RSC - Soft Matter latest articles

Modelling the Role of Interaction Heterogeneity in the Gelation of Micron-Scale Colloidal Systems

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00117C, Paper

Open Access

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Po-Ting Wu, Ying-Shuo Peng, John C. Crocker, Talid Sinno
Micron-scale colloids functionalized with supramolecular moieties represent a versatile platform for self-assembly. Single-stranded DNA functionalization, in particular, has been shown to be a highly tunable approach for inducing short-ranged attractive...
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Convective flow in coalesced droplets under temperature difference for uniform distribution of microspheres in vertical contact-separation

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00259E, Paper

Shinji Bono, Shintaro Okai, Mary-Johanna Weir Weiss, Boris Stoeber, Satoshi Konishi
Convective flow in coalesced droplets under temperature difference for uniform distribution of microspheres in vertical contact-separation Shinji Bono*a,b,c, Shintaro Okaid, Mary-Johanna Weir Weisse, Boris Stoebere,f, Satoshi Konishi*a,b,c,d We brought a...
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Phase dependence of effective surface diffusivity in surfactant monolayers dilatated far from equilibrium

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00090H, Paper

Open Access

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.

Tyler Joseph Mucci, Joe A. Adam, Amir H. Hirsa
Modeling flow of insoluble surfactant monolayers undergoing rapid expansion and compression remains a long-standing challenge in hydrodynamics. In a recent Letter, compressible flow of a DPPC monolayer in the coexisting...
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Growth pathway of an AB2-type colloidal alloy during colloidal heteroepitaxy

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00402D, Paper

Masahide Sato, Jun Nozawa
Ideally, the final crystal structures are determined by the minimization of free energy.
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Conformal phase-transition hydrogel interfaces for high fidelity electrophysiological sensing and data-driven inference

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00123H, Paper

Xuelin Li, Weiyang Tang, Mingyang Wang, Giacomo Moretti, Ji Lin, Chuanqian Shi
A GT-QCS hydrogel electrode controls sol–gel transition to form a conformal adhesive interface on skin. The obtained sEMG, ECG, and EEG signals are analyzed through deep learning, bridging soft-material design and data-driven physiological analytics.
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Translational diffusion and isomerization reaction of a liquid crystal molecule at solid–liquid interface of ionic liquids studied by total internal reflection-transient grating spectroscopy

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00321D, Paper

Open Access

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Masaki Fujiwara, Hideaki Shirota, Kento Kasahara, Nobuyuki Matubayasi, Yoshifumi Kimura
The isomerization reaction of MBBA is accelerated at the interface between ionic liquids and sapphire.
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Theoretical Modeling and Scaling Laws in Hydrogels Incorporating Convoluted Chain Entropy and Interchain Repulsion

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00139D, Paper

Ming Li, Haibao Lu
The macroscopic mechanical properties of hydrogels are primarily determined by their microscopic network architecture. However, current micromechanical models typically neglect interchain repulsive interactions, and their influence on macroscopic stresses within...
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Preparation and Electrorheological Properties of La-Doped MOF-Ti Composite Encapsulated with TiO 2

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00292G, Paper

Huanhuan Pang, Chuanling Zhang, Ziqi Shan, Shuang Li, Lili Ma, Baoxiang Wang, Chuncheng Hao
Electrorheological fluids (ERFs) are intelligent suspensions capable of rapidly transitioning from liquid-like to solid-like states under an applied electric field. In this work, titanium dioxide-coated, lanthanum-doped metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles...
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Wetting morphologies and apparent line tension of nanodroplets on soft substrates

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00264A, Paper

Binyu Zhao, Shuo Wang, Günter K. Auernhammer
For nanodroplets on soft substrates, their contact angles depend on both the droplet contact radius and the substrate stiffness. The apparent line tension is not only wettability-dependent but also stiffness-dependent.
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Dynamic permeability in metastable droplet interfacial bilayers

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3759-3773
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00150E, Paper

Nivedina A. Sarma, David A. King, Xuefei Wu, Brett A. Helms, Paul D. Ashby, Thomas P. Russell, Ahmad K. Omar
As droplet interfacial bilayers dissolve en route to coalescence, coarsening pores enable size-selective transport. We develop a theory linking this size-selective transport to the evolving pore structure and mechanism of bilayer breakdown.
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Suppression of anomalous dynamics by random pinning in three-dimensional confluent tissues

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00334F, Paper

Jing Li, Yan-Wei Li
We numerically investigate the supercooled glassy dynamics of a three-dimensional Voronoi model for confluent cellular tissues, focusing on the effect of randomly pinning a fraction of cells.
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Overview: the Janus-nature of molecular CO2 in charge adjustment at wet surfaces

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3692-3716
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00222F, Paper

