PUBLICATIONS | Zarzar Lab

Memory effects in active droplets

Q. Le, K. Kim, B. Kaehr, L. D. Zarzar*, chemRxiv

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Nonequilibrium surfactant partitioning into microdroplets generates local phase inversion conditions and interfacial instability

S. Birrer, S. Krishna Mani, B. Kaehr, A. Sen, L. D. Zarzar*, Soft Matter, 2026.

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Droplets as cell models: chemical gradient-induced directional filopodia formation

S. Krishna Mani, L. Lazinski, S. Birrer, A. Sapre, L. D. Zarzar, A. Sen*, JACS 2025.

ACS video

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Synergistic diffraction and multibounce reflection interference within single iridescent microstructures

N. Sturniolo, Y Yu, M. Rayes, K Hirsch, E. Huntley, B. Kaehr, S. Marschner, L. D. Zarzar*, chemRxiv

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Technology roadmap of micro/nanorobots

ACS Nano 2025

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Nanophase structuring in simple ternary solvents mediates reaction kinetics

Y. Wang, B. Ashfaq, L. D. Zarzar*, chemRxiv

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Tailoring multibounce reflection interference with microscale refractive interfaces

K. Hirsch, M. Rayes, N. Sturniolo, C. Rider, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Applied Optical Materials 2025.

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Uncovering chemical principles governing nanophase formation in ternary solvents

B. Ashfaq, A. Sen, L. D. Zarzar*, Angewandte Chemie, 2025.

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Chapter 7: Self-propelling Droplets

C. Maass, S. Michelin, L. D. Zarzar, in Active Colloids: From Fundamentals to Frontiers, RSC Publishing, 2024..

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Self-organized patterns in non-reciprocal active droplet systems

Y. Liu#, R. Kailasham#, P. Moerman, A. Khair*, L. D. Zarzar*, Angewandte Chemie, 2024.

CMU News

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Dynamic partitioning of surfactants into nonequilibrium emulsion droplets

R. Balaj#, W. Xue#, P. Bayati, S. Mallory, L. D. Zarzar*, JACS, 2024.

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Structural color from multi-bounce reflection interference in metalized microstructures

M. Rayes, K. Hirsch, N. Sturniolo, C. Meredith, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Applied Optical Materials, 2024.

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Chemical programming of solubilizing, non-equilibrium active droplets

K. Kim, R. Balaj, L. D. Zarzar*, Accounts of Chemical Research, 2024.

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Liquid-liquid surfactant partitioning drives dewetting of oil from hydrophobic surfaces

K. Kim#, W. Xue#, L. D. Zarzar*, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2024.

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Dynamic oscillation and motion of oil-in-water emulsion droplets

S. Krishna Mani, S. Al-Tooqi, J. Song, A. Sapre, L. D. Zarzar, A. Sen*, Angewandte Chemie 2024.

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Tuning coloration through evanescent wave absorption at microscale concave interfaces

K. Hirsch, N. E. Sturniolo, C. H. Meredith, M. S. Rayes, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Applied Optical Materials 2023.

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Ionic liquid-in-water emulsions stabilized by molecular and polymeric surfactants

S. G. Birrer, P. Quinnan, L. D. Zarzar*, Langmuir 2023.

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Photoluminescent humidity sensors based on droplet-enabled porous composite gels

Y. Cheng, L. Li, C. H. Meredith, R. V. Balaj, D. Wang, M. Pan, T. Han, J. Yang, Q. Wang, L. Dong*, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Materials Letters 2023.

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Investigating oil solubilization into nonionic micelles by Raman multivariate curve resolution

C. M. Wentworth#, R. L. Myers#, P. S. Cremer*, L. D. Zarar*, Aggregate 2023.

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Direct laser synthesis and patterning of high entropy oxides from liquid precursors

A. C. Castonguay, N. N. Nova, L. M. Dueñas, S. McGee1 M. J. K. Lodhi, Y. Yang, L. D. Zarzar* Materials Research Express 2023.

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Direct laser writing of multimetal bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting

S. McGee, A. Fest, C. Chandler, N. N. Nova, Y. Lei, J. Goff, S. B. Sinnott, I. Dabo, M. Terrones*, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Applied Energy Materials 2023.

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Ouzo effect examined at the nanoscale via direct observation of droplet nucleation and morphology

M. A. Vratsanos, W. Xue, N. D. Rosenmann, L. D. Zarzar, N. C. Gianneschi*, ACS Central Science 2023.

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Iridescence from total internal reflection at 3D microscale interfaces: mechanistic insights and spectral analysis

N. E. Sturniolo, K. Hirsch, C. H. Meredith, B. C. Beshires, S. Khanna, M. S. Rayes, M. A. Gallegos, S. McGee, B. Kaehr, L. D. Zarzar*, Advanced Materials 2023.

