Alan R. Denton

Professor

Postal Address:

Office:

RESEARCH FUNDING: National Science Foundation, DMR-1928073, DMR-1603445, DMR-1106331, DMR-0204020; ND-EPSCoR; ACS Petroleum Research Fund.

GRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES: Apply with the Graduate School.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES:

Students interested in research, please talk with me!

SCIENCE FUN NIGHT

Cool Photos

TEACHING

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Current Projects

• Molecular Simulations of Macromolecular Crowding in Microgel-Nanoparticle and Polymer-Nanoparticle Mixtures (with Mahesh Aryal)

• Molecular Simulations of Fluid-Solid Phase Transitions in Suspensions of Compressible Microgels (with Oreoluwa Alade)

• Computational Modeling of Microion Distributions in Ionic Microgels with Nonuniform Architecture (with Sigurd Saude)

• Modeling of Ion Distributions, Osmotic Pressure, and Swelling in Solutions of Ionic Microgels and Microcapsules (with Mohammed Alziyadi)

• Deswelling of Microgels in Crowded Suspensions (with Andrea Scotti, Stefanie Schneider, and Tom Höfken)

• Deswelling and Dynamics of Ionic Microgels in Crowded Suspensions (with Mariano Brito and Gerhard Nägele)

• Deswelling of Hollow Microgels in Crowded Suspensions (with Andrea Scotti)

• Monte Carlo Simulations of Macromolecular Crowding: How Polymer Conformations Depend on Crowder Interactions (with Matthew Kurti and Kurt VanDonselaar)

• Monte Carlo Simulations of Polymer Crowding in Polymer-Nanoparticle Mixtures (with Wyatt Davis)

• Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Self-Assembly in Nanoparticle Dispersions (with Vijay Shah and Erik Hobbie)

• Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Self-Assembly in Charged Colloidal Mixtures (with Braden Weight)

• Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Cross-linked Polyelectrolyte Gels (with Braden Weight)

• Monte Carlo Simulations of Swelling and Osmotic Pressure in Ionic Microgel Dispersions (with Tyler Weyer)

• Monte Carlo Simulations of Swelling and Phase Behavior in Microgel Mixtures (with Carly Snell)

• Effective Interactions and Phase Behavior in Charged Colloids and Ionic Microgels (with Gerhard Nägele, Mariano Brito, and Jan Dhont)

• Effective Interactions in Colloid-Nanoparticle Mixtures

• Monte Carlo Simulations of Lattice Models of Mixtures (with Wei Kang Lim)

• Charge Renormalization Theory of Colloidal Mixtures (with Jun Kyung Chung)

• Two-Dimensional Dipolar Colloidal Crystals: Melting animation E-Ink animation)

GROUP MEMBERS

Alum Club

PUBLICATIONS

Mariano E. Brito, Gerhard Nägele, and Alan R. Denton, "Effective interactions, structure, and pressure in charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions: Critical assessment of charge renormalization methods," J. Chem. Phys. 159, 204904-1-26 (2023).   article   cond-mat

Mohammed O. Alziyadi and Alan R. Denton, "Osmotic swelling behavior of surface-charged ionic microgels," J. Chem. Phys. 159, 184901-1-11 (2023).   article   cond-mat

Anne C. Nickel, Alan R. Denton, Judith E. Houston, Ralf Schweins, Tomàs S. Plivelic, Walter Richtering, and Andrea Scotti, "Beyond simple self-healing: How anisotropic nanogels adapt their shape to their environment," J. Chem. Phys. 157, 194901-1-15 (2022).   article

Elshad Allahyarov, Hartmut Löwen, and Alan R. Denton, "Structural correlations in highly asymmetric binary charged colloidal mixtures," Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 24, 15439-15451 (2022).   article

Cali Anicha, Canan Bilen-Green, and Alan Denton, "We Raised Our Female Faculty Numbers. So Can You.", Chronicle of Higher Education, April 21, 2022.   article

Mohammed O. Alziyadi and Alan R. Denton, "Osmotic pressure and swelling behavior of ionic microcapsules," J. Chem. Phys. 155, 214904-1-11 (2021).   article   cond-mat

Alan R. Denton and Wyatt J. Davis, "Influence of solvent quality on depletion potentials in colloid-polymer mixtures," J. Chem. Phys. 155, 084904-1-11 (2021).   editor's pick   cond-mat

A. Scotti, A. R. Denton, M. Brugnoni, R. Schweins, and W. Richtering, "Absence of crystals in the phase behavior of hollow microgels," Phys. Rev. E 103, 022612-1-20 (2021).   article

