ChemEng@IITH

"Colloids are broad class of complex materials in which interactions influence the structure, dynamics, and macroscopic behavior of the system."

Research Overview

As part of the Soft Matter Group @ChE IITH, our broad research theme is the fundamental science of colloids & interface. Our research interests are evaporative patterning and transport of colloids, fracture and failure mechanisms in colloidal films, Pickering emulsions and foams, and the design of particle–polymer hybrid materials. We aim to leverage the fundamental insight to engineer sustainable and functional soft materials for application in food, pharmaceutical, sensing, and separation applications.

Research Highlights

Droplet Drying and Assembly of Colloids

Drying particle-laden drop is ubiquitous. We seek to understand the drying kinetics of a particle-laden drop and investigate the various physical factors that affect the assembly of particles.

Desiccation cracks in a dried film

Desiccation cracks are quite prevalent in nature, and examples include dried mud, old paintings, colloidal crystals, etc. Using colloids as a model system, we look at the origin of diverse crack morphologies and investigate the possibilities of manipulating the desiccation cracks by employing external fields.

Capillary suspension, Pickering emulsions, and foams

Designing capillary suspensions, Pickering emulsions, and foams are of interest. We aim to better understand the significance of particle shape and bridge the gap between microstructural change and properties.

Porous Hybrid Materials

The rapid technological growth paved the way for developing novel materials. Porous hybrid materials are appealing, and we aim to use the ice-templating method to design macroporous hybrid materials and seek to understand their structure-property relations.