NSRRC Activity Report 2022

S oft matter generally includes liquids, colloids, polymers, gels, flesh, and a number of biological materials or biomaterials. Biomaterial can be used for medical (drug design), therapeutic (treatment, tissue repair or replacement, etc .), and diagnostic (sensor) applications. Research on biomaterials covers clinical applications, polymer synthesis and characterization, drug design, host response, etc . Synchrotron X-ray and neutron tools can probe the relationship between the structure and functional mechanism in biomaterials. Small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering ( TLS 23A1 ), neutron reflectometry ( PLATYPUS ), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy ( TLS 17C1 ) can provide information about self-assembled mesostructures, thin-film structures, and local geometric and/or electronic structures. Here we highlight four topics from the field of soft matter in 2022: sponge-like cryogels for tissue regeneration applications, self-healable elastomers for electronic skin devices, polytherapy designed for microbial-resistant bacterial treatment, and drug nanocarriers for cancer therapy development. The fantastic results from soft matter research using synchrotron X-ray and neutron tools (scattering, reflectometry, and adsorption) can unravel the mystery of biomaterials. (by Yi-Qi Yeh) Soft Matter