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We study how electrochemical interactions organize materials across scales from interfaces to colloidal assemblies, then apply these principles to understand processes in soft and living matter and to engineer separations platforms. Our work connects fundamental science to applications in biotechnology, biophysics, health, and sustainability. The three primary focuses of the group include: 1. Physics of Interfaces, 2. Colloidal Assembly, and 3. Separations Platforms.
Our research toolkit centers around applied mathematics to provide quantitative and physical insight into chemical physics and engineering problems. We use these mathematical models to inform and design experiments, carried out in our lab or through collaborations.
Please see the Publications page for published work from the group, and follow Pedro's Google Scholar Profile for more regular updates.
- Physics of Interfaces
How do microscopic electrochemical interactions give rise to interfacial properties? The structure of fluids at boundaries dictates their interfacial transport, reactivity, and stability. We develop microscopic models to predict interfacial structures in applications ranging from membrane separations to charge storage and colloidal interactions.
Sample Publications:
K. Pivnic, J. P. de Souza, M. Urbakh, M. Z. Bazant, A. A. Kornyshev. Orientational Ordering of Confined Polar Liquids. Nano Letters 23, 12, 5548-5554 (2023).
J. P. de Souza, A. A. Kornyshev, M. Z. Bazant. Polar Liquids at Charged Interfaces: A Dipolar Shell Theory. J. Chem. Phys. 156, 244705 (2022).
J. P. de Souza, Z. A. H. Goodwin, M. McEldrew, A. A. Kornyshev, M. Z. Bazant. Interfacial Layering in the Electric Double Layer of Ionic Liquids, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 116001 (2020).
2. Colloidal Assembly
2. Colloidal Assembly
How do complex biological solutions and materials self-organize from the molecular scale? We investigate structure formation and phase behavior from biological fluids and polymeric materials, linking these findings to cellular processes and the design principles of bio-derived soft matter.
Sample Publications:
J. P. de Souza, H. A. Stone. Exact Analytical Solution of the Flory-Huggins Model and Extensions to Multicomponent Systems. J. Chem. Phys. 161, 044902 (2024).
B. Gouveia, J. P. de Souza, V. A. Valdez, J. W. Shaevitz, H. A. Stone, S. Petry. Capillary bundling of microtubules by condensates. (In submission)
3. Separations Platforms
3. Separations Platforms
How can physics-based simulations guide the design of efficient and sustainable purification processes? We formulate pore-scale models to reveal molecular mechanisms that enable selective ionic transport for desalination and related separations. Extending these principles, we address bottlenecks in biologics purification by combining predictive modeling with experiments to design separation platforms.
Sample publications:
M. Tesanovic, J. P. de Souza, M. Z. Bazant, S. Berensmeier. Magnetic particle capture in high-gradient magnetic separation: A theoretical and experimental study. AIChE J. e18733 (2025).
G. M. Essert, J. P. de Souza, S. P. Schwaminger, M. Z. Bazant and S. Berensmeier, Understanding electrostatic interaction on strong cation-exchanger via co-ion valency effects. Separation and Purification Technology 342, 126860 (2024)
C. L. Ritt, J. P. de Souza, M. G. Barsukov, S. Yosinski, M. Z. Bazant, M. A. Reed, M. Elimelech, Direct Observation of Ion-Specific Activation Behavior for Nanochannel Surface Charge Regulation. ACS Nano. 16.9, 15249-15260 (2022).
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