
Charles Patrick P Collier
staff researcher
Bio
Pat Collier received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1998, where he contributed to the discovery of a reversible metal-insulator transition in ordered two-dimensional superlattices of silver nanoparticles. As a joint postdoctoral associate at UCLA and Hewlett-Packard labs, he was involved in some of the first demonstrations of defect-tolerant computation in molecular electronics. As an assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology, he developed novel lithographic techniques to pattern phase-separated fluid lipid bilayers and single biological molecules at the nanoscale, and carried out the first demonstrations of electrowetting of single walled carbon nanotubes with liquid metals. He is currently a member of the research staff at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he has helped develop methods for forming individual femtoliter-volume water-in-oil droplets in microfluidic channels on demand, and elucidate phase change behavior of water and lipid bilayer membranes on nanostructured surfaces. Current research interests include investigations into how assembly and functionality of lipid bilayers and polymer membranes are affected by confined and crowded environments, and the use of soft matter systems in the development of neuromorphological elements needed for neural networks.
Awards
Patents
“Passive Anti-frosting Surface Comprised of Microscopic Wettability Patterns Containing Sacrificial Ice”
“Reversible, On-Demand Generation of Aqueous Two-Phase Microdroplets”
“Generation of monodisperse femtoliter droplets by shape-induced shear and interfacial controlled fusion of individual droplets on demand”
“Biomarker Sensors and Method for Multi-Color Imaging and Processing of Single-Molecule Life Signatures”
“Selective Functionalization of Carbon Nanotube Tips Allowing Fabrication of New Classes of Nanoscale Sensing and Manipulation Tools”
“Electrically Addressable Volatile Non-Volatile Molecular-Based Switching Devices”
“Method for Manufacturing Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Tips”
“Method for Lithographic Processing on Molecular Monolayer and Multilayer Thin Films”
“Method for Lithographic Processing on Molecular Monolayer and Multilayer Thin Films”
“Electrically Addressable Volatile Non-Volatile Molecular-Based Switching Devices”