Open Access

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Peter Vogel, Muhammad Nawaz Qaisrani, Mattis Rasenat, Johannes Lützenkirchen, Marialore Sulpizi, David Beyer, Christian Holm, Thomas Palberg
Experiments and simulations reveal the Janus face of molecular CO₂ regarding charge adjustment at dielectric surfaces immersed in aqueous electrolyte, where it enriches diffusely. In turn, some surfaces increase their charge, while others decharge.
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Delamination and restructuring inside multilamellar lipid vesicles by a polycation: formation of multi-compartment vesicles

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3741-3749
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00155F, Paper

Rui Cao, Rishabh Jain, Ian K. Torres, Chris Oville, Anthony D. Dinsmore
Multilamellar lipid vesicles delaminate and form multiple internal compartments, driven by binding and translocation of high-MW polycations from the exterior.
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The sinking dynamics of a solid intruder in concentrated cornstarch suspensions studied using ultra-fast magnetic resonance imaging

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3806-3818
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00385K, Paper

Open Access

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Nikolay K. Kirov, Christopher P. McLaren, Klaas P. Pruessmann, Christoph R. Müller, Alexander Penn
Real-time MRI links the oscillatory motion of sinking intruders in cornstarch suspensions to the suspension response. Evolving perturbed regions and shear rate heterogeneities around the intruder indicate coupled, history-dependent dynamics.
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Light-tunable DNA interactions enable spatiotemporal assembly and relaxation-driven crystallization of colloids

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3717-3727
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00281A, Paper

Open Access

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Etienne Ducrot, Patrick A. Hage, Bas G. P. van Ravensteijn, David J. Pine, Ilja K. Voets
Light-tunable DNA brushes enable isothermal spatiotemporal control of colloidal interactions and relaxation-driven crystallization.
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Photo-crosslinked pluronic hydrogels: micelle self-assembly and thermoresponsive behavior

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00071A, Paper

Open Access

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Michel Habib, Joao Fragoso, Christine Joly-Duhamel, Jean-Pierre Habas, Sylvain Catrouillet, Audrey Tourrette, Tahmer Sharkawi, Sebastien Blanquer
This study links self-assembly, swelling, and rheology in Pluronics before and after methacrylation/crosslinking, showing how micellar structure governs crosslinking kinetics and the thermal response of hydrogels.
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Crowding-induced collapse and adsorption of polymers with nonuniform bending stiffness

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00383D, Paper

Open Access

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Gregory R. Cantrall, Gaurav Chauhan, Steven M. Abel
Spatial variations in stiffness regulate polymer collapse and adsorption driven by depletion interactions in crowded environments.
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Plasticization as a tool for tuning the dynamics of polymerized ionic liquids: insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3750-3758
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00189K, Paper

Arshid Ahmad, Michael Vogel
Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the dynamical properties of a polymerized ionic liquid (PIL), which features backbone-embedded imidazolium rings, can be tuned by plasticization with a simple ionic liquid (SIL).
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Cooperative effect of local active stresses on the macroscopic contractility of elastic fiber networks

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3790-3805
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM00803D, Paper

Abhinav Kumar, David A. Quint, Kinjal Dasbiswas
The collective effect of actively contractile units embedded in elastic biopolymer networks determines the network's macroscopic contractile response.
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Droplet dynamics in textured flow-focusing microchannels: effects of surface texture on deformation and transport

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3728-3740
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00338A, Paper

Rakesh Kumar, Gandi Eswari, Debdeep Bhattacharjee, Arnab Atta
This study investigates the post-formation dynamics of water droplets dispersed in an oil continuous phase within a microfluidic flow-focusing channel incorporating lithographically fabricated surface grooves.
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Diffusion of rod-like particles in complex fluids

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3683-3691
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00101G, Paper

Open Access

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Władysław Sokołowski, Huma Jamil, Karol Makuch
A simple framework using only single-bead mobility and the wave-vector-dependent viscosity gives explicit formulas for the parallel and perpendicular mobilities of a dimer.
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A simple model for poration-induced electrodeformation of giant vesicles

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3774-3789
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01250C, Paper

Rochish M. Thaokar, Rupesh Kumar, Nalinikanta Behera, Mohammad Maoyafikuddin
This work attempts to understand the mechanism of poration induced deformation, in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), under pulsed DC fields, using a simple semi-analytical model.
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In vivo measurements of fascia lata effective mechanics combined to a memory fiber–recruitment–viscoelastic modeling approach

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00467A, Paper

Franck Germain, Thomas Gibaud
The fascia lata plays a central role in force transmission and body mechanics, yet its in vivo mechanical behavior remains poorly characterized. Existing approaches --- shear wave elastography and direct...
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Realizing microrheological response of configurable viscoelastic media with a dynamic optical trap

