publications

2025

1. 

   Reshapable Magnetic Particles for Morphology-Controlled Soft Systems

   Sarah Schyck, Nitin Rajendra Madam, and Laura Rossi

   Soft Matter, Mar 2025

   Abs DOI

   Spherical polymeric particles are essential in a wide range of applications, from fundamental self-assembly to bioseparation technologies, with well-established synthetic methodologies. However, incorporating functional components into polymeric matrices to enhance their properties remains a significant challenge, especially when uniformity is required. In this study, we introduce a simple and versatile emulsion evaporation method to fabricate magnetic-loaded polymeric microparticles with exceptional malleability. These composite particles maintain their magnetic functionality while being reshaped into ellipsoids through mechanical stretching. This scalable and straightforward approach offers precise control over particle morphology, offering broad potential for applications in soft robotics, drug delivery, and other magnetically responsive systems.

2024

1. Patent

   Nanoparticle-Loaded Polystyrene Colloids

   Laura Rossi, Sarah Nicole Schyck, and Nitin Madam

   Oct 2024

   Abs

   The present invention is in the field of nano- or microtechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites, in particular in the field of a matrix particle, a multitude of said matrix particles, a product comprising said multitude of matrix particles, a method of forming said matrix particle, and a use of said matrix particles, such as in a medical preparation.

2. 

   Harnessing Fungi Signaling in Living Composites

   Sarah Schyck, Pietro Marchese, Muhamad Amani, and 6 more authors

   Global Challenges, Jul 2024

   Abs DOI

   Signaling pathways in fungi offer a profound avenue for harnessing cellular communication and have garnered considerable interest in biomaterial engineering. Fungi respond to environmental stimuli through intricate signaling networks involving biochemical and electrical pathways, yet deciphering these mechanisms remains a challenge. In this review, an overview of fungal biology and their signaling pathways is provided, which can be activated in response to external stimuli and direct fungal growth and orientation. By examining the hyphal structure and the pathways involved in fungal signaling, the current state of recording fungal electrophysiological signals as well as the landscape of fungal biomaterials is explored. Innovative applications are highlighted, from sustainable materials to biomonitoring systems, and an outlook on the future of harnessing fungi signaling in living composites is provided.

2023

1. Thesis

   Anisotropic and Magnetic Microparticles: Preparation and Out-of-Equilibrium Assembly

   Sarah Schyck

   Delft University of Technology, Sep 2023

   Abs DOI

   Colloidal particles, essential building blocks known since the 1800s, continue to captivate researchers. This thesis delves into their significance by investigating anisotropic particle design, shape-driven self-assembly, and enhancing magnetic colloids’ role as active swimmers. It also introduces innovative methods for crafting anisotropic composite magnetic microparticles. The first half of the thesis focuses on self-assembling colloidal superballs, revealing arrangements through small-angle x-ray scattering during droplet evaporation. Incorporating permanent magnetic superballs adds complexity, unveiling dipole-induced structures. Magnetic field effects on assembly are also observed, offering insights into tunable macroscopic colloidal assembly formation. Furthermore, the work aims to improve photocatalytic hematite microparticles, essential for applications like self-propelled motion. Here, calcination substantially heightens their activity. Lastly, diverse techniques for crafting anisotropic composite magnetic microparticles are explored, concluding with future prospects in this dynamic field of soft matter.

2. 

   Droplet-Based Assembly of Magnetic Superballs

   S. Schyck, J.-M. Meijer, M. P. M. Schelling, and 2 more authors

   Journal of Physics: Materials, Nov 2023

   Abs DOI Poster

   The self-assembly of materials driven by the inherent directionality of the constituent particles is of both practical and fundamental interest because it enables the fabrication of complex and hierarchical structures with tailored functionalities. By employing evaporation assisted self-assembly, we form opal-like structures with micro-sized magnetic superball particles. We study the structure formation of different superball shapes during evaporation of a dispersion droplet with in-situ small angle x-ray scattering with microradian resolution in the absence and presence of an external magnetic field. In the absence of a magnetic field, strong shape-dependent structures form as the water evaporates from the system. Applying a magnetic field to the droplet has a unique effect on the system; strong magnetic fields inhibit the growth of well-ordered assemblies due to the formation of out-of-equilibrium dipolar structures while lower magnetic fields allow particles to rearrange and orient without inhibition. In this work, we show how the superball assembly inside a droplet can be controlled by the magnetic field strength and the superball shape. The tunability of these parameters not only enables the controllable formation of macroscopic colloidal assemblies but also opens up possibilities for the development of functional materials with tailored properties on a macro-scale.