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In situ laser-assisted synthesis and patterning of graphene foam composites as a flexible gas sensing platform

J. Zhao, N. Yi, X. Ding, S. Liu, J. Zhu, A. C. Castonguay, Y. Gao, L. D. Zarzar, H. Cheng*, Chemical Engineering Journal 2023.

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Gravitational settling of active droplets

A. C. Castonguay#, R. Kailasham#, C. M. Wentworth, C. H. Meredith, A. S. Khair*, L D. Zarzar*, Physical Reiew E 2023.

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We the droplets: a constitutional approach to active and self-propelled emulsions

S. Birrer#, S. Cheon#, L. D. Zarzar*, Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science 2022.

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Direct laser writing of microscale metal oxide gas sensors from liquid precursors

A. C. Castonguay#, N. Yi#, B. Li, J. Zhao, H. Li, Y. Gao, N. N. Nova, N. Tiwari, L. D. Zarzar*, H. Cheng *, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 2022.

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Direct laser writing of graphitic carbon from liquid precursors

N. N. Nova, L. D. Zarzar*, Chemistry of Materials 2022.

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Chemically tuning attractive and repulsive interactions between solubilizing oil droplets

C. M. Wentworth, A. C. Castonguay, P. G. Moerman, C. H. Meredith, R. V. Balaj, S. Cheon, L. D. Zarzar*, Angewandte Chemie 2022.

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Chemical design of self-propelled Janus droplets

C. H. Meredith, A. Castonguay, Y-J. Chiu, A. M. Brooks, P. Moerman, P. Torab, P. K. Wong, A. Sen, D. Velegol, L. D. Zarzar*, Matter 2022.

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The Endless and turbulent frontier of academic entrepreneurship

N. A. Kotov, L. M. Liz-Marzán, Z. Nie, M. M. Thuo, L. D. Zarzar, ACS Nano, 2021.

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Interfacially-adsorbed particles enhance the self-propulsion of oil droplets in aqueous surfactant

S. Cheon, L. Batista Capaverde Silva, A. Khair, L. D. Zarzar*, Soft Matter 2021.

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Single-step direct laser writing of multimetal oxygen evolution catalysts from liquid precursors

S. McGee, Y. Lei, J. Goff, C. Wilkinson, N. Nova, C. M. Kindle, F. Zhang, K. Fujisawa, E. Dimitrov, S. Sinnott, I. Dabo, M. Terrones*, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Nano 2021.

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Reconfigurable complex emulsions: Design, properties, and applications

R. V. Balaj, L. D. Zarzar*, Chemical Physics Reviews 2020.

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Predator-prey interactions between droplets driven by nonreciprocal oil exchange

C. H. Meredith#, P. G. Moerman#, J. Groenewold, Y. Chiu, W. K. Kegel, A. van Blaaderen, L. D. Zarzar*. Nature Chemistry 2020.

PSU News, News & Views, Physics Today

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Green synthesis of Zr-based metal-organic framework hydrogel composites and their enhanced adsorptive properties

S. E. Klein, J. D. Sosa, A. C. Castonguay, W. L. Flores, L. D. Zarzar*, Y. Liu*, Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers 2020.

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Tunable and responsive structural color from polymeric microstructured surfaces enabled by interference of totally internally reflected light

A. E. Goodling, S. Nagelberg, M. Kolle, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Materials Letters, 2020.

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Particle stabilization of oil–fluorocarbon interfaces and effects on multiphase oil‐in‐water complex emulsion morphology and reconfigurability

S. Cheon, L. Batista Capaverde Silva, R. Ditzler, L. D. Zarzar*, Langmuir, 2020.

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Microfluidic deformability activated sorting of single particles

G. Choi, R. Nouri, L. D. Zarzar, W. Guan*, Microsystems & Nanoengineering 2020, 6, 1-9.

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Polyelectrolyte hydrogel capsules as stabilizers for reconfigurable complex emulsions

R. V. Balaj, S. Cho, P. Singh, L. D. Zarzar*, Polymer Chemistry 2020, 11, 281-286.

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Direct laser writing from aqueous precursors for nano to microscale topographical control, integration, and synthesis of nanocrystalline mixed metal oxides

C. Kindle, A. Castonguay, S. McGee, J. Tomko, P. E. Hopkins, L. D. Zarzar*, ACS Applied Nano Materials 2019, 2, 2581-2586.