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00203J, Paper

Sanatan Halder, Manas Khan
The local viscoelastic (VE) environment governs the motion of an embedded microsphere and consequently, pertinent dynamical phenomena. However, studying such phenomena with varying VE properties remains challenging for various reasons,...
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Aromatic/aliphatic residue balance regulates Cu(II)-induced supramolecular gel formation and drug release in histidine-containing tetrapeptides

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00341A, Paper

Kenta Fukumoto, Asuka Inada, Tatsuya Oshima
Cu(II)-responsive tetrapeptides form histidine-coordinated metallohydrogels with Ile/Phe-dependent stiffness and pH-responsive DOX release.
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Modeling the organizational heterogeneity of cholesterol-enriched microdomains in the neuronal membranes of gray and white matter of Alzheimer’s brain: A computational lipidomics study

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00153J, Paper

Sruthi Peesapati, Sandipan Chakraborty
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of death among the elderly, with no existing treatment. The development of therapy is further challenged by a limited understanding of molecular pathogenesis...
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Underwater mussel-inspired adhesive formed by simple coacervation

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00434B, Paper

Guillaume Gimenez, Amandine Parron, Armand Rufino, Véronique Lapeyre, Bertrand Goudeau, Jean-Paul Douliez, Cédric Le Coz, Adeline Perro
Mussels possess a remarkable natural ability to adhere on wet surfaces such as rocks in marine environments. This adhesion is attributed to proteins that undergo phase separation to form coacervates....
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A percolation-based theoretical model reveals the structural origin of strain-stiffening in semiflexible fibrous networks

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00177G, Paper

Yi Zhou, Shuo Yang, Leitao Cao, Jing Ren, Runnan Bai, Yunhao Yang, Ruoxuan Peng, Jinrong Yao, Xin Chen, Zhengzhong Shao, Shengjie Ling
Semiflexible fibrous networks are extensively found in biological tissues and engineered materials, exhibiting distinct mechanical properties situated between purely flexible and rigid networks. Understanding the underlying mechanisms governing their nonlinear...
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Ionic microsphere-reinforced multifunctional conductive hydrogel sensors for human motion monitoring

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00291A, Paper

Jie Ren, Wenjing Zhang, Yu Wang, Ziqiong Zhou, Yan Li, Yang Wu
Hydrogel-based flexible sensors are attractive for wearable electronics because of their softness, conformability, and tissue-like mechanics. Nevertheless, integrating high toughness, robust adhesion, self-healing ability, anti-freezing capability, and reliable strain sensitivity...
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Chemically triggered rapid degradation of tetraPEG gels cross-linked with a diacylhydrazine-containing cross-linker

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00301J, Paper

Open Access

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Satsuki Sekiguchi, Takamasa Sakai, Kousuke Tsuchiya
Tetra-armed poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels containing diacylhydrazine units undergo rapid degradation by treatment with sodium hypochlorite even at extremely low concentrations.
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A model of 3D confluent tissue behaves as an under-constrained glass

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00255B, Paper

Open Access

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Chengling Li, Matthias Merkel, Daniel M. Sussman
The 3D Voronoi model exhibits tunable sub-Arrhenius glassy dynamics, establishing that atypical relaxation and mechanics are features of many under-constrained materials.
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The division of vesicles requires the fission of closed membrane necks but does not require active processes

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00283H, Review Article

Open Access

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Reinhard Lipowsky
Out-budded and in-budded vesicles with membrane necks that experience curvature-induced constriction forces. Sufficiently large forces lead to neck fission and to the division of each vesicle into two daughter vesicles.
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Competing roles of aggregation and interfacial interactions in sustainable protein/cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced soft composites

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00329J, Paper

Open Access

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Hanxun Jin, William Goldberg, Zhenqin Wang, Huiyong Li, Yuxuan Huang, Marcus Foston, Guy M. Genin
Hierarchical Mori–Tanaka micromechanics modeling shows that CNC aggregation limits stiffness in SPI nanocomposites, while interphase stiffening from polyDOPA modification improves guides designs toward upper-bound performance.
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Dynamics of Weakly Magnetic Nanoparticle Suspensions Near a Magnetized Sphere

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00260A, Paper

Open Access

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Mohd Bilal Khan, Abigail Patterson, Jamel Ali, Theo Siegrist, Munir Humayun, Hadi Mohammadigoushki
We report experimental and multiphysics simulation studies of magnetophoretic transport and capture of nanoparticles around a magnetized sphere under high-gradient magnetic fields. Experiments were performed using a broad range of...
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Non-native square packing and structural arrangement of ultrahigh molecular weight diblock copolymer from one-step solvent vapor annealing

