Soft Matter

M odern civilization's inherited artworks have a powerful impact on society, from political, sociological, and anthropological points of view, so the conservation of our Cultural Heritage is fundamental for conveying to future generations our culture, traditions, and ways of thinking and behaving. In the conservation of cultural artifacts, scientists intervene in the degradation of often unique handcrafts, resulting from a delicate balance of aging, unpredicted events, environmental conditions, and sometimes incorrect previous restoration treatments, the details of which are often not precisely known.

The application of a new class of organogels as cleaning tools for painted surfaces is described. It combines some of the most attractive features of cleaning liquids and normal gels while diminishing the deleterious characteristics of both. Thus, the 'latent' gellant, polyethyleneimine (PEI), reacts with CO 2 at room temperature in solutions of several organic liquids to produce an ammonium carbamate form (PEICO 2 ). This charged species organizes itself into 3D polymer networks which immobilize the liquids as gels. The properties of the original solution (i.e. a free-flowing liquid) are re-established immediately after addition of a small amount of a weak acid which displaces the CO 2 molecules and makes the PEI chains positively charged. The visual changes are substantiated by rheological analyses. Results from analytical tests to determine the utility of these gels as cleaning tools for painted surfaces of historical and artistic interest, have been obtained from contact angle and FTIR measurements as well as visual comparisons of the surfaces before and after application of the gels. The analyses indicate that the PEICO 2 -based organogels were very effective in removing different surface patinas from painted supports. A surface layer of dammar was completely removed from a test canvas with oil paint, an aged painting from the XIX century, and a XV century oil-on-wood panel attributed to Mariotto di Cristoforo. Finally, a surface acrylic polymeric resin (used in a restoration performed during the 1960s) was also successfully removed from Renaissance wall paintings decorating the Santa Maria della Scala Sacristy in Siena, Italy. The isothermally rheoreversible gel approach described in this work represents a new, highly versatile, and very efficient method for removing aged surface patinas from works of art.

The present work shows that salt anions affect the activity of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase both in aqueous and in nonaqueous media (NAM) according to a Hofmeister series. The biocatalytic assay in water was the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate, whereas the esterification between 1-hexyl--D-galactopyranoside and palmitic acid was followed in an organic solvent. The solid lipase preparations to be used in NAM were obtained through lyophilization in the presence of concentrated solutions of Hofmeister salts (Na 2 SO 4 , NaH 2 PO 4 / Na 2 HPO 4 , NaCl, NaBr, NaI, NaSCN). Salts affect enzyme activity in organic media through two mechanisms:

The adsorption films of silica nanoparticles modified by a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) at the air-water interface were investigated by the dilational surface rheology and optical methods. Special attention was paid to the slow changes of surface properties with the surface age. The surface tension and dynamic dilational surface elasticity were measured as a function of CTAB concentration. The whole surfactant concentration range can be divided into four regions characterized by different surface rheological behavior. Depending on the CTAB concentration, the surface elasticity close to the equilibrium may reach extremely high values ($1000 mN m À1 ) and strongly depends on the applied surface strain. This occurs at surfactant concentrations below the region where the dispersion becomes turbid, indicating particle aggregation in the bulk. The Brewster angle microscopy and ellipsometry show that the adsorption layer becomes fragile and inhomogeneous in this region.

We demonstrate a method of heterogeneous vesicle binding using membrane-anchored, single-stranded DNA that can be used over several orders of magnitude in vesicle size, as demonstrated for large 100 nm vesicles and giant vesicles several microns in diameter. The aggregation behavior is studied for a range of DNA surface concentrations and solution ionic strengths. Three analogous states of aggregation are observed on both vesicle size scales. We explain the existence of these three regimes by a combination of DNA binding favorability, vesicle collision kinetics, and lateral diffusion of the DNA within the fluid membrane. The reversibility of the DNA hybridization allows dissociation of the structures formed and can be achieved either thermally or by a reduction in the ionic strength of the external aqueous environment. Difficulty is found in fully unbinding giant vesicles by thermal dehybridization, possibly frustrated by the attractive van der Waals minimum in the intermembrane potential when brought into close contact by DNA binding. This obstacle can be overcome by the isothermal reduction of the ionic strength of the solution: this reduces the Debye screening length, coupling the effects of DNA dehybridization and intermembrane repulsion due to the increased electrostatic repulsion between the highly charged DNA backbones. † Part of the "Giacinto Scoles Festschrift".

