The Andelman Research Group of the School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv University

The Andelman group, managed by Prof. David Andelman, specializes in studying soft matter and biological systems in collaboration with several experimental teams worldwide. In particular, they explore the properties of self-assembling polymers, and the ways to manipulate them at patterned surfaces and in thin film geometries in relation with nano-lithography with the aim of producing a surface with an ultra-dense array of addressable nanoscopic elements that is perfectly ordered over macroscopic length scales (Block Copolymers and Nano-Imprint Lithography project).

Additionally, they explore bio-and soft matter systems where charges play an important role. They also investigate ionic liquids at charge interfaces and membranes, and the response of ionic solutions and charged macromolecules to external electric fields.

Main current projects of the group are:

- The Study of Ion-Specific Effects: These effects are found to influence the interactions of surfactant micelles, lipid-bilayer membranes, proteins, DNA molecules and more. Understanding these effects theoretically is of major importance. Andelman Research Group’s strategy is to tackle the problem by using models on the mean-field level and beyond, with which an intuitive picture of the various effects emerges.

- Ion-Induced Surface and Solvent Transitions: They are interested in systems where the interactions of the ions with the other species, e.g., lipids in the membrane, or solvent molecules, lead to modifications of the structural properties.

- Coupled Modulated Bilayers: Building and studying bilayers by separately preparing two independent monolayers and then combining them into one joint bilayer across a hole at the air/water interface.

The Andelman Research Group has 25 members and it is based at the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv
University.

More information:

David Andelman
Professor of Physics
School of Physics and Astronomy
Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel