Fabrice Thalmann

Collision induced spatial organization of microtubules

The dynamic behavior of microtubules in solution can be strongly modified by interactions with walls or other structures. We examine here a microtubule growth model where the increase in size of the plus-end is perturbed by collisions with other microtubules. We show that such a simple mechanism of constrained growth can induce ordered structures and patterns from an initially isotropic and homogeneous suspension. We find that microtubules self-organize locally in randomly oriented domains that grow and compete with each other. A weak orientation bias, similar to the one induced by gravity or cellular boundaries is enough to influence the domain growth direction, eventually leading to a macroscopic sample orientation.

Physical Damage on Giant Vesicles Membrane as a Result of Methylene Blue Photoirradiation

In this study we pursue a closer analysis of the photodamage promoted on giant unilamellar vesicles membranes made of dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), by irradiating methylene blue present in the giant unilamellar vesicles solution. By means of optical microscopy and electro-deformation experiments, the physical damage on the vesicle membrane was followed and the phospholipids oxidation was evaluated in terms of changes in the membrane surface area and permeability. As expected, oxidation modifies structural characteristics of the phospholipids that lead to remarkable membrane alterations. By comparing DOPC- with POPC-made membranes, we observed that the rate of pore formation and vesicle degradation as a function of methylene blue concentration follows a diffusion law in the case of DOPC and a linear variation in the case of POPC. We attributed this scenario to the nucleation process of oxidized species following a diffusion-limited growth regime for DOPC and in the case of POPC a homogeneous nucleation process. On the basis of these premises, we constructed models based on reaction-diffusion equations that fit well with the experimental data. This information shows that the outcome of the photosensitization reactions is critically dependent on the type of lipid present in the membrane.

Surfactant distribution in waterborne acrylic films. 1. Bulk investigation.

The distribution of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), in waterborne acrylic films was investigated, focusing on the effects of particle composition and size, and pH of the latex. The observed surfactant distributions could be classified in two categories: homogeneous and heterogeneous, the latter showing SDS aggregates. The shape of the profiles was related to the stability of the latex during drying, at short interparticular distances. The stability of the latex was determined by the presence or not of fixed charges at the surface of the particles. The latices with particles carrying neutralized acrylic acid at high pH (COO(-)) led to homogeneous distributions, whereas the latices with acrylic acid at low pH (COOH) or without acrylic acid led to heterogeneous distributions. Our interpretation is that the stable latices present a narrow network of paths between particles at high polymer volume fraction, limiting the mobility of the surfactant, whereas in the less stable latices wider routes between flocs allow enough mobility for large aggregate formation. Thermal treatments of the dry films confirmed the strong confinement of the surfactant in the dense film structure obtained at high pH and the more open structure, allowing easier surfactant transport and oxygen penetration, observed at low pH. In order to account for the shapes of the profiles more quantitatively, a model was developed based on the diffusion of the surfactant and its transport by the drying front. It was found that the apparent diffusion coefficient of SDS micelles had to be lowered to a great extent (D = 10(-13)-10(-14) m(2)/s) during drying in order to explain aggregate formation. It should be even lower (D = 10(-15) m(2)/s) to interpret homogeneous surfactant profiles. These results are consistent with our hypothesis of the key importance of the surfactant mobility during drying.

What Is in a Pebble Shape

We propose to characterize the shapes of flat pebbles in terms of the statistical distribution of curvatures measured along the pebble contour. This is demonstrated for the erosion of clay pebbles in a controlled laboratory apparatus. Photographs at various stages of erosion are analyzed, and compared with two models. We find that the curvature distribution complements the usual measurement of aspect ratio, and connects naturally to erosion processes that are typically faster at protruding regions of high curvature.

Simulation of Latex Film Formation Using a Cell Model in Real Space: Vertical Drying.

This paper presents a simulation tool applied to latex film formation by drying, a hybrid between a classical numerical resolution method using finite differences and cellular automata, and making use of object-oriented programming. It consists of dividing real space into cells and applying local physical laws to simulate the exchange of matter between neighboring cells. In a first step, the simulation was applied to the simple case of vertical drying of a latex containing only one population of monodisperse particles and water. Our results show how the distribution of latex particles evolves through the different drying stages due to a combination of diffusion, convection, and particle deformation. While repulsive interactions between the particles tend to favor homogeneous distributions in the first drying stage, concentration gradients that develop in opposite ways can be observed depending on the drying regime. The distributions, calculated in various cases, reproduce and extend several theoretical results and are in qualitative agreement with some experimental findings.

