Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 38: Active Matter VI (joint session DY/BP)

BP 38.5: Talk

Friday, March 13, 2026, 10:45–11:00, ZEU/0160

From Passive to Active: Active Particles in Coatings Formulation and Film Formation — •Jan Cammann¹, Karnika Singh¹, Luka Burduli^{1, 2}, Edgar Espinosa Rodriguez³, Franck D'Agosto³, Muriel Lansalot³, and Ignacio Martin-Fabiani¹ — ¹Loughborough University — ²Constructor University Bremen — ³Universite Claude Bernard Lyon

Coatings are widely used in protective and functional applications but are fundamentally limited by the passive nature of their formulation ingredients. This leads to a critical lack of control over the spatial distribution of ingredients and prevents the optimization of key functional properties. Addressing this challenge, we propose a paradigm shift towards active coatings formulation. We introduce active Janus particles in coatings formulations and demonstrate how they overcome sedimentation and chemical gradients to accumulate at both the top and bottom coating interfaces. To achieve this programmable microstructure, we balance the timescales of active particle fuel depletion and evaporation induced assembly. We find that Janus particles at the top coating surface have an orientational bias, with the sub-equatorial orientation being the most common. This work lays the foundation for future studies developing functional coatings with programmable microstructures and dual functionalities enabled by orientation-biased active particles.

Keywords: Active matter; colloids; coatings; interfaces; assembly