Kraft Lab

Our research is inspired by the exquisite control and fascinating complexity of self-organized living systems. We aim at understanding the fundamental principles necessary for creating functionality and structure, and translate them to the rational design of next generation materials. To tackle this challenging aim, we work with simplified colloidal and theoretical models that allow a systematic investigation of the most relevant parameters, the assembly pathways, and the resulting (non-)equilibrium behavior and structures. Our experimental approach relies on designing colloidal particles with anisotropic shapes, complex interactions, and self-propulsion. These colloidal models allow us to gain insights into otherwise prohibitively difficult (biological) processes, reveal novel out-of-equilbrium physics as well as advance bottom-up design strategies for smart materials.

Recent publications

Fabrication and Characterization of Bimetallic Silica-Based and 3D-Printed Active Colloidal Cubes S. Caipa Cure, D.J. Kraft
Langmuir 2025

The motion of catalytically active colloids approaching a surface J. Melio, S. Riedel, A. Azadbakht, S. Caipa Cure, T. Evers, M. Babaei, A. Mashaghi, J. de Graaf, D.J. Kraft
Soft Matter 2025

Dumbbell impurities in 2D crystals of repulsive colloidal spheres induce particle-bound dislocations V. Meester, C. van der Wel, R. Verweij, G. Biondaro, D.J. Kraft
Physical Review Letters 2024

Non-additivity in many-body interactions between membrane-deforming spheres increases disorder A. Azadbakht, T. Weikl, D.J. Kraft
ACS Nano 2024

Designing highly efficient lock-and-key interactions in anisotropic active particles S. Riedel, L. Hoffmann, L. Giomi, D.J. Kraft
Nature Communications 2024

All publications