Monica Olvera de la Cruz

About

Monica Olvera de la Cruz is the Lawyer Taylor Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and (by courtesy) Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University. She serves as the Director of the Center for Computation & Theory of Soft Materials and the Deputy Director of the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science. Her research group focuses on the design and control of materials responsive to external stimuli, developing models to describe the structure and function of assemblies of heterogeneous molecules including amphiphiles, copolymers, and both synthetic and biological polyelectrolytes, as well as multicomponent complex fluids. Her work has led to significant advances in understanding ionic-driven assembly, electrostatic spontaneous symmetry breaking of ionic fibers and membranes, and their relevance to biological functions and the development of functional materials. Her investigations in soft and condensed matter physics have contributed to scientific knowledge and opened new research fields of technological importance, such as gel electrophoresis dynamics, self-organization of molecular electrolytes into bio-mimetic materials, and the self-assembly of heterogeneous molecules into complex nanostructures. Recognized with numerous awards and honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and membership in the American Philosophical Society, she is a prominent figure in her field with extensive professional…

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Organic chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Artificial Intelligence
• Biochemistry
• Computer Science
• Physical chemistry
• Crystallography

Selected publications

• Fast and programmable locomotion of hydrogel-metal hybrids under light and magnetic fields

  Science Robotics · 2020 · 282 citations

  The design of soft matter in which internal fuels or an external energy input can generate locomotion and shape transformations observed in living organisms is a key challenge. Such materials could assist in productive functions that may range from robotics to smart management of chemical reactions and communication with cells. In this context, hydrated matter that can function in aqueous media would be of great interest. Here, we report the design of hydrogels containing a scaffold of high-aspe…

  DOI

• Microporous water with high gas solubilities

  Nature · 2022 · 184 citations

  DOI

• Polycrystalline Covalent Organic Framework Films Act as Adsorbents, Not Membranes

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2021 · 160 citations

  Covalent organic framework (COF) membranes are of great promise for energy-efficient separations. Thick, polycrystalline COF films have been reported to separate dyes, salts, bacteria, and nanoparticles on the basis of size-selective transport through ordered pores. Here, we show that these materials function as adsorbents, not as size-sieving membranes. Binding isotherms of several dyes typical of the COF membrane literature to three COF powder samples illustrate that COFs are high-capacity ads…

  PublisherDOI

• Self-assembly of nanocrystals into strongly electronically coupled all-inorganic supercrystals

  Science · 2022 · 129 citations

  Colloidal nanocrystals of metals, semiconductors, and other functional materials can self-assemble into long-range ordered crystalline and quasicrystalline phases, but insulating organic surface ligands prevent the development of collective electronic states in ordered nanocrystal assemblies. We reversibly self-assembled colloidal nanocrystals of gold, platinum, nickel, lead sulfide, and lead selenide with conductive inorganic ligands into supercrystals exhibiting optical and electronic properti…

  DOI

• Enhanced Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to Receptor by Distal Polybasic Cleavage Sites

  ACS Nano · 2020 · 122 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  electrostatic interactions and hydration, the RBD-ACE2 binding affinity. A negatively charged tetrapeptide (GluGluLeuGlu) is then designed to neutralize the positively charged arginine on the polybasic cleavage sites. We find that the tetrapeptide GluGluLeuGlu binds to one of the three polybasic cleavage sites of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein lessening by 34% the RBD-ACE2 binding strength. This significant binding energy reduction demonstrates the feasibility to neutralize RBD-ACE2 binding by tar…

  DOI

Recent grants

• MRSEC: Multifunctional Nanoscale Material Structures

  NSF · $13.2M · 2005–2012

• CDS&E: Organization and Dynamics of Charged Molecules in Heterogeneous Media

  NSF · $315k · 2016–2019

• Collaborative Research: NSF-EC Cooperative Activity in Computational Materials Research: Multiscale Modeling of Nanostructured Interfaces for Liquid Crystal Based Sensors

  NSF · $226k · 2005–2009

Frequent coauthors

• Chad A. Mirkin

  Northwestern University

  69 shared

• Francisco J. Solis

  Arizona State University

  52 shared

• Baofu Qiao

  Northwestern University

  46 shared

• Samuel I. Stupp

  Northwestern University

  45 shared

• Jos W. Zwanikken

  Delft University of Technology

  42 shared

• Rastko Sknepnek

  35 shared

• Michael J. Bedzyk

  35 shared

• Martin Girard

  Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

  32 shared

Awards & honors

• Member of the American Philosophical Society (2020)
• Polymer Prize of the American Physical Society (2017)
• Miller Institute Visiting Professor, University of Californi…
• Elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (2012)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow (2010)

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