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00370B, Paper

Yuheng Wang, Akhila Joy, Natalia Hnatchuk, Tejal Pawale, Tosin Ogunrinola, Vasanta Gurung, Diana Berman, Ying Bao, Xiao Li
The self-assembly of ultrahigh molecular weight block copolymer under one-step solvent vapor annealing provides a promising method of generating nanoscale square-packed periodic structures with long-range order for advanced nano-lithographic applications.
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Measuring the elastic properties of granular hydrogels: effects of capillary interaction and ionic conditions

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00161K, Paper

Jiayin Zhao, Haiyi Zhong, Yixiang Gan
Liquid-bridge evolution is directly observed, revealing capillary-induced, size-dependent underestimation of Young's modulus and ionic-dependent stiffness captured by a modified constitutive model.
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Geometric control of motility-induced phase separation

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00213G, Paper

Open Access

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Toler H. Webb, Helen S. Ansell, Daniel M. Sussman
Gaussian curvature controls the shape and location of the dense phase in self-propelled particles undergoing motility-induced phase separation.
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Particle sizing in milk by combined differential dynamic microscopy and cryo-FIB-SEM tomography

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01201E, Paper

Open Access

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Joe J. Bradley, Fraser H. J. Laidlaw, Tom Pendry, Ngai Ying Denise Li, Alexander K. Boggon, Thomas Glen, Vincent A. Martinez, Jochen Arlt, Job H. J. Thijssen, Wilson C. K. Poon
Size distributions for particles in milk as obtained by differential dynamic microscopy and cryo-focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy.
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Dynamical universality and vibrational divergence in 2D supercooled liquids, quasicrystals, and crystals

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM00870K, Paper

Open Access

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Edwin A. Bedolla-Montiel, Marjolein Dijkstra
Dodecagonal quasicrystals show cage-trapping dynamics like supercooled liquids, yet their vibrational modes display phase coherence and defect signatures akin to periodic crystals, a hybrid state bridging amorphous and ordered solids.
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Hydrodynamic scattering of a neutral squirmer by a near-wall curved obstacle: MPCD simulations and analytical theory

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00352D, Paper

Prashant K. Nagar, Devandar Chauhan, Harsh Pandey, Sujin B. Babu, Kamakshi Pandey
Dynamics of the scattering of a neutral squirmer near a curved, wall-mounted obstacle explored via simulations supported with analytical calculations. Interestingly, the scattering is similar to classical scattering with a repulsive potential.
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Liquid crystalline order delays crystallisation in mixed surfactant systems

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3653-3661
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00317F, Paper

Open Access

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Sepideh Khodaparast, William N. Sharratt, Robert M. Dalgliesh, João T. Cabral
Liquid crystalline ordering in mixed SDS/DDAO surfactant systems creates a kinetically hindered intermediate state that dramatically increases crystallisation induction times.
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Ion size controls the conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00205F, Paper

Ganesh K. Rajahmundry, Tarak K. Patra
This study elucidates the impacts of ion–ion and ion–polymer size ratios on the phase behavior and conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes.
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The impact of a compound drop on a solid surface: the influence of shell viscosity

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00218H, Paper

Ravi Ranjan Singh, Deepak Kumar Mandal
A study of a compound drop impacting a surface is presented.
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Viscoelasticity and elastoplasticity in the power law creep and yielding of gels and fibre network materials under stress

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00053C, Paper

Michael J. Hertaeg, Suzanne M. Fielding
Stress-controlled simulations of a minimal disordered fibre network reveal distinct viscoelastic and elastoplastic regimes of power law creep.
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Equilibrium fluctuations of a quasi-spherical vesicle: role of the membrane dissipation

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00156D, Paper

Open Access

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Petia M. Vlahovska, Rony Granek
A new theory for the thermally driven shape fluctuations of a quasi-spherical vesicle, accounting for dissipation due to membrane viscosity.
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Confined labyrinthine pattern in chiral liquid crystal droplets

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3646-3652
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00114A, Paper

M. Rubio-Saldías, V. Fernandez-Gonzalez, M. G. Clerc, P. I. Hidalgo, J. Vergara
Labyrinthine patterns in temperature-driven chiral liquid crystal droplets are explored through experiments and theoretical modeling. An inhomogeneous amplitude equation describes confinement and self-organization.
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Transient negative capacitance in ferroelectric and twist-bend ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00284F, Paper

Open Access

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Netra Prasad Dhakal, Manisha Talwar, Zakaria Siddiquee, Jakub Karcz, Przemysław Kula, Peter Salamon, Antal Jákli
The negative capacitance (NC) of ferroelectric nematic and twist bend ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal materials can be used in conventional electronics to reduce the power dissipation.
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Lysine containing amphiphilic peptide-based non-cytotoxic soft materials with potential antifungal and antibacterial activities for 3D cell culture

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3662-3673
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00190D, Paper

