This journal is©The Royal Society of Chemistry 2018 Soft Matter

Cite this:DOI: 10.1039/c8sm90077a

Electrostatics and Soft Matter: a ThemedCollection in memory of Per Linse

Christos N. Likos a and Joakim Stenhammar b

The fields of colloidal science and electro-statics have been very closely connectedsince the beginning of the former. Anydielectric discontinuity between suspendedcolloidal particles and the solvent will leadto electrostatic interactions between fluctu-ating dipoles (dispersion forces), even inthe absence of net charges on the colloids.For aqueous solvents, which dominate inNature, the polar nature of the solventmolecules causes ion dissociation oncolloidal surfaces, giving rise to chargedcolloids and their suspensions, which havebeen the focus of soft matter scientists fordecades. Polyelectrolytes, polyampholytesand charged cross-linked polymers (ionicmicrogels) continue to attract the interestof scientists across the disciplines, funda-mental and applied ones alike, confrontingthem with new questions. Charged, bio-logically relevant molecules of various sizesand architectures, ranging from DNA toproteins, have entered the stage of softmatter research introducing novel, multi-scale challenges in which electrostaticinteractions play a major role. In the out-of-equilibrium realm, phenomena relatedto the nanofluidic transport of chargedentities, electroosmosis or DNA trans-location fascinate researchers across thedisciplines. Electrostatics and soft mattercontinue to form a tightly bound entity,stimulating active, ongoing research, and a

Themed Collection on the combination ofthe two is thus as timely as ever.

In addition to the scientific reasons, arecent sad event has motivated us to puttogether this Themed Collection on thetopic of Electrostatics and Soft Matter. Thecollection is dedicated to the memory ofProfessor Per Linse, who tragically passedaway in March 2017 at the age of 61. Perspent most of his scientific career at LundUniversity, Sweden, where he also receivedhis PhD in 1984. Starting his PhD researchwith experimental NMR studies of ion bind-ing to macromolecules, Per soon moved intothe field of statistical-mechanical theory andsimulations, where he quickly become oneof the pioneers. After a postdoctoral stay atStanford University, he returned to Lundwhere he set up a research program largelyfocusing on the fundamental and appliedaspects of electrostatics in soft matter sys-tems. His many important contributionsto the soft matter field over the followingdecades encompassed studies of the struc-tural properties of liquid and solid benzene,highly charged colloidal suspensions, struc-tural properties of polyelectrolytes and theircomplexes, block copolymer self-assembly,polymer adsorption at surfaces, self-assembly of anisotropic colloids, and therole of dielectric discontinuities in colloidalsystems. Over the course of his career, Peralso developed a large software base forscientific computing, most notably the inte-grated Monte Carlo and molecular dynamicscode MOLSIM, which is used by manyscientists worldwide. During this software

development, Per contributed significantlyto the technical development of molecularsimulations, in particular with respect to theEwald summation technique as used whensimulating charged, dipolar and polarizablesystems.

Per was a leading scientist and a verykind, generous and patient mentor for alarge number of younger scientists. We willremember him not only for his pioneeringcontributions to science, but also for hisscientific integrity and generosity, and forhis unparalleled human qualities as a col-league and friend, all clearly visible throughhis large number of scientific collaborations.To honour the memory and scientific legacyof Per Linse, we are pleased to present thisThemed Collection on Electrostatics and SoftMatter. It contains a broad collection ofhigh-quality papers from leaders within thefield, several of which are previous collabora-tors and colleagues of Per.

Professor Per Linse. Photograph usedwith permission from Per Linse’s family.

a Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austriab Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, Lund,

Sweden

DOI: 10.1039/c8sm90077a

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