Professor

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

BA, physics, 1981
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

PhD, physics, 1984
Cambridge University

Contact Info

 

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 favors mixing of opposite charges, and specific interactions and packing constrains which favors 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.

Olvera de La Cruz Group Homepage

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

NSF Theoretical Science, 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, 2005-08

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

Publications

M. Olvera de la Cruz  Electrostatic Control of Self-Organization: the Role of Charge Gradients in Heterogeneous Media  Soft Matter, DOI:10.1039/B802760A

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).