Sagnik Banerjee, Sayani Haldar, Supratim Bose, Sandipan Chatterjee, Valeria Castelletto, Ian W. Hamley, Deepak Kumar Sinha, Arindam Banerjee
Trifunctional new peptide-based hydrogels with potential antibacterial and antifungal activities to promote 3D cell culture promising for regenerative medicine.
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Scaling dynamics of particles confined at fluid–fluid interfaces

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3620-3632
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00118A, Paper

Open Access

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Eduarda B. Oliveira, Elton L. Correia, H. Henning Winter, Sepideh Razavi
Particle–laden fluid interfaces exhibit complex linear viscoelastic behavior resulting from collective particle dynamics confined to two dimensions.
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NTA-Ni lipids affect membrane phase behavior and fluorescence of lipid-like dyes

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3633-3645
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00172F, Paper

Agustín Mangiarotti, Maria Julia Altamirano, Maira Celeste Dominguez, Natalia Wilke
NTA-lipids modify membrane properties and quench the fluorescence of adjacent lipid-dyes.
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Entropic depletion of macromolecular solutes induces symmetry-breaking surface wrinkling in myelin figures

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3579-3589
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00044D, Paper

Archan P. Vyas, Pallavi D. Sambre, Leren Wang, Prianka Deshmukh, Atul N. Parikh
A coupling of osmotic dehydration, macromolecular crowding, and depletion interactions stabilizes a Helfrich-Hurault-like instability producing extended wrinkling in soft multilamellar lipid tubules immersed in polymer-containing aqueous baths.
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Structural aging of a cohesive and amorphous granular solid under cyclic loading

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3610-3619
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00108D, Paper

Open Access

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William Hobson-Rhoades, Douglas J. Durian, Yue Fan, Hongyi Xiao
Experimental two-dimensional granular rafts become more brittle following cyclic uniaxial deformation. Boundary conditions enable spatially heterogeneous density change, which is driven by voids that differ in behavior based on their size.
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Disentangling microstructural elements of shear thickening suspensions via computer simulations of a minimal model

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3598-3609
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM00928F, Paper

Open Access

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William C. J. Buchholtz, Daniel L. Blair, Jeffrey S. Urbach, H. A. Vinutha, Emanuela Del Gado
Microstructure and force network changes in a model dense suspension undergoing shear thickening.
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Interfacial adsorption competing with thermal mixing in confined hydrogen-bonded polymer bilayers

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3590-3597
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00129G, Paper

Hisashi Tetsutani, Masashi Ohno, Yohei Nakanishi, Tsukasa Miyazaki, Mikihito Takenaka, Norifumi L. Yamada, Hideki Seto, Hiroyuki Aoki, Katsuhiro Yamamoto
In confined polymer thin films, interfacial chain adsorption can fundamentally compete with thermally driven interdiffusion, leading to mixing behavior distinct from bulk systems.
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Morphological changes in smectic liquid crystal microstructures

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3569-3578
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00042H, Paper

Open Access

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Daichi Sato, Yutaka Sumino, Takahiro Yamamoto, Igor Muševič, Yoshiko Takenaka
Temperature-driven deformation of smectic liquid crystal microstructures reveals reversible transitions between umbrella-like and disc-like structures.
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Modeling elastoviscoplastic materials using physics-informed neural networks

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00198J, Paper

Open Access

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.

Babak Valipour Goodarzi, Reza Foudazi
An updated Saramito model captures type III elastoviscoplastic rheology from linear to nonlinear regimes with a single set of fitting parameters, using a two-step physics-informed neural network fitting.
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Superlubricity in granular shear flows under external vibrations

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00233A, Communication

Open Access

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Diego Berzi, Melisa Mariel Gianetti, Dalila Vescovi
We investigate the use of external vibrations to reduce macroscopic friction in pressure-imposed granular flows sheared between bumpy planes, in the absence of gravity, using the discrete element method. We...
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On the role of surfactants in emulsions and foams

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00181E, Perspective

Open Access

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Dominique Langevin
This perspective article focuses on surfactants and on interfaces between water and air or oil.
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3D morphology and phase-selective transport in amphiphilic silicone hydrogels: experiments and multiscale simulations

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00092D, Paper

Open Access

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Eri Ito, Yoshiaki Kawagoe, Tomonaga Okabe
Amphiphilic bicontinuous nanophase-separated networks can, in principle, provide independent pathways for transporting hydrophobic and hydrophilic species, yet PIPS membranes still lack a tightly validated link between 3D domain connectivity, domain...
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Plug flow down to the nanoscale can induce partial solidification of confined fluids

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00300A, Paper

Open Access

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Shan Chen, Hongguang Zhang, Zhenjiang Guo, Ignacio Pagonabarraga, Xianren Zhang
In this work, we employ molecular dynamics simulation to study the anomalous fluid behavior of plug nanoflows.
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Mechanically robust PEDOT:PSS hydrogel via mild liquid metal crosslinking

