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Wang G, Nowakowski P, Farahmand Bafi N, Midtvedt B, Schmidt F, Callegari A, Verre R, Käll M, Dietrich S, Kondrat S, Volpe G. Nanoalignment by critical Casimir torques. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5086. [PMID: 38876993 PMCID: PMC11178905 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The manipulation of microscopic objects requires precise and controllable forces and torques. Recent advances have led to the use of critical Casimir forces as a powerful tool, which can be finely tuned through the temperature of the environment and the chemical properties of the involved objects. For example, these forces have been used to self-organize ensembles of particles and to counteract stiction caused by Casimir-Liftshitz forces. However, until now, the potential of critical Casimir torques has been largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that critical Casimir torques can efficiently control the alignment of microscopic objects on nanopatterned substrates. We show experimentally and corroborate with theoretical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations that circular patterns on a substrate can stabilize the position and orientation of microscopic disks. By making the patterns elliptical, such microdisks can be subject to a torque which flips them upright while simultaneously allowing for more accurate control of the microdisk position. More complex patterns can selectively trap 2D-chiral particles and generate particle motion similar to non-equilibrium Brownian ratchets. These findings provide new opportunities for nanotechnological applications requiring precise positioning and orientation of microscopic objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Piotr Nowakowski
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- IV th Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Group of Computational Life Sciences, Division of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nima Farahmand Bafi
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- IV th Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Benjamin Midtvedt
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Falko Schmidt
- Nanophotonic Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Enginnering, ETH Zürich, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Agnese Callegari
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ruggero Verre
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mikael Käll
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - S Dietrich
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- IV th Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Svyatoslav Kondrat
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
- IV th Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 3, D-70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Giovanni Volpe
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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2
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Dantchev D. On Casimir and Helmholtz Fluctuation-Induced Forces in Micro- and Nano-Systems: Survey of Some Basic Results. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 26:499. [PMID: 38920508 PMCID: PMC11202628 DOI: 10.3390/e26060499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Fluctuations are omnipresent; they exist in any matter, due either to its quantum nature or to its nonzero temperature. In the current review, we briefly cover the quantum electrodynamic Casimir (QED) force as well as the critical Casimir (CC) and Helmholtz (HF) forces. In the QED case, the medium is usually a vacuum and the massless excitations are photons, while in the CC and HF cases the medium is usually a critical or correlated fluid and the fluctuations of the order parameter are the cause of the force between the macroscopic or mesoscopic bodies immersed in it. We discuss the importance of the presented results for nanotechnology, especially for devising and assembling micro- or nano-scale systems. Several important problems for nanotechnology following from the currently available experimental findings are spelled out, and possible strategies for overcoming them are sketched. Regarding the example of HF, we explicitly demonstrate that when a given integral quantity characterizing the fluid is conserved, it has an essential influence on the behavior of the corresponding fluctuation-induced force.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dantchev
- Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academic Georgy Bonchev St., Building 4, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstrasse 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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3
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Kamp M, Sacanna S, Dullens RPA. Spearheading a new era in complex colloid synthesis with TPM and other silanes. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:433-453. [PMID: 38740891 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00603-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Colloid science has recently grown substantially owing to the innovative use of silane coupling agents (SCAs), especially 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate (TPM). SCAs were previously used mainly as modifying agents, but their ability to form droplets and condense onto pre-existing structures has enabled their use as a versatile and powerful tool to create novel anisotropic colloids with increasing complexity. In this Review, we highlight the advances in complex colloid synthesis facilitated by the use of TPM and show how this has driven remarkable new applications. The focus is on TPM as the current state-of-the-art in colloid science, but we also discuss other silanes and their potential to make an impact. We outline the remarkable properties of TPM colloids and their synthesis strategies, and discuss areas of soft matter science that have benefited from TPM and other SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlous Kamp
- Van 't Hoff Laboratory for Physical & Colloid Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Stefano Sacanna
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roel P A Dullens