We undertake the investigation of sheared polymer chains grafted onto flat surfaces to model liposomes covered with polyethylene glycol brushes as a case study for the mechanisms of efficient drug delivery in biologically relevant situations, for example, as carriers for topical treatments of illnesses in the human vasculature. For these applications, specific rheological properties are required, such as low viscosity at high shear rates, to improve the transport of the liposomes. Therefore, extensive non-equilibrium, coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics simulations of polymer brushes of various lengths and shear rates are performed to obtain the average viscosity and the friction coefficient of the system as functions of the shear rate and polymerization degree under theta-solvent conditions, and we find that the brushes experience considerable shear thinning at large shear rates. The viscosity (h) and the friction coefficient (m) are shown to obey the scaling laws h $ _ g À0.31 and m $ _ g 0.69 at high shear rates ( _ g) in a theta solvent, irrespective of the degree of polymerization of brushes. These results confirm recent scaling predictions and reproduce very well trends in measurements of the viscosity at a high shear rate ( _ g) of red blood cells in a liposome containing medium.

The different regimes of flow when separating two solid rough surfaces in contact via a layer of a simple yield stress fluid are identified. Generic scalings for the adhesion energy and for the geometrical characteristics of the final deposits (after separation) as a function of the initial aspect ratio of the sample are found. We show that there is a strong pinning effect which might be at the origin of an adhesion energy significantly larger (by a factor about 2) than that estimated from the lubrication theory. We also observe that the conditions of development of viscous fingering are not at all predicted by the conventional Saffman-Taylor instability theory taking into account the specific non-Newtonian character of the fluid. This again suggests that for pastes the pinning effect plays a significant stabilizing role.

The polysaccharide chitosan is a versatile scaffold for assembly and conjugation of biomolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, and viruses. It provides unique value in bioMEMS in that it can be electrodeposited on demand at specific locations in closed microfluidic systems, enabling spatial and temporal programmability of biomolecular binding and reaction sites in bio-microfluidic networks. In anticipating the scaling of such systems to smaller dimensions, we have investigated the spatial resolution which the chitosan electrodeposition process can achieve, using micron-scale electrode patterns coupled with fluorescence and Raman microscopies to assess the fidelity and edge sharpness of the resulting chitosan patterns. These show that electrodeposited chitosan scaffolds can be defined to an edge sharpness of 0.5-1.0 mm, compatible with the vast majority of microfluidics and bioMEMS applications, where microfluidic channel dimensions in the range of 10s or 100s of micrometers are common.

Geopolymers are presented in many studies as alternatives to ordinary Portland cement. Previous studies have focused on their chemical and mechanical properties, their microstructures and their potential applications, but very few have focussed on their rheological behaviour. Our work highlights the fundamental differences in the flow properties, which exist between geopolymers made from metakaolin and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). We show that colloidal interactions between metakaolin particles are negligible and that hydrodynamic effects control the rheological behaviour. Metakaolin-based geopolymers can then be described as Newtonian fluids with the viscosity controlled mainly by the high viscosity of the suspending alkaline silicate solution and not by the contribution of direct contacts between metakaolin grains. This fundamental difference between geopolymers and OPC implies that developments made in cement technology to improve rheological behaviour such as plasticizers will not be efficient for geopolymers and that new research directions need to be explored.

The performances of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives are generally evaluated combining tack, peel and shear tests. Using an instrumented peel test, we can link the peel and tack performances based on the identification of the pertinent strain rates.

