IN-PERSON Meeting
Social Hour at 5:30 pm. 6:30 pm Dinner, and 7:30 pm Presentation.
Meeting will be in person @ Tony P's
Address: 4445 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Abstract: Metallo-polyelectrolytes are versatile materials for applications like filtration, biomedical devices, and sensors, due to their metal-organic synergy. Their dynamic and reversible electrostatic interactions offer high ionic conductivity, self-healing, and tunable mechanical properties. However, the knowledge gap between molecular-level dynamic bonds and continuum-level material properties persists, largely due to limited fabrication methods and a lack of theoretical design frameworks. To address this critical gap, we present a framework, combining theoretical and experimental insights, highlighting the interplay of molecular parameters in governing material properties. Using stereolithography-based additive manufacturing, we produce durable metallo-polyelectrolytes gels with tunable mechanical properties based on metal ion valency and polymer charge sparsity. Our approach unveils mechanistic insights into how these interactions propagate to macroscale properties, where higher valency ions yield stiffer, tougher materials, and lower charge sparsity alters material phase behavior. This work enhances understanding of metallo-polyelectrolytes behavior, providing a foundation for designing advanced functional materials.
Bio: Seneca Velling is entering his 4th year at Caltech as a PhD candidate in Materials Science, pursuing his degree through a student research position at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Origins and Habitability Lab. He received his M.Sc. in Materials Science from Caltech working in the Greer group on the materials chemistry of metal-polymer complexes and their thermal processing. Seneca did his undergraduate in Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Waterloo in Canada. His current research focuses on designing catalytic, microfluidic scaffolding for lab-scale simulations of hydrothermal chimneys (like those predicted to be on Ocean Worlds such as Enceladus or found in the deep sea on Earth) and the weathering of Venusian minerals under simulated Venus conditions (~464 °C, ~90+ bars, corrosive 96.5% CO2, 3.5% N2, etc). He is the current winner of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute's Nils Asplund FAST Prize and helps coordinate the ASM-MRS LA Chapter conference at Caltech.
Thank you to our Sustaining Members & Sponsors! Please support them as well with your business.
Accurate Steel Treating. Allied High Tech. Atlas Testing. Dennies Metallurgical Solutions. EAG Laboratories. Element Material Technology. Mettech. Plasma Technology Incorporated. Solar Atmospheres. Weber Metals. Calnano.