Theory of active soft matter
The research of this group focuses on active soft matter, i.e., on soft-matter systems that contain self-propelled (so-called "active") constituents. Examples are swimming microorganisms and suspensions of artificial active colloidal particles. The considered systems range from individual active nano- and microparticles through suspensions of such particles up to complex composite systems of ordinary soft matter and active particles.
A current main research topic of the group is the development of novel active colloidal particles that can be applied in the field of nanomedicine. These particles shall be biocompatible and steerable so that they can be used, e.g., for improved drug delivery or magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia.
Another important research topic is given by active soft materials. As systems being intrinsically far from thermodynamic equilibrium, soft materials containing active particles can exhibit a fascinating behavior that is unknown from conventional materials. The main goals in this context are to understand the behavior of active soft materials, to identify unique properties that are relevant for particular applications, and to design new active materials with properties that are controllable in real time.