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Colouration by total internal reflection and interference at microscale concave interfaces

A. E. Goodling, S. Nagelberg, B. Kaehr, C. H. Meredith, S. Cheon, A. P. Saunders, M. Kolle, L. D. Zarzar*, Nature 2019, 566, 523–527.

News & Views, PSU News, Physics Today

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Optical visualization and quantification of enzyme activity using dynamic droplet lenses

L. D. Zarzar, J. A. Kalow, X. He, J. J. Walish, T. M. Swager, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2017, 114, 3821-3825.

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Photothermally triggered actuation of hybrid materials as a new platform for in vitro cell manipulation

A. Sutton, T. Shirman, J. V. I. Timonen, G. T. England, P. Kim, M. Kolle, T. Ferrante, L. D. Zarzar, E. Strong, J. Aizenberg, Nature Communications 2017, 8, 14700.

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Reconfigurable and responsive droplet-based compound micro-lenses

S. Nagelberg, L. D. Zarzar, N. Nicolas, K. Subramanian, J. A. Kalow, V. Sresht, D. Blankschtein, G. Barbastathis, M. Kreysing, T. M. Swager, M. Kolle, Nature Communications 2017, 8, 14673.

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Interfacial polymerization on dynamic complex colloids: creating stabilized Janus droplets

Y. He, S. Savagatrup, L. D. Zarzar, T. M. Swager, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2017, 9, 7804-7811.

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Using laser-induced thermal voxels to pattern diverse materials at the solid–liquid interface

L. D. Zarzar*, B. S. Swartzentruber, B. F. Donovan, P. E. Hopkins, B. Kaehr*, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2016, 8, 21134-21139.

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Dynamically reconfigurable complex emulsions via tunable interfacial tensions

L. D. Zarzar, V. Sresht, E. M. Sletten, J. A. Kalow, D. Blankschtein, T. M. Swager, Nature 2015, 518, 520-524.

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Developmentally-inspired shrink-wrap polymers for mechanical induction of tissue differentiation

B. Hashmi, L. D. Zarzar, T. Mammoto, A. Mammoto, A. Jiang, J. Aizenberg, D. E. Ingber, Advanced Materials 2014, 26, 3253-3257.

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Stimuli-responsive chemo-mechanical actuation: a hybrid materials approach

L. D. Zarzar, J. Aizenberg, Accounts of Chemical Research 2014, 47, 530-539.

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Chemo-mechanically regulated oscillation of an enzymatic reaction

X. He, R. Friedlander, L. D. Zarzar, J. Aizenberg, Chemistry of Materials 2013, 25, 521-523.

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Multifunctional actuation systems responding to chemical gradients

L. D. Zarzar, Q. Liu, X. He, Y. Hu, Z. Suo, J. Aizenberg, Soft Matter 2012, 8, 8289-8293.

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Synthetic homeostatic materials with chemo- mechano-chemical self-regulation

X. He, M. Aizenberg, O. Kuksenok, L. D. Zarzar, A. Shastri, A. Balazs, J. Aizenberg, Nature 2012, 487, 214-218.

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Multiphoton lithography of nanocrystalline platinum and palladium for site-specific catalysis in 3D microenvironments

L. D. Zarzar, B. S. Swartzentruber, J. Harper, D. Dunphy, C. J. Brinker, J. Aizenberg, B. Kaehr, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2012, 134, 4007-4010.

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Structural transformation by electrodeposition on patterned substrates (STEPS): a new versatile nanofabrication method

P. Kim, A. K Epstein, M. Khan, L. D. Zarzar, D. J. Lipomi, G. M. Whitesides, J. Aizenberg, Nano Letters 2012, 12, 527-533.

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Direct writing and actuation of 3D-patterned hydrogel pads on micropillar supports

L. D. Zarzar, P. Kim, M. Kolle, C. J. Brinker, J. Aizenberg, B. Kaehr, Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2011, 50, 9356-9360.

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Hydrogel-actuated integrated responsive systems (HAIRS): moving towards adaptive materials

P. Kim, L. D. Zarzar, X. He, A. Grinthal, J. Aizenberg, Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science 2011, 15, 236-245

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Bio-inspired design of submerged hydrogel-actuated polymer microstructures operating in response to pH

L. D. Zarzar, P. Kim, J. Aizenberg, Advanced Materials 2011, 23, 1442-1446.

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Microbristle in gels: toward all-polymer reconfigurable hybrid surfaces

P. Kim, L. D. Zarzar, X. Zhao, A. Sidorenko, J. Aizenberg, Soft Matter 2010, 6, 750-755.

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