An in situ look at interfacial controls on crystallization in inorganic and biomolecular system

TODAY (Friday, February 11th), the MSE Colloquium featuring Jim De Yoreo, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, will be held over Zoom.

Abstract:  The emergence of order in materials systems ranging from simple salts to complex supramolecular assemblies has long been viewed through the lens of classical nucleation theory in which monomeric building blocks assemble into ordered structures through inherent thermal fluctuations that overcome a free energy barrier. However, recent observations have revealed a rich set of hierarchical crystallization pathways involving higher-order species ranging from multi-ion clusters to dense liquid droplets to transient amorphous or crystalline particles. Other research has shown that introduction of extrinsic factors, including soluble additives, surfaces, and macromolecular templates, can be used to select for a preferred pathway to the final state or to drive entirely new pathways and outcomes. Living systems are particularly adept at exploiting this strategy; through the process of biomineralization, they control the phase, morphology and organization of inorganic components to produce materials solutions to their functional requirements. Here I use examples from in situ AFM and in situ TEM studies of interfacial structure, nucleation and assembly in inorganic, biomimetic and biological systems to elucidate the mechanisms by which additives and interfaces direct crystallization processes, leading to unique materials and morphologies. The results reveal the importance of surface charge, chemical gradients, and solvent organization near interfaces in determining how ordered materials emerge from the solution. 

Bio: Jim De Yoreo is a Battelle Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and an Affiliate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He received his PhD in Physics from Cornell University in 1985. Following post-doctoral work at Princeton University, he became a member of the technical staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1989, where he held numerous positions. He joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2007 where he served as Deputy and Interim Director of the Molecular Foundry before moving to PNNL in 2012. De Yoreo’s research focuses on interactions, crystallization and self-assembly in inorganic, biomolecular and biomineral systems. He has authored or edited over 300 publications. He is a recipient of the David Turnbull Lectureship of the Materials Research Society (MRS), the Laudise Prize of the International Organization for Crystal Growth (IOCG), the Crystal Growth Award of the American Association for Crystal Growth (AACG) and the DOE Office of Science Distinguished Scientists Fellow award. He served as President of the MRS; he is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the MRS, and is a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences, as well as the IOCG and AACG Executive Committees. 

Zoom Link: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/92153920201?pwd=YW5PV1kxek9Cd2xuY0xwWU9zNWdWUT09

Zoom Password: 257509