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00219F, Paper

Qian Zhou, Azur Azapagic, Austin Eiting, Seoyeon Won, Alexandra Boyadzhiev, Himanshu Sant, Deisy Cristina Carvalho Fernandes, Huanan Zhang
Ga³⁺ crosslinking via EGaIn enhances the mechanical robustness of PEDOT:PSS hydrogels under mild conditions while maintaining functional conductivity for soft electronic applications.
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How tip geometry controls fracture in ductile polymer glasses and brittle elastomers

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00148C, Paper

Open Access

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Asal Yousefi Siavoshani, Zehao Fan, Shi-Qing Wang
Based spatially-temporally resolved polarized optical microscopic (str-POM) measurements we studied fracture behavior of ductile and brittle glassy polymers as well as highly crosslinked rubbers to draw the following conclusions: (1)...
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Modeling the slow Arrhenius process (SAP) in polymers

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00305B, Paper

Open Access

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Valeriy V. Ginzburg, Oleg V. Gendelman, Simone Napolitano, Riccardo Casalini, Alessio Zaccone
Slow Arrhenius process (SAP) is hypothesized to be analogous to the high-temperature αβ-process. We model α-transition and SAP for multiple polymers using our “general TS2” equation and obtain good agreement with experiments.
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Hopping dynamics of a tracer particle confined in a fluctuating lattice

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00250A, Paper

Open Access

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Seonghui Kim, Yeonho Song, Bong June Sung, Shinji Saito, Jun Soo Kim
We investigate the hopping dynamics of a tracer particle in a two-dimensional fluctuating lattice using Brownian dynamics simulations and hop-function analysis.
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Role of Hydration Effects in Driving Ion Binding to Polyelectrolyte Brushes and Chains: A Perspective

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00234J, Perspective

Open Access

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Raashiq Ishraaq, Siddhartha Das
Polyelectrolyte (PE) chains and PE brushes are often characterized by the nature of the counterions that bind to them, as such binding regulates different properties of the chains and brushes....
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A supramolecular gel platform for selective naked-eye recognition of thorium(IV) ion

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00239K, Paper

Yanyi He, Xiao-Qi Yu, Shanshan Yu
A 1,1′-binaphthyl-based supramolecular hydrogel enables highly selective, naked-eye detection of Th⁴⁺. Its carboxyl groups form a 1 : 1 complex with Th⁴⁺, triggering specific gel collapse distinct from 24 other metal ions.
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Effect of external salt solution concentration on carboxyl dissociation degree (α) and pKa of weak polyelectrolyte membranes for sustainable technologies

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3438-3459
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01024A, Paper

Open Access

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.

Yongha Kim, Charleen M. Rahman, Michael A. Shaqfeh, Kyle M. Tierney, Andrew J. Lukaszewski, Nikitha S. Kanumuru, Dae Eun Kang, Hee Jeung Oh
Understanding the dissociation vs. varied salt conditions in weakly charged polymers is critical to develop innovative charged polymers for sustainability.
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Mechanistic insights into hydrophobicity-dependent antimicrobial selectivity of quaternary ammonium poly(oxanorborneneimide) polymers using coarse-grained simulations

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3488-3505
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00170J, Paper

Joshua D. Richardson, Vincent M. Rotello, Reid C. Van Lehn
MARTINI 3 coarse-grained simulations of poly(oxanorborneneimide) polymers reveal that hydrophobicity-driven membrane insertion underlies their selective disruption of bacterial over human red blood cell membranes.
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Influence of rigid–soft domains on proton conduction and microstructure in block copolymer membranes

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00130K, Paper

Avneesh Kumar, Dong Wook Chang
Copolymers with rigid PEEK and soft ionic domains show proton conduction linked to nanostructure. Rigid PEEK improves thermal stability and planar membrane formation but disrupts ionic channels, reducing proton conductivity via proton hopping.
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Interfacial ion transport in cellulose nanocrystal-based ionogels with low ionic liquid content

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3529-3536
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00048G, Paper

Yang Ge, Kyle Shultz, Joyce Sundo, Benjamin A. Paren, Pinar Akcora
This study investigates the gel formation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in a hydrophobic ionic liquid, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (HMIm–TFSI), with the addition of a co-solvent, dimethylformamide (DMF).
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Dynamic water film assisted laser micromachining of micro-array structured surfaces for inducing hydrophobicity: analysis model and experimental study

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3460-3472
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00212A, Paper

Jinda Yang, Zhongxu Lian, Haonan Jin, Jiaqi Wang, Jinkai Xu, Yanling Tian
Preparation of low-damage superhydrophobic surfaces by dynamic water film assisted laser micromachining.
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Rod particle-like viscoelastic behavior of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose samples with narrow molar mass distributions dissolved in aqueous solutions

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3537-3547
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00235H, Paper

