Samanvaya Srivastava

Research

Research in the Srivastava group utilizes molecular design and self-assembly of mesoscopic building blocks to engineer soft materials with unique combinations of features. A significant focus of research in our group is on polyelectrolyte complexes – a class of materials that form upon associative phase separation of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (charge-bearing polymers). Our group has been inventing routes to expand the utility of polyelectrolyte complex-based materials beyond niche applications such as micellar drug and gene delivery vehicles. In parallel research thrusts, we are harnessing electrostatic and other non-covalent intermolecular interactions to design self-assembled soft materials that find utility in diverse areas ranging from biomedicine to cosmetics and consumer goods and the construction industry to enhanced oil recovery.

Selected Publications

1. S. Gao, C. Ochoa, V. Sharma, S. Srivastava. “Salt Weakens Intermicellar Interactions and Structuring in Bulk and Foam Films.” Langmuir 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01592
2. S. Gao, S. Srivastava. “Comb Polyelectrolytes Stabilize Complex Coacervate Microdroplet Dispersions.” ACS Macro Letters 2022, 11 (7), 902–909.
3. D. Li, T. M. Göckler, U. Schepers, S. Srivastava. “Polyelectrolyte Complex-Covalent Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels.” Macromolecules 2022, 55 (11), 4481–4491.
4. S. B. Kandy, I. Mehdipour, N. Neithalath, A. Kumar, M. Bauchy, E. Garboczi, S. Srivastava, T. Gaedt, G. Sant. “Ultrafast Stiffening of Concentrated Thermoresponsive Polymer-mineral Suspensions.” Materials & Design 2022, 221, 110905:11.
5. D. Iyer, V. M. S. Syed, S. Srivastava. “Influence of Multivalent Cations on Phase Behavior and Rheology of Polyelectrolyte Complexes.” Journal of Polymer Science, 2021, 59 (22), 2895-2904.
6. A. Holkar, J. Toledo, S. Srivastava. “Structure of Nanoparticle-Polyelectrolyte Complexes: Effects of Polyelectrolyte Characteristics and Charge Ratio.” AIChE Journal, 2021, 67 (12), e17443:10.
7. C. Ochoa, S. Gao, S. Srivastava, V. Sharma. “Foam Film Stratification Studies Probe Intermicellar Interactions.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021, 118 (25), e2024805118:9.
8. L. Li, A. M. Rumyantsev, S. Srivastava, S. Meng, J. J. de Pablo, M. V. Tirrell. “Effect of Solvent Quality on the Phase Behavior of Polyelectrolyte Complexes.” Macromolecules, 2021, 54 (1), 105-114.
9. V. M. S. Syed, S. Srivastava. “Time-Ionic Strength Superposition: A Unified Description of Chain Relaxation Dynamics in Polyelectrolyte Complexes.” ACS Macro Letters, 2020, 9 (7), 1067-1073.
10. S. Gao, A. Holkar, S. Srivastava. “Protein–Polyelectrolyte Complexes and Micellar Assemblies.” Polymers, 2019, 11 (7), 1097:34.