• It is commonly assumed that tiny particles just go with the flow as they make their way through soil, biological tissue, and other complex materials. • But a team of Yale researchers led by Professor Amir Pahlavan shows that even gentle chemical gradients, such as a small change in salt concentration, can dramatically reshape how particles move through porous materials. • Their results are published in Science Advances.
Article Summaries:
- Yale scientists, led by Professor Amir Pahlavan, have shown that microscopic particles do not always simply follow the fluid flow through porous materials. Their study, published in Science Advances, demonstrates that even mild chemical gradients-such as a slight change in salt concentration-can profoundly alter particle trajectories in soils, biological tissues, and other complex media. The findings challenge the long‑standing assumption that particle transport is governed solely by hydrodynamic forces, suggesting that subtle chemical cues can redirect movement and potentially impact processes ranging from groundwater contamination to drug delivery.
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