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Vo T. Theory and simulation of ligand functionalized nanoparticles - a pedagogical overview. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3554-3576. [PMID: 38646950 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00177j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Synthesizing reconfigurable nanoscale synthons with predictive control over shape, size, and interparticle interactions is a holy grail of bottom-up self-assembly. Grand challenges in their rational design, however, lie in both the large space of experimental synthetic parameters and proper understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing their formation. As such, computational and theoretical tools for predicting and modeling building block interactions have grown to become integral in modern day self-assembly research. In this review, we provide an in-depth discussion of the current state-of-the-art strategies available for modeling ligand functionalized nanoparticles. We focus on the critical role of how ligand interactions and surface distributions impact the emergent, pre-programmed behaviors between neighboring particles. To help build insights into the underlying physics, we first define an "ideal" limit - the short ligand, "hard" sphere approximation - and discuss all experimental handles through the lens of perturbations about this reference point. Finally, we identify theories that are capable of bridging interparticle interactions to nanoscale self-assembly and conclude by discussing exciting new directions for this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Vo
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Jonas HJ, Schall P, Bolhuis PG. Activity affects the stability, deformation and breakage dynamics of colloidal architectures. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:2162-2177. [PMID: 38351836 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01255g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Living network architectures, such as the cytoskeleton, are characterized by continuous energy injection, leading to rich but poorly understood non-equilibrium physics. There is a need for a well-controlled (experimental) model system that allows basic insight into such non-equilibrium processes. Activated self-assembled colloidal architectures can fulfill this role, as colloidal patchy particles can self-assemble into colloidal architectures such as chains, rings and networks, while self-propelled colloidal particles can simultaneously inject energy into the architecture, alter the dynamical behavior of the system, and cause the self-assembled structures to deform and break. To gain insight, we conduct a numerical investigation into the effect of introducing self-propelled colloids modeled as active Brownian particles, into self-assembling colloidal dispersions of dipatch and tripatch particles. For the interaction potential, we use a previously designed model that accurately can reproduce experimental colloidal self-assembly via the critical Casimir force [Jonas et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2021, 135, 034902]. Here, we focus primarily on the breakage dynamics of three archetypal substructures, namely, dimers, chains, and rings. We find a rich response behavior to the introduction of self-propelled particles, in which the activity can enhance as well as reduce the stability of the architecture, deform the intact structures and alter the mechanisms of fragmentation. We rationalize these findings in terms of the rate and mechanisms of breakage as a function of the direction and magnitude of the active force by separating the bond breakage process into two stages: escaping the potential well and separation of the particles. The results set the stage for investigating more complex architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Jonas
- van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - P Schall
- van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94485, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P G Bolhuis
- van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Swinkels PJM, Sinaasappel R, Gong Z, Sacanna S, Meyer WV, Sciortino F, Schall P. Networks of Limited-Valency Patchy Particles. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:078203. [PMID: 38427857 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.078203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Equilibrium gels provide physically attractive counterparts of nonequilibrium gels, allowing statistical understanding and design of the equilibrium gel structure. Here, we assemble two-dimensional equilibrium gels from limited-valency "patchy" colloidal particles and follow their evolution at the particle scale to elucidate cluster-size distributions and free energies. By finely adjusting the patch attraction with critical Casimir forces, we let a mixture of two-valent and pseudo-three-valent patchy particles approach the percolated network state through a set of equilibrium states. Comparing this equilibrium route with a deep quench, we find that both routes approach the percolated state via the same equilibrium states, revealing that the network topology is uniquely set by the particle bond angles, independent of the formation history. The limited-valency system follows percolation theory remarkably well, approaching the percolation point with the expected universal exponents.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J M Swinkels
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R Sinaasappel
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Z Gong
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003-6688, USA
| | - S Sacanna
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003-6688, USA
| | - W V Meyer
- Universities Space Research Association, with GEARS, NASA Glenn Research Center, 2001 Aerospace Parkway, Brook Park, Ohio 44152, USA
| | | | - P Schall
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Swinkels PJM, Gong Z, Sacanna S, Noya EG, Schall P. Visualizing defect dynamics by assembling the colloidal graphene lattice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1524. [PMID: 36934102 PMCID: PMC10024684 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37222-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Graphene has been under intense scientific interest because of its remarkable optical, mechanical and electronic properties. Its honeycomb structure makes it an archetypical two-dimensional material exhibiting a photonic and phononic band gap with topologically protected states. Here, we assemble colloidal graphene, the analogue of atomic graphene using pseudo-trivalent patchy particles, allowing particle-scale insight into crystal growth and defect dynamics. We directly observe the formation and healing of common defects, like grain boundaries and vacancies using confocal microscopy. We identify a pentagonal defect motif that is kinetically favoured in the early stages of growth, and acts as seed for more extended defects in the later stages. We determine the conformational energy of the crystal from the bond saturation and bond angle distortions, and follow its evolution through the energy landscape upon defect rearrangement and healing. These direct observations reveal that the origins of the most common defects lie in the early stages of graphene assembly, where pentagons are kinetically favoured over the equilibrium hexagons of the honeycomb lattice, subsequently stabilized during further growth. Our results open the door to the assembly of complex 2D colloidal materials and investigation of their dynamical, mechanical and optical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piet J M Swinkels