Protein-surfactant mixtures arise in many industrial and biological systems, and indeed, blood itself is a mixture of serum albumins along with various other surface-active components. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions, and globular proteins in general, exhibit an apparent yield stress in bulk rheological measurements at surprisingly low concentrations. By contrasting interfacial rheological measurements with corresponding interface-free data obtained using a microfluidic rheometer, we show that the apparent yield stress exhibited by these solutions arises from the presence of a viscoelastic layer formed due to the adsorption of protein molecules at the air-water interface. The coupling between instrument inertia and surface elasticity in a controlled stress device also results in a distinctive damped oscillatory strain response during creep experiments known as"creep ringing". We show that this response can be exploited to extract the interfacial storage and loss moduli of the protein interface. The interfacial creep response at small strains can be described by a simple second order system, such as the linear Jeffreys model, however the interfacial response rapidly becomes nonlinear beyond strains of order 1%. We use the two complementary techniques of interfacial rheometry and microfluidic rheometry to examine the systematic changes in the surface and bulk material functions for mixtures of a common non-ionic surfactant, Polysorbate 80, and BSA. It is observed that the nonlinear viscoelastic properties of the interface are significantly suppressed by the presence of even a relatively small amount of surfactant (c surf > 10 −3 wt.%). Preferential interfacial adsorption of the mobile surfactant at these surfactant concentrations results in complete elimination of the bulk apparent yield stress exhibited by the surfactant-free BSA solutions.

Ga-doped Li-Mn-spinels Li 1.02 Ga x Mn 1.98-x O 4 with 0.00 e x e 0.20 are investigated to verify the lattice capability to allocate the Ga 3+ ions on both tetrahedral and octahedral sites and to determine the lowest amount of dopant that prevents the occurrence of the Jahn-Teller (J-T) transition observed near room temperature in LiMn 2 O 4 . XRPD, NMR, and EPR spectra and static magnetic susceptibility and conductivity data are related to the site occupancy, the Mn valence state and the homogeneous distribution of the dopant. The electronic and magnetic features of the spinel framework are strongly dependent on substitution in its cationic sublattice: dopant amounts as low as 1% significantly modify the temperature of the conductivity drop associated with the J-T distortion. Ga 3+ ions substitute chiefly in the octahedral sites, Mn 4+ ions occupy regular and distorted octahedral sites and, at the same time, the value of lattice parameter remains unchanged. Mn 2+ ions are present in the tetrahedral site and Li + increases in the octahedral site as a consequence of Li-Mn/Ga inversion. Such a mechanism increases the efficiency of J-T inhibition by Ga doping, in comparison with transition cations having the same valence.

In this paper we evaluate the environmental sustainability of a small combined heat and power (CHP) plant operating through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The heat sources of the system are from geothermal energy at low temperature (90-95°C) and solar energy. The designed system uses a solar field composed only of evacuated, non-concentrating solar collectors, and work is produced by a single turbine of 50 kW. The project addresses an area of Tuscany, but it could be reproduced in areas where geothermal energy is extensively developed. Therefore, the aim is to exploit existing wells that are either unfit for high-enthalpy technology, abandoned or never fully developed. Furthermore, this project aims to aid in downsizing the geothermal technology in order to reduce the environmental impact and better tailor the production system to the local demand of combined electric and thermal energy. The environmental impact assessment was performed through a Life Cycle Analysis and an Exergy Life Cycle Analysis. According to our findings the reservoir is suitable for a long-term exploitation of the designed system, however, the sustainability and the energy return of this latter is edged by the surface of the heat exchanger and the limited running hours due to the solar plant. Therefore, in order to be comparable to other renewable resources or geothermal systems, the system needs to develop existing wells, previously abandoned.

Soft tissues possess remarkable mechanical strength for their high water content, which is hard to mimic in synthetic materials. Here, we demonstrate how strain-induced stiffening in hydrogels plays a major role in mimicking the mechanical properties of collagenous soft tissues. In particular, nanocellulose reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels of exceptionally high water content (90-93 % wt.) are shown to exhibit collagen-like mechanical behavior typical for soft tissues. High water content and coexistence of both soft and rigid domains in the gel network are the main factors responsible for strain-induced stiffening. This observed effect due to alignment of rigid components of the hydrogel is simulated through modeling and visualized through strain-induced birefringence experiments. Design parameters such as nanocellulose aspect ratio and solvent composition are also shown important to control the mechanical properties. In addition, owing to their transparency (90-95 % at 550 nm) and hyperelastic properties (250-350 % strain), the described hydrogels are promising materials for biomedical applications, especially in ophthalmology.