2022

1. Shape-Selective Palladium and Palladium-Composite Nanomaterials

   Simona E. Hunyadi Murph, Sarah Schyck, and Jessica Bass

   In Metal-Matrix Composites, Nov 2022

   DOI
2. Engineered Nano-antenna Susceptor as Efficient Platforms For Efficient Uptake and Release of Analytes

   Simona E. Hunyadi Murph, Sarah Schyck, and Kaitlin Lawrence

   In Metal-Matrix Composites, Nov 2022

   Abs DOI

   An efficient and rapid technique has been developed to enhance detection and extraction of organic dye contaminants from aqueous media using iron oxide-based nanomaterialsIron-oxide nanomaterials. The technology is used to remotely remediate environments by scavenging and removing species from water sources at desired location. An electromagnetic fieldElectromagnetic field is selectively coupled to engineered iron oxideIron-oxide nanomaterials-based nano-antenna susceptor for nanoparticle’s regeneration and reuse. Specifically, the adsorption and removal of a model analyte, methylene blue dye (MB) identified here as ‘payload’, from a simulated contaminated water media is demonstrated. Remote manipulation of ‘payloads’ adsorbed on iron oxide-based materialsIron-oxide nanomaterials is achieved through a non-contact and highly selective thermal process. Heat is selectively generated through susceptor nano-antennasNano-antennas, i.e. iron oxide-based nanomaterialsIron-oxide nanomaterials when exposed to an electromagnetic fieldElectromagnetic field. The release of ‘payload’ from the iron oxide nanoparticles is due to localizedLocalized heating temperature increase in the surrounding media upon exposure to the electromagnetic fieldElectromagnetic field. Heating is localized and occurs extremely fast, reducing the wasted thermal load on the environment. The susceptor nano-antennasNano-antennas can be activated remotely to generate localized heatLocalized heating on demand. Careful selection of the nano-antenna’s composition and surface chemistry permits manipulation and control of the adsorption and regeneration thermal process. Contaminant dye removal via adsorption onto sorbent media is faster, easier, and more economic and is, therefore, industrially preferred.

3. 

   Self-assembly of colloidal superballs under spherical confinement of a drying droplet

   Sarah Schyck, Janne-Mieke Meijer, Lucia Baldauf, and 3 more authors

   JCIS Open, Apr 2022

   Abs DOI Poster

   Understanding the relationship between colloidal building block shape and self-assembled material structure is important for the development of novel materials by self-assembly. In this regard, colloidal superballs are unique building blocks because their shape can smoothly transition between spherical and cubic. Assembly of colloidal superballs under spherical confinement results in macroscopic clusters with ordered internal structure. By utilizing Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), we probe the internal structure of colloidal superball dispersion droplets during confinement. We observe and identify four distinct drying regimes that arise during compression via evaporating droplets, and we track the development of the assembled macrostructure. As the superballs assemble, we found that they arrange into the predicted paracrystalline, rhombohedral C1-lattice that varies by the constituent superballs’ shape. This provides insights in the behavior between confinement and particle shape that can be applied in the development of new functional materials.

2019

1. Fluorine chemistry at extreme conditions: Possible synthesis of HgF4

   Michael G. Pravica, Sarah Schyck, Blake Harris, and 3 more authors

   Papers in Physics, Feb 2019

   DOI

2. 

   High pressure behavior of mercury difluoride (HgF2)

   Sarah Schyck, Egor Evlyukhin, Eunja Kim, and 1 more author

   Chemical Physics Letters, Jun 2019

   Abs DOI

   The pressure-induced cubic → orthorhombic transition occurring in HgF2 was investigated via X-ray diffraction and density functional theory. The predicted, ambient cubic (Fm-3m) fluorite structure of HgF2, can be obtained using a high-pressure ramp purification process of HgF2 mixed with XeF2. Subsequently, the purified HgF2 underwent a phase transition from the fluorite to the orthorhombic cotunnite-type structure near 4.7 GPa, persisting to 63 GPa. An equation of state fit yielded a bulk modulus K0 of 94.4 GPa for the fluorite-type structure and zero-pressure volume V0 of 168.6 Å3, and K0 = 92.9 GPa and V0 = 156.4 Å3 for the cotunnite-type structure.

2018

1. Thesis

   Studies of Inner-Shell Chemistry of Mercury Based Compounds at Extreme Conditions

   Sarah Schyck

   University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dec 2018

   Abs DOI

   It has been theoretically predicted that when mercury difluoride (HgF2) is pressurized to above 50 GPa in the presence of molecular fluorine, it will most likely transform into mercury tetrafluoride (HgF4), thus mercury will behave as a transition element at high pressure. However, there is no experimental evidence verifying this prediction yet. To begin with, the crystalline properties of pure HgF2 at high pressure were not experimentally established. In this thesis, the high pressure structural properties of HgF2 are investigated by means of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Our results reveal that the predicted, ambient cubic structure of HgF2 with the space group Fm3m, can be obtained via a high-pressure ramp purification process using powdered HgF2 mixed with crystalline XeF2 which serves as our molecular fluorine source. The structural transformation of purified HgF2 is observed above 2.5 GPa, and by using first-principle calculations, two candidate structures with space groups Pnma and Pnam are proposed which persist up to 63 GPa. Furthermore, studies of HgF2 in the presence of F2 produced by the X-ray induced decomposition of XeF2 up to 70 GPa are reviewed. The obtained results provide more insights into the highpressure behavior of mercury-fluorine compounds and will benefit further experimental investigation of high pressure induced synthesis of HgF4.

2. High-pressure-assisted X-ray-induced damage as a new route for chemical and structural synthesis

   Egor Evlyukhin, Eunja Kim, David Goldberger, and 4 more authors

   Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Dec 2018

   Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

   DOI
3. Synthesis of a novel strontium-based wide-bandgap semiconductor via X-ray photochemistry under extreme conditions

   Egor Evlyukhin, Eunja Kim, Petrika Cifligu, and 6 more authors

   Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Dec 2018

   Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

   DOI