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Zhe Gong
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefano Sacanna
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eva G Noya
- Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter Schall
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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8
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Jonas H, Schall P, Bolhuis PG. Extended Wertheim theory predicts the anomalous chain length distributions of divalent patchy particles under extreme confinement. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:094903. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0098882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Colloidal patchy particles with divalent attractive interaction can self-assemble into linear polymer chains. Their equilibrium properties in 2D and 3D are well described by Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory which predicts a well-defined exponentially decaying equilibrium chain length distribution. In experi- mental realizations, due to gravity, particles sediment to the bottom of the suspension forming a monolayer of particles with a gravitational height smaller than the particle diameter. In accordance with experiments, an anomalously high monomer concentration is observed in simulations which is not well understood. To account for this observation, we interpret the polymerization as taking place in a highly confined quasi-2D plane and extend the Wertheim thermodynamic perturbation theory by defining addition reactions constants as functions of the chain length. We derive the theory, test it on simple square well potentials, and apply it to the experimental case of synthetic colloidal patchy particles immersed in a binary liquid mixture that are described by an accurate effective critical Casimir patchy particle potential. The important interaction parameters entering the theory are explicitly computed using the integral method in combination with Monte Carlo sampling. Without any adjustable parameter, the predictions of the chain length distribution are in excellent agreement with explicit simulations of self-assembling particles. We discuss generality of the approach, and its application range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Jonas
- University of Amsterdam Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Netherlands
| | - Peter Schall
- Institute of Physics, Universiteit van Amsterdam Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen Wiskunde en Informatica, Netherlands
| | - Peter G. Bolhuis
- van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Netherlands
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9
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Huang D, Huang Y, Zheng S, Tu M, Jiang L. Dynamics of a colloid-in-tube host-guest system. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4881-4886. [PMID: 35730484 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00535b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Originated from supramolecular chemistry, the host-guest concept is generalized and appreciated across the fields of enzyme catalysis, biological channel conduction, and carbon nanotube transport, to name a few. Despite the extensive study of host-guest thermodynamics, it is still a fundamental challenge to directly measure its dynamics in real-space and real-time. Herein we approach such dynamics by direct imaging and tracking in a colloid-in-tube system, where self-assembled tubes are the hosts and sphere particles are the guests. The key difference from a previously reported static 1D confinement is that the present tubes are thermally actuated and capable of translations and rotations. It is the host tube thermal motions that impose a number of anomalies to guest particle dynamics including broadened distribution perpendicular to the tube, enhanced diffusion parallel to the tube phenomenologically resembling the rapid flow in ion channels or carbon nanotubes, and induced long-range particle-particle attraction analogous to capillary condensation. This work in the colloidal system is of wide implications for host-guest systems that are naturally embedded in thermal fluctuations such as transmembrane ion channels and carbon nanotube arrays in a soft matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danmin Huang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Yangkun Huang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Shuqin Zheng
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Mei Tu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Mhanna R, Gao Y, Van Tol I, Springer E, Wu N, Marr DWM. Chain Assembly Kinetics from Magnetic Colloidal Spheres. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:5730-5737. [PMID: 35486385 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic colloidal chains are a microrobotic system with promising applications due to their versatility, biocompatibility, and ease of manipulation under magnetic fields. Their synthesis involves kinetic pathways that control chain quality, length, and flexibility, a process performed by first aligning superparamagnetic particles under a one-dimensional magnetic field and then chemically linking them using a four-armed maleimide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol). Here, we systematically vary the concentration of the poly(ethylene glycol) linkers, the reaction temperature, and the magnetic field strength to study their impact on the physical properties of synthesized chains, including the chain length distribution, reaction temperature, and bending modulus. We find that this chain fabrication process resembles step-growth polymerization and can be accurately described by the Flory-Schulz model. Under optimized experimental conditions, we have successfully synthesized long flexible colloidal chains with a bending modulus, which is 4 orders of magnitude smaller than previous studies. Such flexible and long chains can be folded entirely into concentric rings and helices with multiple turns, demonstrating the potential for investigating the actuation, assembly, and folding behaviors of these colloidal polymer analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Mhanna
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Yan Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Isaac Van Tol
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Ela Springer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Ning Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - David W M Marr
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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