Thermodynamic approach to phase coexistence in ternary phospholipid-cholesterol mixtures.

We introduce a simple and predictive model for determining the phase stability of ternary phospholipid-cholesterol mixtures. Assuming that competition between the liquid and gel order of the phospholipids is the main driving force behind lipid segregation, we derive a Gibbs free energy of mixing, based on the thermodynamic properties of the lipids main transition. A numerical approach was devised that enables the fast and efficient determination of the ternary diagrams associated with our Gibbs free energy. The computed phase coexistence diagram of DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol reproduces well-known features for this system at 10 °C, as well as its evolution with temperature.

Simulation of Vertical Surfactant Distributions in Drying Latex Films

Following our previous contribution ( Gromer, A. et al. Langmuir 2015 , 31 , 10983 - 10994 ) presenting a new simulation tool devoted to particle distributions in drying latex films, this Article describes the prediction of surfactant concentration profiles in the vertical direction during the complete film formation process. The simulation is inspired by cellular automata and equations by Routh and co-workers. It includes effects that were not considered before: surfactant convection by water and surfactant desorption upon particle deformation. It is based on five parameters describing the nature of the polymer/surfactant system and on film formation conditions. In particular, the viscoelastic properties of the polymer were taken into account through the λ̅ parameter introduced by Routh and Russel. Results show the importance of convection by water and the influence of the particular deformation mechanism on the final surfactant distribution. Excesses or depletions can be predicted either on the surface or on the substrate sides, in qualitative agreement with the numerous existing experimental studies. The complex interplay between parameters governing surfactant distributions makes the results unpredictable without the help of such a simulation tool. Therefore, it should be of interest to both industrial and academic scientists.

Activated drift motion of a classical particle with a dynamical pinning effect

Abstract:A one dimensional trap model for a thermally activated classical particle is introduced to simulate driven dynamics in presence of “ageing” effects. The depth of each trap increases with the time elapsed since the particle has fallen into it. The consequences of this dynamical pinning are studied, and velocity-force characteristics are numerically obtained. A special attention is paid to the situation where the particle is pulled with a spring to ensure a finite average velocity. In the low velocity regime, the presence of a broad distribution of trapping times leads to suppression of linear response, replaced by a threshold or by sublinear dynamics. A regime of strong fluctuations is obtained when the particle is driven at intermediate velocities.

Enhanced shear separation for chiral magnetic colloidal aggregates

We study the designing principles of the simplest colloidal propeller, an architecture built from four identical spheres that can couple translation with rotation to produce controlled drift motion. By considering superparamagnetic beads, we show that the simultaneous action of a magnetic field and a shear flow leads to the migration of the cluster in the vorticity direction. We investigate the dependence of the migration velocity on the geometrical parameters of the cluster and find that significant cluster separation can be achieved under the typical operation conditions of microfluidic devices.

Velocity of lateral drying fronts in film formation by drying of colloidal dispersions. A 2D simulation

Drying of colloids is always heterogeneous and proceeds by progression of drying fronts in various directions at various velocities. The fundamental mechanisms at the origin of appearance and motion of drying fronts are still not totally understood. This article addresses these questions in the case of lateral drying fronts by using the new simulation tool based on cellular automata we recently developed (Langmuir 2015 and 2017). For the first time, a 2D simulation is proposed. Silica dispersions were used as model colloids to test the simulation. Film profiles were measured during drying by optical profilometry as well as front velocities by image processing. In the cases of non-circular deposits (squares and rectangles), drying fronts in the plane of the film (x,y plane, x being the longest side in the case of a rectangle) do not move at the same speed along sides and diagonals, the velocity order being diagonal >x (longest side) >y (shortest side). The velocity contrast (difference between x and y sides) increases with the aspect ratio of the rectangle. This behavior is explained and accounted for by the 2D simulation presented in this article. Experimental results reasonably well validate the simulation.