Mariano E. Brito, Alan R. Denton, and Gerhard Nägele, "Modeling deswelling, thermodynamics, structure, and dynamics in ionic microgel suspensions," J. Chem. Phys. 151, 224901-1-23 (2019).   article   cond-mat

S. K. Wypysek, A. Scotti, M. O. Alziyadi, I. I. Potemkin, A. R. Denton, and W. Richtering, "Tailoring the Cavity of Hollow Charged Microgels by Varying pH and Ionic Strength," Macromol. Rapid Comm. 41, 1900422-1-9 (2019).   article

Alan R. Denton and Mohammed O. Alziyadi, "Osmotic pressure of permeable ionic microgels: Poisson-Boltzmann theory and exact statistical mechanical relations in the cell model," J. Chem. Phys. 151, 074903-1-19 (2019).   editor's pick   cond-mat

Andrea Scotti, Alan R. Denton, Monia Brugnoni, Judith E. Houston, Ralf Schweins, Igor I. Potemkin, and Walter Richtering, "Deswelling of Microgels in Crowded Suspensions Depends on Cross-Link Density and Architecture," Macromol. 52, 3995-4007 (2019).   article

Samuel L. Brown, Vijay D. Shah, Maria V. Morrell, Mitchell Zubich, Alexander Wagner, Alan R. Denton, and Erik K. Hobbie, "Superlattice formation in colloidal nanocrystal suspensions: Hard-sphere freezing and depletion effects," Phys. Rev. E 98, 062616-1-9 (2018).   article

Wyatt J. Davis and Alan R. Denton, "Influence of solvent quality on conformations of crowded polymers," J. Chem. Phys. 149, 124901-1-11 (2018).   article   cond-mat

Tyler J. Weyer and Alan R. Denton, "Concentration-dependent swelling and structure of ionic microgels: Simulation and theory of a coarse-grained model," Soft Matter 14, 4530-4540 (2018).   article   cond-mat

Braden M. Weight and Alan R. Denton, "Structure and stability of charged colloid-nanoparticle mixtures," J. Chem. Phys. 148, 114904-1-11 (2018).   article   cond-mat

Alan R. Denton, "Effective electrostatic interactions in colloid-nanoparticle mixtures," Phys. Rev. E 96, 062610-1-14 (2017).   article   cond-mat

Matthew Urich and Alan R. Denton, "Swelling, structure, and phase stability of compressible microgels," Soft Matter 12, 9086-9094 (2016).   article   cond-mat

Alan R. Denton and Qiyun Tang, "Counterion-induced swelling of ionic microgels," J. Chem. Phys. 145, 164901-1-10 (2016).   article   cond-mat

Wei Kang Lim and Alan R. Denton, "Depletion-induced forces and crowding in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures: Role of polymer shape fluctuations and penetrability," J. Chem. Phys. 144, 024904-1-10 (2016).   article   cond-mat

Wei Kang Lim and Alan R. Denton, "Influence of polymer shape on depletion potentials and crowding in colloid-polymer mixtures," Soft Matter 12, 2247-2252 (2016).   cover image   article (open access)   cond-mat

Qiyun Tang and Alan R. Denton, "Ion density deviations in semipermeable ionic microcapsules," Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 11070-11076 (2015).   article   cond-mat

Mary M. Hedrick, Jun Kyung Chung, and Alan R. Denton, "Structure and osmotic pressure of ionic microgel dispersions," J. Chem. Phys. 142, 034904-1-12 (2015).   article   cond-mat

Qiyun Tang and Alan R. Denton, "Ion density deviations in polyelectrolyte microcapsules: Influence on biosensors," Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16, 20924-20931 (2014).   article   cond-mat

Wei Kang Lim and Alan R. Denton, "Polymer crowding and shape distributions in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures," J. Chem. Phys. 141, 114909-1-10 (2014).   article   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Crowding in Polymer-Nanoparticle Mixtures," in New Models of the Cell Nucleus: Crowding, Entropic Forces, Phase Separation, and Fractals, R. Hancock and K. W. Jeon, Eds., International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology 307, pp. 27-72 (UK: Academic Press, 2014). Elsevier's copyright policy prevents me from posting this article online.   reprint request

A. R. Denton, "Coarse-Grained Modeling of Charged Colloidal Suspensions: From Poisson-Boltzmann Theory to Effective Interactions," in Electrostatics of Soft and Disordered Matter, D. S. Dean, J. Dobnikar, A. Naji, and R. Podgornik, Eds., Proceedings of the CECAM Workshop "New Challenges in Electrostatics of Soft and Disordered Matter," pp. 201-215 (Pan Stanford, Singapore, 2014).   cond-mat

