The research achievements for the structure and dynamics of soft matter are crucial in improving the performances of well-known products (air dryers, batteries and capacitors, etc.) and core technologies (environmental-friendly purification and recycling of wastes systems, etc.). Nine experts from University of Tokyo, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and South China University of Technology gathered in South China Advanced Institute of Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), April 26, 2019. The participants focused on topics “the drying of conductive polymer-gold hybrid nanorods”, “the solid state nuclear magnetic resonance” and “soft matter micromorphology engineering”, etc. They discussed the fundamental scientific problems of the structure and dynamics of soft matter and explored the further applications of soft matter. 

“Pierre-Gilles de Gennes is dubbed as ‘the Father of Soft Matter’, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize for Physics. In the preface of his book, Scaling Concept in Polymer Physics, he has written: Neutron diffraction allows for the measurements of polymer conformations at large scales, which were not feasible with X-rays. The advent of neutron scattering experiments on labeled species opened up a vast new field and precise data on long-range conformations and correlations became available rapidly. Light scattering has traditionally been used for measurements of molecular weights and sizes in dilute solution. The situation suddenly improved when the inelastic scattering of laser light became accessible. This ‘proton beat’ method allows one to study the dynamics of the scattering centers in a frequency range which is suitable for the overall motions of polymer chains.” At the academic seminar, Prof. Mitsuhiro Shibayama from the University of Tokyo (Japan) detailed various scattering techniques to characterize the structural and dynamical characters of soft matters, and emphasized the relationships between structures and rheological properties. Prof. Mitsuhiro Shibayama believes scattering technique is useful and indispensable in the field of soft matter science. His opening presentation oriented the importance of holding this seminar. 

Nine academic lectures were reported at this seminar with distinctive theme, highlighted points and smooth communication. Prof. Zhang Peng from Sun Yat-Sen University shared the latest research results of Au nanorods (AuNR), which demonstrated the dried mixing Au rods are inclined to self-assemble into device with a long-term sequence. Since the polymer shell was separated from PEDOT and PSS phase, the gold core was surrounded by a swelled polymer layer consisting of the conductive PEDOT layer and the non-conductive PSS layer. This sequence facilitates the formation of a conductive network in the particle film, allowing it to produce high conductivity immediately after drying. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a practical method for studying the structure of biological macromolecules in solution. Furthermore, we have fully upgraded the beamline including optical, electronic, sample environments and data acquisition systems, which make it available for high-throughput research that generates large amounts of structural information in a short time. Dr. Li Na from SSRF said. In addition, Prof. Liu Feng from Xi'an Jiaotong University, Prof. Yuan Xuefeng from Guangzhou University, Prof. Cheng He from Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and three professors Yin Panchao, Wen Wei and Zhang Rongchun from AISMST, had academic lectures on “ Self-assembly of block molecules with different topologies: from simple to   complex”, “Micro-morphological engineering of soft matter for large scale  manufacturing: theory and multiple scale simulation”, “ A  direct static scattering evidence on the dynamic nature of glass forming   process in polystyrene ”, “ Revealing   the microscopic mechanism behind the functionalities of polyoxometalates”, “Chiral structures in polymers”, and “Characterization of polymer structures by solid-state NMR spectroscopy” respectively, and they shared ideas and exchanged researches with each other.

Focusing on the integration of diverse disciplinary knowledge, this symposium has invited researchers from multidisciplinary fields (physics, chemistry, biology, materials and engineering, etc.) to participate this symposium. The participants communicated the scientific research achievements related to the structure and dynamic of soft matter at home and abroad, and discussed the exsiting problems of soft matter science in depth. The symposium aimed at coordinating progress in advancing the related research fields and facilitating the outputs of high-level scientific research at high quality and speed. (Photo by Yu Jinting/AISMST)