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Drug delivery on target
17 November 2008
A peptide found in tumour cells can trigger the release of drugs from a novel nanocarrier, claim South Korean scientists
Polymers strut their stuff under the spotlight
11 November 2008
Chemists in Japan have created light-driven polymer films that walk like inchworms and move like robotic arms
Shine a light for separation
07 November 2008
UK scientists have used light to separate complex chemical mixtures
Contents list for Soft Matter, issue 12, 2008
Front cover
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2285
DOI: 10.1039/b819130c
Inside front cover
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2286
DOI: 10.1039/b819131j
Contents
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2287
DOI: 10.1039/b819132h
Highlights
Fabrication of monodisperse thermosensitive microgels and gel capsules in microfluidic devices
Rhutesh K. Shah, Jin-Woong Kim, Jeremy J. Agresti, David A. Weitz and Liang-Yin Chu,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2303
DOI: 10.1039/b808653m
A review of recent methods to fabricate monodisperse poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel particles in capillary and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices. The internal morphology of these particles can be tuned by modifying the microfluidic techniques.
Modular self-assembling biomaterials for directing cellular responses
Joel H. Collier,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2310
DOI: 10.1039/b805563g
This Highlight discusses self-assembling biomaterials for use as cell-interactive matrices. It emphasizes modularity in these systems and current challenges and opportunities as these materials move towards implementation.
Characteristic relaxation times and their invariance to thermodynamic conditions
C. M. Roland,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2316
DOI: 10.1039/b804794d
We show a unifying feature of the dynamics of liquids, that at each of four characteristic transitions, the relaxation time is essentially a material constant.
Review Articles
Dynamics of wormlike and glassy wormlike chains
Klaus Kroy,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2323
DOI: 10.1039/b807018k
A summary of recent progress towards a unified mathematical description of the nonlinear nonequilibrium dynamics of semiflexible (bio)polymers within the WLC model and some extensions addressing solutions and sticky networks.
Production and performance of biomaterials containing RGD peptides
Lynne Perlin, Sheila MacNeil and Stephen Rimmer,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2331
DOI: 10.1039/b801646a
The arginine-glycine-aspartic acid sequence binds to key cell membrane structures within the integrin family. Materials containing peptides based on this sequence are of enormous interest in tissue engineering. In this review we include both synthesis and design strategies required to produce useful RGD functional materials.
Novel microbubble preparation technologies
Eleanor Stride and Mohan Edirisinghe,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2350
DOI: 10.1039/b809517p
This review describes the evolution of techniques for microbubble preparation with specific emphasis on biomedical applications, e.g. the preparation of multi-layered microbubbles using a novel coaxial multi-needle electrohydrodynamic device.
Communications
Complex micropatterning of periodic structures on elastomeric surfaces
Arnaud Chiche, Christopher M. Stafford and João T. Cabral,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2360
DOI: 10.1039/b811817e
Complex periodic 3D surface topographies, with tunable pattern amplitudes and wavelengths (
100 nm to 100 µm), are generated via controlled multi-axial deformation combined with surface oxidation of elastomers.
Internal stress in kinetically trapped actin bundle networks
Kurt M. Schmoller, Oliver Lieleg and Andreas R. Bausch,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2365
DOI: 10.1039/b808582j
The actin binding protein filamin is sufficient to generate prestress in in vitro actin networks by cross-linking and bundling actin filaments during network polymerization forming kinetically trapped network structures.
Liquid layers on patterned surfaces
Rodica Borcia, Ion Dan Borcia and Michael Bestehorn,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2368
DOI: 10.1039/b809523j
This article examines numerically the behavior of liquid layers on horizontal patterned surfaces with hydrophobic and hydrophilic stripes.
Papers
Origin of stabilisation of aqueous foams in nanoparticle–surfactant mixtures
Bernard P. Binks, Mark Kirkland and Jhonny A. Rodrigues,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2373
DOI: 10.1039/b811291f
Silica nanoparticles alone do not stabilise aqueous foams but enhance the stability of surfactant foams in mixtures. Adsorption of surfactant onto particle surfaces reduces their charge and increases their hydrophobicity.