J. B. Miller, A. C. P. Usselman, R. J. Anthony, U. R. Kortshagen, A. J. Wagner, A. R. Denton, and E. K. Hobbie, "Phase separation and the 'coffee-ring' effect in polymer-nanocrystal mixtures," Soft Matter 10, 1665-1675 (2014).   cover image   article

J. K. Chung and A. R. Denton, "Effective electrostatic interactions in mixtures of charged colloids," Phys. Rev. E 88, 022306-1-9 (2013).   article   cond-mat

A. R. Denton and M. P. Schmidt, "Exploring Fluctuations and Phase Equilibria in Fluid Mixtures via Monte Carlo Simulation," Eur. J. Phys. 34, 475-487 (2013).   cond-mat

Ben Lu and Alan R. Denton, "Crowding of polymer coils and demixing in nanoparticle-polymer mixtures," J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 23, 285102-1-9 (2011).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Poisson-Boltzmann Theory of Charged Colloids: Limits of the Cell Model for Salty Suspensions," J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 22, 364108-1-12 (2010).   cond-mat

B. Lu and A. R. Denton, "Charge Renormalization, Thermodynamics, and Structure of Deionized Colloidal Suspensions," Communications in Computational Physics 7, 235-249 (2010). Special Issue on Structure Formation and Evolution in Soft Matter/Complex Fluid Systems.   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Charge Renormalization, Effective Interactions, and Thermodynamics of Deionized Colloidal Suspensions," J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20, 494230-1-8 (2008).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Effective Interactions in Soft Materials," in Nanostructured Soft Matter: Experiment, Theory, Simulation and Perspectives, A. V. Zvelindovsky, Ed., pp. 395-433 (Springer, Dordrecht, 2007).   reprint   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Electroneutrality and Phase Behavior of Colloidal Suspensions," Phys. Rev. E 76 , 051401 (2007).   cond-mat

Ben Lu and Alan R. Denton, "Phase Separation of Charge-Stabilized Colloids: A Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo Simulation Study," Phys. Rev. E 75 , 061403-1-10 (2007).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Phase Separation in Charge-Stabilized Colloidal Suspensions: Influence of Nonlinear Screening," Phys. Rev. E 73, 041407-1-14 (2006).   cond-mat

Hao Wang and Alan R. Denton, "Effective Electrostatic Interactions in Solutions of Polyelectrolyte Stars with Rigid Rodlike Arms," J. Chem. Phys. 123, 244901-1-9 (2005).   cond-mat

Alan R. Denton and Matthias Schmidt, "Mixtures of Charged Colloid and Neutral Polymer: Influence of Electrostatic Interactions on Demixing and Interfacial Tension," J. Chem. Phys. 122, 2449111-1-7 (2005).   cond-mat

H. Wang and A. R. Denton, "Effective Electrostatic Interactions in Suspensions of Polyelectrolyte Brush-Coated Colloids," Phys. Rev. E 70, 041404-1-8 (2004).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Nonlinear Screening and Effective Electrostatic Interactions in Charge-Stabilized Colloidal Suspensions," Phys. Rev. E 70, 031404-1-18 (2004).   cond-mat (long)   cond-mat (short)

A. R. Denton, "Counterion Penetration and Effective Electrostatic Interactions in Solutions of Polyelectrolyte Stars and Microgels, " Phys. Rev. E 67, 011804-1-10 (2003).   reprint

M. Schmidt, A. R. Denton, and J. M. Brader, "Fluid Demixing in Colloid-Polymer Mixtures: Influence of Polymer Interactions, " J. Chem. Phys. 118, 1541-1549 (2003).   reprint

A. R. Denton and M. Schmidt, "Colloid-Induced Polymer Compression, " J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 14, 12051-12062 (2002).   cond-mat

M. Schmidt and A. R. Denton, "Demixing of Colloid-Polymer Mixtures in Poor Solvents," Phys. Rev. E 65, 061410-1-6 (2002).   cond-mat

M. Schmidt and A. R. Denton, "Colloids, Polymers, and Needles: Demixing Phase Behavior," Phys. Rev. E 65, 021508-1-8 (2002).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, "Effective Interactions and Volume Energies in Charged Colloids: Linear Response Theory," Phys. Rev. E 62, 3855-3864 (2000).   cond-mat

J. Roth and A. R. Denton, "Solid-Phase Structures of the Dzugutov Pair Potential, " Phys. Rev. E 61, 6845-6857 (2000).   cond-mat

H. Löwen, M. Watzlawek, C. N. Likos, M. Schmidt, A. Jusufi, A. R. Denton, "Phase transitions in colloidal suspensions and star polymer solutions," J. Phys.: Condensed Matter 12, A465-469 (2000).