Misato Yoshida, Daiki Nakagawa, Kengo Arai, Yoshiki Horikawa, Toshiyuki Shikata
The viscoelastic behaviors of aqueous solutions of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HpMC) samples with narrow molar mass distributions clearly revealed that the HpMC molecules behave as rod-like particles even in a fully entangled concentration range.
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Effects of “antifreeze” oligopeptides and electric fields on unidirectional ice growth in thin water layers

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3548-3560
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01157D, Paper

Masato Katoh, Tomonori Waku, Yoshimichi Hagiwara
We conducted experiments on the effects of electric fields and oligopeptides on water freezing in a narrow space. When AC100V and oligopeptides were used, ice growth suppression was obtained, probably due to the migration of peptide aggregates.
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Reconstitution of metabolic reactions within self-assembled, multi-compartment protein vesicles

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3506-3516
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00163G, Paper

Open Access

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.

Jooyong Shin, Webley Woods, Yeongseon Jang
Recombinant fusion proteins (ODH–Z_E) self-assemble into enzymatic protein vesicles. Encapsulated in larger vesicles, they act as artificial organelles, revealing how compartmentalization regulates metabolic reactions.
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Effects of hydrostatic pressure on epithelial dome formation and stability

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3473-3487
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00004E, Paper

Jianfeng Meng, Guangsong Xie, Yifei Zheng, Huaixuan Chen, Peng Xia, Pengfei Xu, Yingke Xu, Liangfei Tian, Qi Gao, Youhua Tan, Dechang Li, Baohua Ji
This work reveals the biophysical mechanisms by which hydrostatic pressure regulates dome formation and stability and provides insights into the effect of external pressure on collective cell behaviors during tissue morphogenesis.
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Coupling of lipid phase behavior and protein oligomerization in a lattice model of raft membranes

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3517-3528
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00026F, Paper

Subhadip Basu, Oded Farago
Membrane proteins often form dimers and higher-order oligomers in lipid membrane with their organization governed by both protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions.
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Delamination and out-of-plane deformation in drying colloidal suspensions

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3429-3437
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01099C, Paper

Open Access

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Paul Lilin, Wim M. van Rees, Mario Ibrahim, Irmgard Bischofberger
Why do drying drops bloom like flowers? We show that this 3D deformation is a buckling process driven by radial pressure gradients induced by water flow through the deposit. The deposit thickness governs the final curvature.
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Two-Step Yielding in Jammed Microgel Suspension

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01150G, Paper

Fayis Kanheerampockil, Rachna M. Kurian, Gary Bryant, Suresh Bhat
We report the mechanism underlying two-step yielding in repulsive colloidal microgel glasses under shear deformation. Strain sweep and start-up flow experiments demonstrate the existence of two-step yielding, which was further...
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Theory of hybrid defects, with coupled orientational order parameters, on flat and curved surfaces

Soft Matter, 2026, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00299D, Paper

Open Access

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Lincoln Paik, Jonathan V. Selinger
Many physical systems involve two types of orientational order, which are coupled together. For example, ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals have coupled polar and nematic order, and tilted hexatic phases have...
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Parallel micro- and mesophase transitions of thermoplastic polyurethane induced by thermal annealing

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00133E, Paper

Yu-Chi Lee, Wei-Cheng Lin, Yi-Quan Zhang, Chi-Chung Hua
Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) can undergo parallel micro- and mesophase transitions via a short-term thermal annealing well below the melting temperature.
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Structural characterization of phosphatidylcholine lipid monolayers across the liquid-expanded/liquid-condensed phase transition

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00208K, Paper

Konrad Weber, Joshua Reed, Bastian Mueller, Chen Shen, Gerald Brezesinski, Emanuel Schneck
GIXD reveals that LE-like short-ranged correlations persist throughout the LE/LC transition of a phospholipid monolayer. The structural parameters evolve with (de)compression at phase coexistence.
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Hybrid magnetic Janssen effect arising from percolating ferromagnetic grain networks

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00069J, Paper

Louison Thorens, Solenn Rodriguez, Nicolas Taberlet, Mickael Bourgoin, Knut Jørgen Måløy, Stéphane Santucci
Combining experiments and discrete-element simulations, we reveal a hybrid magnetic Janssen effect: the apparent mass of disordered granular columns can be finely tuned by adjusting the fraction and arrangement of ferromagnetic grains.
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Multiscale reorganisation of colloidal aggregation by percolating bacterial networks

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01062D, Paper

Open Access

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Laura Stricker, Samuel G. V. Charlton, Eleonora Secchi
Near-wall, non-motile bacterial networks act as geometric scaffolds that reshape colloidal self-assembly by limiting ordering to the nearest-neighbour scale, as quantified by structural and information-theoretic metrics.
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Soft matrix: probing local mechanical properties in amorphous solids

