Dr. Alison Dunn
February 07, 2022

Dr. Alison Dunn: Redefining the Surface

Event Details

Date & Time

Monday, Feb 07, 2022 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM


Department

School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The Renouard Distinguished Lecturer Series


Cost

Free


Location

Bollier Center, Room 120


Contact/Registration

seas@gonzaga.edu


Event Type & Tags

  • Academics

About This Event

Redefining the 'surface': inherent lubrication of crosslinked hydrogel surfaces
Intended for a general audience

High-water-content hydrogels are increasingly being explored for applications in biomedicine, water filtration, and hybrid materials. Their low friction, or lubricity, correlates with the availability of water at the sliding interface. However, pressure at a sliding interface works to squeeze out this water. In this seminar I will present 3 studies demonstrating how the inherent lubrication by crosslinked polyacrylamide hydrogels is enabled by redefining the ‘surface’ to include volumes of interaction into the surface. The first study will show how competing rate effects of fluid squeezeout and sliding control friction. The second will demonstrate how the surface of a hydrophilic, high-water-content crosslinked hydrogel remodels to maintain low friction. The third study will demonstrate the effects of a remodeled, gradient-stiffness surface on contact mechanics with these hydrogels. These characterizations provide design guidance for surface mechanics and performance of crosslinked hydrogels.

About Dr. Dunn

Dr. Alison Dunn is the Andersen Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She won the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award for her research on hydrogel interfacial slip.