Significance of secondary structure in nanostructure formation and thermosensitivity of polypeptide block copolymers
Yun Young Choi, Min Kyung Joo, Youn Soo Sohn and Byeongmoon Jeong,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2383
DOI: 10.1039/b809116a
Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-L-poly(alanine) with a preassembled 
-sheet secondary structure facilitates the sol-to-gel transition rather than the poly(ethylene glycol)-b-DL-poly(alanine) with a random coil structure.
Designer functionalized self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds for growth, migration, and tubulogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Xiumei Wang, Akihiro Horii and Shuguang Zhang,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2388
DOI: 10.1039/b807155a
Two designer functionalized peptides, KLT and PRG have been demonstrated to significantly enhance endothelial cell survival, rapid proliferation, migration, and morphological differentiation in vitro
Polyfluorene nano-rings and nano-dots on mica surfaces: evaporation-induced polymer self-assembly and photoluminescence properties of the assemblies
Yang Liu, Takanori Murao, Yoko Nakano, Masanobu Naito and Michiya Fujiki,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2396
DOI: 10.1039/b808252a
Isolated 150 nm ring-like assemblies of poly(9,9-di-n-decylfluorene), formed by evaporating a drop of dilute chloroform solution on mica, showed red-shifted and narrow PL bands compared with their dotted analogues.
Interactions of micro-rods in a thin layer of a nematic liquid crystal
Uro
Tkalec, Miha 
karabot and Igor Muevi
,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2402
DOI: 10.1039/b807979j
Laser tweezers and optical microscopy are used to characterize defect structures and elastic interactions between micrometre-sized homeotropic glass rods, suspended in a thin layer of a nematic liquid crystal.
Temporal evolution of cell focal adhesions: experimental observations and shear stress profiles
D. Raz-Ben Aroush, R. Zaidel-Bar, A. D. Bershadsky and H. D. Wagner,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2410
DOI: 10.1039/b804643n
The growth and saturation of focal adhesions exhibit consistent patterns whereas disassembly is erratic. Saturation occurs at a fixed time and larger focal adhesions thus form with increasing growth rate.
Monolithic cryogels with open porous structure and unique double-continuous macroporous networks
Fatima M. Plieva, Peter Ekström, Igor Yu. Galaev and Bo Mattiasson,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2418
DOI: 10.1039/b804105a
A novel approach to create macroporous polymeric materials with double-continuous macroporous networks is presented. The prepared highly elastic macroporous gels with open porous structure hold great promise as 3D scaffolds for tissue-engineering applications.
Biomimetic nanofiber patterns with controlled wettability
Hui Wu, Rui Zhang, Yao Sun, Dandan Lin, Zhiqiang Sun, Wei Pan and Patrick Downs,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2429
DOI: 10.1039/b805570j
Polymer nanofibers can assembled into different patterns to mimic the surfaces of various natural organisms including lotus leaves, bamboo leaves, goose feathers and water strider's legs.
Specific wetting probed with biomimetic emulsion droplets
Jacques Fattaccioli, Jean Baudry, Nelly Henry, Francoise Brochard-Wyart and Jérôme Bibette,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2434
DOI: 10.1039/b806635c
The study of the adhesion of emulsion droplets functionalized by ligands on solid substrates coated by receptors and polymers raises the importance of the coupling between non-specific interactions and specific binding.
Control of nanoparticle dispersion in thin polymer films
Melissa A. Yaklin, Phillip M. Duxbury and Michael E. Mackay,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2441
DOI: 10.1039/b807565d
A polymer–fullerene mixture forms a kinetically trapped C60-rich layer at the substrate following spin-coating; homogeneous dispersion is obtained by flipping the film and a special annealing process
Printing functional nanostructures: a novel route towards nanostructuring of organic electronic devices via soft embossing, inkjet printing and colloidal self assembly of semiconducting polymer nanospheres
Evelin Fisslthaler, Alexander Blümel, Katharina Landfester, Ullrich Scherf and Emil J. W. List,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2448
DOI: 10.1039/b812235k
A method for nanostructure formation from conjugated polymers is presented: an embossed polystyrene template layer is used to trigger a self assembly process for semiconducting polymer nanospheres deposited by inkjet printing.