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3380-3392
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01274K, Paper

Aparna Sreekumari, Monoj Adhikari, Nandlal Pingua, Vishnu V. Krishnan, Shiladitya Sengupta, Pinaki Chaudhuri, Smarajit Karmakar, Vishwas V. Vasisht
Localized yielding in amorphous solids is probed using a soft matrix method. Microscopic simulations reveal an intrinsic failure length scale ζ and age-dependent changes in the pseudogap exponent θ.
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Molecular dynamics investigation of the impact of methylation on the nematic phase of phenyl benzoate mesogens and dimers

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3370-3379
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00196C, Paper

Open Access

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Jacob S. Votava, Emily C. Davidson, Michael A. Webb
Atomistic simulations reveal that a single methyl substituent suppresses nematic ordering in phenyl benzoate mesogens by trading local conformational entropy for global orientational order.
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Following the formation of single-chain nanoparticles generated by interblock crosslinking within diblock copolymers: a Monte Carlo simulation study with adjustable interaction strength between the blocks

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3393-3402
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01153A, Paper

Open Access

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Anja Voigt, Christian Strauch, Tom Höfken, Mirco Wahab, Wiebke Hadwich, Christopher Barner-Kowollik, Conrad Hübler, Stefanie Schneider, Felix A. Plamper
During crosslinking, the interaction between two blocks of diblock copolymers determines the structure of the resulting single chain nanoparticles (SCNPs). Attraction leads to compact SCNPs, while negligible attraction provides ladder-like patterns.
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The effect of weathering environments on microplastic chemical identification with Raman and IR spectroscopy: Part II. polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and nylon 6

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3403-3419
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01102G, Paper

Open Access

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Samantha Phan, Jonathan J. Ramtahal, Christine K. Luscombe
Raman and IR spectra reveal non-linear chemical changes during microplastic weathering. We demonstrate that using just one technique can lead to misinterpreting a polymer's aging state, underscoring the need for complementary data.
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Wrinkles, rucks, and folds formed in a heavy sheet on a frictional surface

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3320-3336
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00062B, Paper

Keisuke Yoshida, Hirofumi Wada
When a cloth is pinched and lifted from a table, a ghost-like shape appears with spontaneous wrinkles. In this study, indentation of a heavy elastic sheet on a frictional substrate reveals how a lifted shape develops wrinkles, rucks, and folds.
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Dynamics of emulsion drop impact, spreading and evaporation: the effect of internal phase gelation

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3359-3369
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00195E, Paper

Open Access

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Mario Cordova-Gonzalez, Parisa Bazazi, S. Hossein Hejazi
Emulsion droplets with liquid or gelled internal phases show similar impact dynamics but diverge during spreading and drying. Internal gelation suppresses late-stage spreading and produces rugged, interconnected deposits instead of isolated residues.
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Coupling of electrospinning and photo-induced processes for advanced nanofibrous polymeric materials: current state-of-the-art and future perspectives

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3285-3311
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00041J, Review Article

Open Access

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Thi Nhung Vu, Alessandra Vitale
Coupling electrospinning with photo-induced reactions enables robust, multifunctional nanofibrous materials. This review defines mechanisms and design principles for reactive and scalable fibrous systems.
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Self-assembly of quasicrystals under cyclic shear

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3346-3358
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00068A, Paper

Open Access

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Raphaël Maire, Andrea Plati, Frank Smallenburg, Giuseppe Foffi
We investigate the self-assembly of two-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystals driven by cyclic shear, effectively replacing thermal fluctuations with plastic rearrangements.
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Dynamics of Marangoni-driven elliptical Janus particles

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3337-3345
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM01270H, Paper

Pabitra Masanta, Ratan Sarkar, P. Parmananda, Raghunath Chelakkot
A combined theoretical and experimental study reveals that camphor-infused Janus particles exhibit distinct dynamical states depending on their size and aspect ratio.
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4D printing of fully programmable sheets of digital metamaterials

Soft Matter, 2026, 22,3312-3319
DOI: 10.1039/D5SM00780A, Paper

Open Access

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Ido Levin, Ela Sachyani, Rama Lieberman, Noa Trink, Eran Sharon, Shlomo Magdassi
This work resolves a long-standing challenge in 4D printing by enabling simultaneous material agnostic control of both lateral geometry and spontaneous curvature, unlocking a new design space for programmable shape-morphing materials.
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Systematic error detection in the database of liquid crystals (LiqCryst) using predictive models

Soft Matter, 2026, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D6SM00257A, Paper

Open Access

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Yoshiaki Uchida, Shizuo Kaji, Naoto Nakano
A human-in-the-loop workflow combining machine learning with expert validation detects inconsistencies in LiqCryst 5.2, the liquid-crystalline database, highlighting likely errors and improving data reliability systematically.
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