydrodynamic interactions, may apply to the boundary. Here, we experimentally measured the mechanical force of ensemble of light-driven Janus particles by encapsulating them inside a droplet with initially low interfacial tension.
Microcapsule dynamics and interfacial assmebly
This is my PhD project. The project was motivated, on one hand, by abundant spatiotemporal dynamics of biological cells in flows, such as tumbling and tank-treading motions; on the other hand, vehicles in drug delivery can release the encapsulated drug upon membrane rupture when the stress is over the critical. The goal of the project was to understand the mechanical bebaviours of microcapsules with controllable membrane properties.