Coarse-grained molecular modeling of non-ionic surfactant self-assembly
Wataru Shinoda, Russell DeVane and Michael L. Klein,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2454
DOI: 10.1039/b808701f
A novel coarse-grained molecular model for polyethylene glycol surfactants is presented, which enables us to predict self-assembled meso-structures, such as hexagonal and lamellar, and investigate phase transitions between such structures by molecular dynamics simulation.
Corrections to the Laplace law for vesicle aspiration in micropipettes and other confined geometries
J.-B. Fournier and P. Galatola,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2463
DOI: 10.1039/b806589f
Aspiration of a lipid vesicle in a nanochannel: the ordinary Laplace law is modified and the aspirated cap is not spherical.
Colloidal micromotor in smectic A liquid crystal driven by DC electric field
Antal Jákli, Bohdan Senyuk, Guangxun Liao and Oleg D. Lavrentovich,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2471
DOI: 10.1039/b807927g
We demonstrate a DC electric field induced orbiting motion of colloid particles dispersed in a smectic A liquid crystal, and we show that it is due to defects in the layered structure, which trap the migrating particles and convert the translation motion into rotation.
Bicontinuous hydrogel–hydrophobic polymer systems through emulsion templated simultaneous polymerizations
Tamar Gitli and Michael S. Silverstein,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2475
DOI: 10.1039/b809346f
Reversibly hydratable bicontinuous hydrogel-filled hydrophobic scaffolds exhibited an unexpectedly significant reduction in modulus indicating that the hydrophilic monomer in the internal aqueous-phase affects the molecular structure of the polymer synthesized in the external organic-phase.
Volume transition in composite poly(NIPAM)–giant unilamellar vesicles
Clément C. Campillo, André P. Schröder, Carlos M. Marques and Brigitte Pépin-Donat,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2486
DOI: 10.1039/b808472f
We have prepared thermo-responsive composite vesicles filled with a poly(NIPAM) sol or gel. As one crosses the temperature for the phase separation of the encapsulated poly(NIPAM), different volume change and phase separation phenomena are observed, depending on the vesicle composition. Such responsive vesicles are good candidates for many applications, namely as in vivo drug carriers.
Long and entangled native cellulose I nanofibers allow flexible aerogels and hierarchically porous templates for functionalities
Marjo Pääkkö, Jaana Vapaavuori, Riitta Silvennoinen, Harri Kosonen, Mikael Ankerfors, Tom Lindström, Lars A. Berglund and Olli Ikkala,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2492
DOI: 10.1039/b810371b
Native cellulose I nanofibers form porous low density highly deformable aerogels simply by vacuum freeze-drying, which can act as a template for electrical conductivity.
Enhanced DNA strand exchange on positively charged liposomes
Karolin Frykholm, Francesca Baldelli Bombelli, Bengt Nordén and Fredrik Westerlund,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2500
DOI: 10.1039/b806569a
We show here that, in the presence of cationic lipid vesicles, DNA strand exchange takes place with a significantly enhanced rate and improved yield, compared to in bulk without liposomes.
Ring-shaped morphology in H-shaped block copolymer thin films
Yuhan Wei, Binyao Li, Yanchun Han and Caiyuan Pan,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2507
DOI: 10.1039/b806258g
Ring-shaped morphology is obtained in H-shaped (PS)2PEG(PS)2 copolymer films as annealed in a strongly PEG-selective solvent (acetonitrile) vapor.
Manufacture of 3-dimensional objects by reactive inkjet printing
Tianming Wang, Ranjana Patel and Brian Derby,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2513
DOI: 10.1039/b807758d
Reactive inkjet printing is used to prepare fully dense plastic 3D objects. Object resolution is controlled by the spreading of drops on a powder bed, prior to infiltration.
Signal ampflication using nanoplatform cluster formation
Peter Suci, Michael T. Klem, Mark Young and Trevor Douglas,
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2519
DOI: 10.1039/b808178f
Layer-by-layer cluster formation nucleated at receptor sites on a surface is explored as a method to amplify the imaging signal from targeted fluorescently labeled protein cage nanoparticles.
Back matter
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2524
DOI: 10.1039/b819134b
Back cover
Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2527
DOI: 10.1039/b819135m
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