Professor of Material Science and Engineering
and (by courtesy) Chemical and Biological Engineering
and (by courtesy) Chemistry

Director, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NU-MRSEC)

BA, physics, 1981 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
PhD, physics, 1985 Cambridge University

Contact Info

Olvera de La Cruz Group Homepage

 

Statistics, thermodynamics and dynamics of complex molecular fluids: self assembly and soft matter theory.

Multicomponent mixtures of complex molecules have competing interactions of different length scales which can be used to design a large variety of assemblies with important technological and biomedical applications. Oppositely charged biomolecules, such as polynucleotides and proteins, for example, co-assemble into functional units including nucleosomes and viruses at specific ionic concentrations. The driving force for association of oppositely charged macroions is counterion release and strong ionic correlations upon association.

We analyze co-assemblies of cationic and anionic biological and synthetic molecules and their stability in different ionic media by using a combination of liquid theory and solid state physics techniques. The association of chemically incompatible charged molecules often results in surface charge heterogeneities which lead to hierarchical organizations via charge polarizability. Surface composition heterogeneities are a result of the competition of electrostatic interactions, which favor mixing of opposite charges, and specific interactions and packing constraints which favor segregation of the components.

We analyze the physical properties of mixtures of cationic and anionic amphiphiles co-assembled into lipid membranes, vesicles and cylindrical micelles. We also analyze surface patterns induced by the adsorption or confinement of self-attracting charged biomolecules onto oppositely charged flat and curved surfaces, such as cationic proteins onto actin, and determine the attraction mechanism among surfaces with charge heterogeneities.

We also investigate the thermodynamics, statistics and dynamics of multicomponent mixtures of neutral molecues. In particular, we analyze immiscible molecular fluids including interface adsorption of minority components and phase segregation kinetics. In solutions containing copolymers, for example, the interface adsorption is enhanced and a large variety of structures with unique applications including inverted micelles for drug delivery are obtained.

Associations and Awards

• National Institutes of Health FIRST Award, 1988–93
• David and Lucille Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, 1989–94
• Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, 1990–92
• NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1990–95
• Scientific Member, Commissariat a l’Énergie Atomique (CE-SACLAY), 1995-97
• NSF Opportunities in Materials Theory, speaker, 2000
• Fellow of the American Physical Society, 2001
• Scientific Visitor, Service de Physique Théorique, CE-SACLAY, France, 2003
• NSF Role of Theory in Biological Physics and Materials, organizer & speaker, 2004
• Baetjer Lecturer, Princeton University, 2005
• Editorial Board of the Journal of Polymer Science B: Polymer Physics, 2000-06
• Advisory Committee, NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, 2005-09
• Solid State Science Advisory Committee, National Research Council, 2006-09
• Research at the Intersection of Physical and Life Sciences Committee, National Research Council, National Academies, 2007-09  
• Engineering and Applied Sciences Cozzarelli Prize, Proceeding of the National Academies, National Academies, 2007
• Editorial Board of Macromolecules  
  
• Vice-chair Solid Sate Science Committee, National Research Council, 2008-10
• Chair, Advisory Committee, NSF Division of Materials Research, 2007-09

Selected Publications

P. Gonzalez-Mozuleos and M. Olvera de la Cruz Asymmetric charge renormalization for nanoparticles in aqueous media Phys. Rev. E 79, 031901 (2009).

G. Vernizzi, K.L. Kohlstedt, and M. Olvera de la Cruz On the Electrostatic Origin of Chiral Patterns on Nanofibers  Soft Matter 5, 736-739  (2009).

W. Kung, F. J. Solis and M. Olvera de la Cruz Thermodynamics of Ternary Electrolytes: Enhanced Adsorption of Macroions as Minority Component at Liquid Interfaces J. Chem. Phys. 130, 044502 (2009).

M. Olvera de la Cruz  Electrostatic Control of Self-Organization: the Role of Charge Gradients in Heterogeneous Media  Soft Matter, 4, 1735 (2008). 

D. Zhang and M. Olvera de la Cruz "Nano-Patterns in Tethered Membranes of Weakly Charged Chains with Hydrophobic Backbones" Macromolecules, 41, 6612-6614  (2008).

P. Gonzalez-Mozuleos and M. Olvera de la Cruz "Solvent and nonlinear effects on the charge renormalization of nanoparticles within a molecular electrolyte model" Physica A, 387, 5362-5370 (2008). 

Y. S. Velichko, F.J. Solis and M. Olvera de la Cruz Ion Condensation Structure on Patterned Surfaces J. Chem. Phys. 128, 144706  (2008)

Y. S. Velichko, S. I. Stupp, and M. Olvera de la Cruz Molecular Simulation Study of Peptide Amphiphiles Self-Assembly J. Phys. Chem. B, 112 (8), 2326 -2334 (2008)

W. Kung and M. Olvera de la Cruz Mediation of long-range attraction selectively between negatively-charged colloids on surfaces by solvation J. Chem. Phys. 127, 244907 (2007)

G. Vernizzi and M. Olvera de la Cruz Faceting ionic shells into icosahedra via electrostatics Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 104 (47) 18382-86 (2007)

K.L. Kohlstedt, F. Solis, G. Vernizzi, and M. Olvera de la Cruz Spontaneous Chirality via Long-Range Electrostatic Forces Phys. Rev Lett. 99, 030602 (2007).

S. M. Loverde, F. J. Solis and M. Olvera de la Cruz Charged Particles on Surfaces: Coexistence of Dilute Phases and Periodic Structures at Interfaces Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 237802 (2007).