Cell adhesion and detachment to and from the extracellular matrix (ECM) are critical regulators of cell function and fate due to the exchange of mechanical signals between the cell and its microenvironment. To study this cell mechanobiology, researchers have developed several innovative methods to investigate cell adhesion in vitro; however, most of these culture platforms are unnaturally stiff or static. To better capture the soft, dynamic nature of the ECM, we present a PEG-based hydrogel in which the context and geometry of the extracellular space can be precisely controlled in situ via two-photon induced erosion. Here, we characterize the two-photon erosion process, demonstrate its efficacy in the presence of cells, and subsequently exploit it to induce subcellular detachment from soft hydrogels. A working space was established for a range of laser powers required to induce complete erosion of the gel, and these data are plotted with model predictions. From this working space, two-photon irradiation parameters were selected for complete erosion in the presence of cells. Micron-scale features were eroded on and within a gel to demonstrate the resolution of patterning with these irradiation conditions. Lastly, two-photon irradiation was used to erode the material at the cell-gel interface to remove cell adhesion sites selectively, and cell retraction was monitored to quantify the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) response to subcellular detachment from soft materials.

Particle settling is a pervasive process in nature, and centrifugation is a much versatile separation technique. Yet, the results of settling and ultracentrifugation experiments often appear to contradict the very law on which they are based: Archimedes Principle -arguably, the oldest Physical Law. The purpose of this paper is delving at the very roots of the concept of buoyancy by means of a combined experimental-theoretical study on sedimentation profiles in colloidal mixtures. Our analysis shows that the standard Archimedes' principle is only a limiting approximation, valid for mesoscopic particles settling in a molecular fluid, and we provide a general expression for the actual buoyancy force. This "Generalized Archimedes Principle" accounts for unexpected effects, such as denser particles floating on top of a lighter fluid, which in fact we observe in our experiments.

The objective of the present study is to investigate the possibility of preparing pure protein microspheres from regenerated silk fibroin (RSF). It is found that RSF microspheres, with predictable and controllable sizes ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 mm, can be prepared via mild selfassembling of silk fibroin molecular chains. The merits of this novel method include a rather simple production apparatus and no potentially toxic agents, such as surfactants, initiators, crosslinking agents, etc. The results show that the particle size and size distribution of RSF microspheres are greatly affected by the amount of ethanol additive, the freezing temperature and the concentration of silk fibroin. Finally, the mechanism of RSF microspheres formation is also discussed based on our experimental results.

The conductor-like solvation model, as developed in the framework of the polarizable continuum model (PCM), has been reformulated and newly implemented in order to compute energies, geometric structures, harmonic frequencies, and electronic properties in solution for any chemical system that can be studied in vacuo. Particular attention is devoted to large systems requiring suitable iterative algorithms to compute the solvation charges: the fast multipole method (FMM) has been extensively used to ensure a linear scaling of the computational times with the size of the solute. A number of test applications are presented to evaluate the performances of the method.

During the last few years, there has been an extraordinary increase in publications describing the manifold applications of monoolein, one of the most important lipids in the fields of drug delivery, emulsion stabilization and protein crystallization. In this perspective we present a comprehensive review of the phase behavior of this 'magic lipid'. An account of various mesophases formed in the presence of water and a collection of formulae for the calculation of their nano-structural parameters are provided. Effects of chemical and biological molecules including lipids, detergents, salts, sugars, proteins and DNA on the classical behavior are also discussed. Physicochemical triggers such as, temperature, pressure and shearing modulate the phase behavior of monoolein self assemblies that are covered in subsequent sections. Finally the growing applications of monoolein in various fields are also reported.

Two N-terminally protected dipeptides with a b-amino acid residue form hydrogels at physiological pH and temperature. These two hydrogels have been characterized by various techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopic (AFM), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and rheological studies. Morphological studies using FE-SEM and AFM suggest the formation of three dimensional nanofibrillar network structures, which might be responsible for the entrapment of water molecules to form gels. The FT-IR study in the gel state is in favour of a b-sheet-like conformation in the gel state. A rheological study of these two gels indicates the formation of stiff viscoelastic materials. Interestingly, these two gels are proteolitically stable due to the presence of the non-proteinous, but naturally occurring, b-alanine residue. These gels have been utilized for encapsulation and sustained release of two vitamins (vitamin B 2 and vitamin B 12 ) over 3 days at physiological pH (7.46) and temperature (37 C). This holds future promise for using these gel-based biomaterials for sustained release of drugs and other biomolecules. † Electronic Supplementary Information (ESI) available: Synthesis and characterisation and the spectra of the gelator peptides, hydrophoicity and pK a calculation. See

