The field of magnetic soft matter is emerging as a cornerstone of modern soft matter science, at the crossroads of materials physics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, and robotics. With rapid advances in the design and control of magnetically responsive systems, this domain is seeing growing interest across disciplines for its ability to couple remote, non-contact magnetic actuation with complex, tunable mechanical and physicochemical responses.
This three-day workshop (June 8-10) will gather researchers working on 1) magnetic soft actuators, magnetostrictive elastomers, field-responsive gels, and magnetic colloids, as well as 2) specialists of magnetic hyperthermia across various domains.
- Soft magnetic actuators, in particular, are opening transformative possibilities for untethered robotic systems, adaptive surfaces, and microscale manipulation. By exploiting magnetically induced deformation, locomotion, or structural reconfiguration, these systems challenge conventional paradigms of actuation and offer unique advantages in terms of scalability, reprogrammability, and integration into complex environments - including biological tissues and constrained architectures. Their development calls for a deep understanding of magneto-mechanical coupling, polymer rheology, and the design of anisotropic or architectured soft composites.
- While biomedical applications - such as localized cancer therapy and smart drug delivery - have long motivated work in magnetic hyperthermia, there is growing recognition of its transformative potential in materials science and chemistry. Magnetic heating provides a unique route for spatiotemporal control over reactions and phase transitions, enabling, for instance, localized repair or reshaping of elastomers, the development of original thermoset architectures, or the activation of catalytic pathways under safer, more energy-efficient conditions.
The timeliness of this theme lies in the convergence of tools (magnetic field generators and measurement devices) and ideas across soft robotics, magneto-responsive chemistry, and soft condensed matter physics. By promoting dialogue between traditionally distinct communities, the workshop will help define new directions for field-controlled materials and dynamic soft systems.
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