Programmable and
Interactive Materials
The Sitt Research Group
School of Chemistry,
Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences
In our lab, we study how chemical and physical information can be incorporated into nano and microscale systems, and what is the relationship between information, structure and function.
Our research interests include:
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Stimuli responsive micro and nanosystems
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1-D to 3-D folding in the nanoscale
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Reversible self-assembly
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Chemical reactions in confined environments
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Multi-compartmental organic and inorganic nanoparticles
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Chemical information in micro and nanoscale systems
February 9, 2022
Together with the Markovich Lab, we present the transformation of thin polymer fibres and fabrics into conductive materials by in situ growth of a thin, optically transparent gold–silver nanowire (NW) mesh directly on the surface of polymer fibres. we show that the NW network morphology depends on the diameter of the polymer fibres, where at small diameters (1–2 μm), the NWs form a randomly oriented network, but for diameters above several micrometers, the NWs wrap around the fibres transversally. This phenomenon is associated with the stiffness of the surfactant templates used for the NW formation. The approach demonstrated in this work can be extended to other polymeric fibres and could be useful for various smart electronic textile applications.
February 3, 2022
We present the fabrication of highly-ordered 2D networks hierarchically constructed of thermoresponsive mesoscale polymeric fibers, which can exhibit morphing with microscale resolution. The morphing of such networks strongly dependson two intrinsic length scales - the fiber diameter and mesh size. Depending on these parameters, such fiber-networks exhibit one of two thermally driven morphing behaviors: i)the fibers stay straight, and the network preserves its ordered morphology; or ii) the fibers buckle and the network becomes messy and highly disordered. Notably, in both cases, the networks display memory and regain their original ordered morphology upon shrinking.
March 12, 2021
Together with the Adler-Abramovich Lab, we introduced a composite scaffold composed of polycaprolactone and hyaluronic acid incorporated with a short self-assembling peptide. The peptide includes the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif and supports cellular attachment based on molecular recognition. In vitro assays revealed preosteoblasts adhered well to the scaffold and proliferated with significant osteogenic differentiation and calcium mineralization, making this system a leading candidate to serve as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering.
March 4, 2021
We demonstrate a general scheme for fabricating freestanding Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-embedded polymeric fibers, in which the fibers themselves act as microreactors for the in situ growth of the MOF crystals. We demonstrate that immobilizing enzymes on such MOF-polymer fibers improves their performance and enhances the enzyme's stability.