Oxygen vacancies at the SnO2(110) and (101) surface and subsurface sites have been studied in the framework of density functional theory by using both all-electron Gaussian and pseudopotential plane-wave methods. The all-electron calculations have been performed using the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional with accurate estimations of energy gaps and density of states. We show that bulk oxygen vacancies are responsible for the appearance of a fully occupied flat energy level lying at about 1 eV above the top valence band, and an empty level resonant with the conduction band. Surface oxygen vacancies strongly modify the surface band structures with the appearance of intragap states covering most of the forbidden energy window, or only a small part of it, depending on the vacancy depth from the surface. Oxygen vacancies can account for electron affinity variations with respect to the stoichiometric surfaces as well. A significant support to the present results is found by comparing them to the available experimental data.

Collagen gel is a poroelastic/biphasic system consisting of a fibrillar loose lattice structure filled with .99% fluid. Its mechanical behaviour is governed by the inherent viscoelasticity of the fibrils, and their interaction with the fluid. This study investigated the underlying mechanisms of plastic compression (PC), a recently introduced technique for the production of dense collagen matrices for tissue engineering. Unconfined compressive loading results in the rapid expulsion of the fluid phase to produce scaffolds with improved mechanical properties potentially suitable for direct implantation and suturing. The controllability of the PC, as a single or multi-stage process was investigated in terms of fluid loss, remaining protein concentration, and morphological characteristics. Time dependent analysis, and quasi-static mechanical (compressive and tensile) properties of hyper-hydrated and PC collagen, produced by single (SC) and double (DC) compression, were also investigated on the non-covalently cross-linked gels. Under unconfined compressive creep, the behaviour of hyper hydrated gel was dictated by the fluid movement relative to the solid (i.e. poroelasticity) with negligible recovery upon load removal. Similar behaviour was achieved in multiple compressed gels; however, these progressively dense matrices displayed an instantaneous recovery that was in line with the increase in fibrillar collagen concentration. Under tension, where the mechanical response of the gels is dominated by the fibrils, there was significant increase in both break strength and modulus with increasing fibril concentration due to multiple compression as DC provided greater opportunity for physical interaction between the nano-sized fibrils.

The scientific strategy of molecular gastronomy includes modelling 'culinary definitions' and experimental explorations of 'culinary precisions'. A formalism that describes complex dispersed systems leads to a physical classification of classical sauces, as well ...

Peptide nanotubes are promising bio-inspired self-assemblies with a wide range of envisioned applications. The present review addresses the recent advances in their fundamental comprehension and mechanistic aspects of their latest downstream uses. Through well-documented examples, including the Lanreotide peptide monodisperse nanotubes, the molecular organisations and interactions underlying such well-defined hierarchical nanoarchitectures are in particular examined. The kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the corresponding self-assembly processes are also considered, especially the intriguing mechanism of nanotube wall closure. The recently unravelled Lanreotide self-assembly mechanisms have revealed, for instance, the limiting role of electrostatic repulsion in this critical step. Within the numerous applications currently explored, particular attention is given to promising inorganic deposition processes using peptide nanotubes as scaffolds. In exceptional cases, inorganic nanotubes with tunable diameters could be synthesised via peptide-based

Nanotechnology provides new concepts and materials for the consolidation and protection of wall paintings. In particular, humble calcium and barium hydroxide nanoparticles offer a versatile and highly efficient tool to combat the main degradation processes altering wall paintings. Clear example of the efficacy and potentiality of nanotechnology is represented by the conservation in situ of Maya wall paintings in the archaeological area in Calakmul (Mexico). Scheme 1. Schematic representation of the stratigraphy of a wall painting executed by the fresco technique. Pigments are entrapped in the growing calcite originating from the carbonation of lime.

