Diffusion is one of the most important phenomena studied in science ranging from physics to biology and, in abstract form, even in social sciences. In the field of materials science, diffusion in crystalline solids is of particular interest as it plays a p ...
Supramolecular interactions play an important role in defining the structure and the resulting mechanical properties of materials. For instance, interchain hydrogen-bonding in PAs gives them superior strength and stiffness in engineering materials, while t ...
Three-dimensional topological semimetals have emerged as strong candidates to probe new fundamental physical phenomena that could be exploited to develop next generation electronics. However, many aspects of their electronic properties remain unclear. Thi ...
A variety of physical inputs acts onto bacteria in nature. However, these are most often ignored in the studies of their physiology. There is now increasing evidence indicating that bacteria respond to physical stimuli, including mechanical forces. Yet, qu ...
Investigating the intangible nature of a cultural domain can take multiple forms, addressing for example the aesthetic, epistemic and social dimensions of its phenomenology. The context of Southern Chinese martial arts is of particular significance as it c ...
This paper presents an innovative approach to creating Shape Memory Alloys (SMA)-based actuators that are lightweight, compact, and capable of providing large strokes. Inspired by the Kirigami structure, an SMA actuator is designed using the Ω -pattern, wh ...
In this thesis, we study the mechanics of tight physical knots. Knots are omnipresent in surgery, climbing, and sailing, with disastrous consequences when the filament or the rope fails to perform its function. Even if the importance of mechanical analysis ...
The ability to control high-voltage actuator arrays relies, to date, on expensive microelectronic processes or on individual wiring of each actuator to a single off-chip high-voltage switch. Here we present an alternative approach that uses on-chip photoco ...
Oxide inclusions are inevitably present in steel as a direct consequence of the steelmaking process; as a result, a cubic centimetre of modern steel will generally contain about a million of these hard and brittle micrometre-sized ceramic particles. Inclus ...
Ionically crosslinked hydrogels containing metal coordination motifs have piqued the interest of researchers in recent decades due to their self-healing and adhesive properties. In particular, catechol-functionalized bulk hydrogels have received a lot of a ...
