MEMSDUKEPRATT School of engineering

Education

  • PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000
  • MS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 1992
Stefan Zauscher
  • Office Location: 3385 CIEMAS
  • Office Phone: (919) 660-5360, (919) 660-5310
  • Email Address: zauscher@duke.edu

    • My research lies at the intersection of surface and colloid science, polymer materials engineering, and biointerface science, with four central areas of focus: 1. Fabrication, manipulation and characterization of stimulus-responsive biomolecular and bio-inspired polymeric nanostructures on surfaces; 2. Nanotechnology of soft-wet materials and hybrid biological/non-biological microdevices; 3. Receptor-ligand interactions relevant to the diagnostics of infectious diseases; 4. Friction of soft-wet materials, specifically the role of glycoproteins on friction in diarthroidal joints. These four broad lines of inquiry deal with fundamental behaviors of soft-wet materials on surfaces and interfaces. The design and fabrication of these interfaces using "smart" polymeric and biomolecular nanostructures, and the characterization of the resulting structures, are critically important for the development of biomolecular sensors and devices and for bioinspired materials. Key approaches and tools I use in my research are: bottom-up organization on the molecular scale, through self-assembly, in-situ polymerization, and manipulation of intermolecular interactions; topdown fabrication, through scanning probe nanolithography; stimulus-responsive polymers; molecular recognition; and new approaches to sensing and manipulation. This research supports Duke's Pratt School of Engineering strategic initiative to expand research in soft-wet Materials Science.

    Specialties
    Nanomaterial manufacturing and characterization
    Polymer and Protein Engineering
    Materials
    Nanoscience
    Sensing and sensor systems
    Manufacturing

    TEACHING (Fall 2009)

    ME 301.01, BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING SEM, Th 04:25 PM-05:30 PM

    TEACHING (Spring 2010)

    ME 265.01, INTERMEDIATE MATERIALS SCIENCE,

    Recent Publications More Publications

    1. S. Zauscher and A. Chilkoti, Biological Applications of Polymer Brushes, Biointerphases, vol. 4 no. 2 (2009), ppt. FA1 -- FA2
    2. A. Hucknall and A. J. Simnick and R. T. Hill and A. Chilkoti and A. Garcia and M. S. Johannes and R. L. Clark and S. Zauscher and B. D. Ratner, Versatile synthesis and micropatterning of nonfouling polymer brushes on the wafer scale, Biointerphases, vol. 4 no. 2 (2009), ppt. FA50 -- FA57 [abs]
    3. T. Chen and J. M. Zhong and D. P. Chang and A. Carcia and S. Zauscher, Fabrication of Micropatterned Stimulus-Responsive Polymer-Brush 'Anemone', Advanced Materials, vol. 21 no. 18 (2009), ppt. 1825 -- + [abs]
    4. I. Standulescu and J. E. Dolbow and S. Zauscher, Computational modeling of surface phenomena in soft-wet materials, International Journal Of Solids And Structures, vol. 46 no. 6 (2009), ppt. 1334 -- 1344 [abs]
    5. V. N. Wong and G. Fernando and A. R. Wagner and J. Zhang and G. R. Kinsel and S. Zauscher and D. J. Dyer, Separation of Peptides with Polyionic Nanosponges for MALDI-MS Analysis, Langmuir, vol. 25 no. 3 (2009), ppt. 1459 -- 1465 [abs]

    Research Interests

      Nano-mechanical and nano-tribological characterization (elasticity, friction, adhesion) of materials including organic thin films; self-assembled monolayers, polymeric gels, and cellulosics; Fabrication of polymeric nanostructures by scanning probe lithography; Colloidal probe and atomic force microscopy; Single molecule force spectroscopy applied to ligand-receptor binding; Biomolecular nano- and micro sensors

    The mission of Duke's Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science educational programs is to provide the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to be successful in the practice of engineering; the preparation necessary to undertake professional registration; an educational preparation for graduate or professional study; and an education background that is the basis for professional growth and leadership throughout a career that may encompass a broad range of endeavors, both technical and non-technical.