M odern civilization's inherited artworks have a powerful impact on society, from political, sociological, and anthropological points of view, so the conservation of our Cultural Heritage is fundamental for conveying to future generations our culture, traditions, and ways of thinking and behaving. In the conservation of cultural artifacts, scientists intervene in the degradation of often unique handcrafts, resulting from a delicate balance of aging, unpredicted events, environmental conditions, and sometimes incorrect previous restoration treatments, the details of which are often not precisely known.

This dissertation mainly focuses on the delicate phenomena that happen at liquid interfaces. In the introduction, I start by defining the interface and discuss its structure and the relevant interfacial forces. I then introduce the general characteristics of biosensors and, in particular, describe the design of biosensors that employ liquid crystal/aqueous solution interfaces. I further describe the basic properties of liquid crystal materials that are relevant for liquid crystal-based biosensing applications.

Why ice floats on water is an unresolved question that underlines the special properties of water. We argue that it is resolved by taking a different approach to structure than is usual, the "exponential scale" description. The exponential scale is placed on a firm foundation based on underlying quantum mechanics. The approach includes and is more general than conventional approaches to molecular and chemical interactions, based on separate and different kinds of "bonds". These are based on perturbation theories applied to few-atom systems. The present approach to the many-body problem is in the same spirit as, but more general than Lifshitz theory of intermolecular interactions.

The term superhydrophilicity is only 11-12 years old and was introduced just after the explosion of research on superhydrophobic surfaces, in response to demand for surfaces and coatings with exceptionally strong affinity to water. The definition of superhydrophilic substrates has not been clarified yet, and unrestricted use of this term to hydrophilic surfaces has stirred controversy in the last few years in the surface chemistry community. In this review, we take a close look into major definitions of hydrophilic surfaces used in the past, before we review the physics behind superhydrophilic phenomenon and make recommendation on defining superhydrophilic surfaces and coatings. We also review chemical and physical methods used in fabrication of substrates on surfaces of which water spreads completely. Several applications of superhydrophilic surfaces, including examples from the authors' own research, conclude this review.

This finding has implications for future molecular simulations of solid-electrolyte interfaces and the interpretation of theoretical models predicting ion distributions or electro-kinetic transport. It will also help in the design of for instance lab-on-a-chip devices. [45] Swansea University researchers from the College of Engineering have captured the moments a fluid reacts like a solid through a new method of fluid observation under pressurised conditions. [44]

Une interaction est définie comme une action réciproque. Contrairement à une réaction qui transforme, l'interaction organise ou structure. Des entités en interaction peuvent alors avoir un comportement collectif cohérent. En synergétique, les interactions sont considérées à la base de l'information d'un système dont l'augmentation est corrélée à une baisse d'entropie. En biologie, la biologie intégrative ou biologie systémique explose. A la base, la définition d'une cellule ou d'un microorganisme comme un système dont le fonctionnement dépend certes des entités en présence, mais aussi et surtout des interactions qui les lient : le tout est plus que la somme des parties. Les interactions exaltent la matière ! Les interactions sont source de vie mais aussi (ou donc !) cause de complexité extrême.

In this work, we illustrate the usefulness of cyclodextrins, namely, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), an amorphous, methylated derivative of the natural β-cyclodextrin (βCD), as a tool to form an inclusion complex with omeprazole (OME), a poorly water soluble drug. Solid binary systems between OME and MβCD were prepared experimentally in a stoichiometry 1:1 by different techniques (physical mixing, kneading, spray-drying and freeze-drying).

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and imaging (MRI) are important non-destructive investigative techniques for soft matter research. Continuous advancements have not only lead to more sensitive detection, and new applications, but have also enabled the shrinking of the detectable volume of sample, and a reduction in time needed to acquire a spectrum or image. At the same time, advances in microstructuring and on-chip laboratories have also continued unabated. In recent years these two broad areas have been productively joined into what we term micro nuclear magnetic resonance (mMR), an exciting development that includes miniaturized detectors and hyphenation with other laboratory techniques, for it opens up a range of new possibilities for the soft matter scientist. In this paper we review the available miniaturization technologies for NMR and MRI detection, and also suggest a way to compare the performance of the detectors. The paper also takes a close look at chiplaboratory augmented mMR, and applications within the broad soft matter area. The review aims to contribute to a better understanding of both the scientific potential and the actual limits of mMR tools in the various interdisciplinary soft matter research fields.