A. R. Denton, "Effective Interactions and Volume Energies in Charge-Stabilized Colloidal Suspensions," J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 11, 10061-10071 (1999).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, G. Kahl, and J. Hafner, "Freezing of Simple Liquid Metals," J. Non-Crystalline Solids 250-252, 15 (1999).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton and H. Löwen, "Stability of Colloidal Quasicrystals," Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 469-472 (1998).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton and H. Löwen, "Unusual Phase Behaviour from Peculiar Pair Potentials," Prog. Coll. Int. Sci. 104, 160 (1997) [Proceedings of the International Workshop on Optical Methods and the Physics of Colloidal Dispersions, 30.9 -- 1.10.1996, Mainz, Germany]

A. R. Denton and H. Löwen, "Isostructural Solid-Solid Transitions in Square-Shoulder Systems," J. Phys.: Condens. Matt. 9, L1 (1997).

A. R. Denton and H. Löwen, "Influence of Short-Range Attractive and Repulsive Interactions on the Phase Behaviour of Model Colloidal Suspensions," J. Phys.: Condens. Matt. 9, 8907 (1997).

A. R. Denton and J. Hafner, "Thermodynamically Stable One-Component Metallic Quasicrystals," Europhys. Lett. 38, 189 (1997).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton and J. Hafner, "Thermodynamically Stable One-Component Quasicrystals: A Density-Functional Survey of Relative Stabilities," Phys. Rev. B 56, 2469 (1997).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton, P. Nielaba, and N. W. Ashcroft, "Density-Functional Theory of Quantum Freezing: Sensitivity to Liquid-State Structure and Statistics," J. Phys.: Condens. Matt. 9, 4061 (1997).   cond-mat

A. R. Denton and P. A. Egelstaff, "Implicit Finite-Size Effects in Computer Simulations," Z. Phys. B 103, 343 (1997).   cond-mat

J. J. Salacuse, A. R. Denton, and P. A. Egelstaff, "Finite-Size Effects in Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Static Structure Factor and Compressibility I. Theoretical Method," Phys. Rev. E 53, 2382 (1996).

J. J. Salacuse, A. R. Denton, P. A. Egelstaff, M. Tau, and L. Reatto, "Finite-Size Effects in Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Static Structure Factor and Compressibility II. Application to a Model Krypton Fluid," Phys. Rev. E 53, 2390 (1996).

A. R. Denton, N. W. Ashcroft, and W. A. Curtin, "Density-Functional Approach to the Equation of State of a Hard-Sphere Crystal," Phys. Rev. E 51, 65 (1995).

A. R. Denton, C. G. Gray, and D. E. Sullivan, "Orientational Ordering of Surfactant Monolayers Adsorbed at the Air-Water Interface: Structural Model and Fit to Neutron Reflectivity Data," Chem. Phys. Lett. 219, 310-318 (1994).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "Weighted-Density-Functional Theory of Nonuniform Fluid Mixtures: Application to the Structure of Binary Hard-Sphere Mixtures Near a Hard Wall," Phys. Rev. A 44, 8242-8248 (1991).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "Density-Functional Approach to the Structure of Classical Uniform Fluids," Phys. Rev. A 44, 1219-1227 (1991).

A. R. Denton, N. W. Ashcroft, "Vegard's Law," Phys. Rev. A 43, 3161-3164 (1991).

A. R. Denton, P. Nielaba, K. J. Runge and N. W. Ashcroft, "Freezing of a Quantum Hard-Sphere Liquid at Zero Temperature: A Density-Functional Approach," J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 3, 593-607 (1991).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "Weighted-Density-Functional Theory of Nonuniform Fluid Mixtures: Application to Freezing of Binary Hard-Sphere Mixtures," Phys. Rev. A 42, 7312-7329 (1990).

A. R. Denton, P. Nielaba, K. J. Runge, N. W. Ashcroft, "Freezing of a Quantum Hard-Sphere Liquid at Zero Temperature: A Density-Functional Approach," Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 1529-1532 (1990).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "Reply to Comment on 'Modified Weighted-Density-Functional Theory of Nonuniform Classical Liquids'," Phys. Rev. A 41, 2224-2226 (1990).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "Modified Weighted-Density-Functional Theory of Nonuniform Classical Liquids," Phys. Rev. A 39, 4701-4708 (1989).

A. R. Denton and N. W. Ashcroft, "High-Order Direct Correlation Functions of Uniform Classical Liquids," Phys. Rev. A 39, 426-429 (1989).

R. C. Desai and A. R. Denton, "Fractal Properties of Clusters During Spinodal Decomposition," in On Growth and Form, ed. H. E. Stanley, N. Ostrowsky, pp. 237-243 (Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, 1986).