Kevin Dorfman

Kevin Dorfman is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Department Head in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, specializing in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

• Research focuses on polymer physics, DNA biophysics, and microfluidics.
• Collaborations include Frank Bates, Chris Ellison, and Xiang Cheng.
• Shared resources: Minnesota Supercomputing Institute and Minnesota Nanofabrication Center.

Research Interests include:

• Theoretical and computational polymer physics: Self-consistent field theory for predicting phase behavior in block polymers.
• Nanostructured materials: Frank-Kasper phases, micelle dynamics, and network phase formation in thin films.
• Biophysics of confined DNA: Nanochannel electrophoresis, bacterial nucleoid organization, and knot diffusion.
• Plastic recycling: Thermodynamic and mechanical properties of block polymer compatibilizers.

Publications highlight collaborative work on:

• Self-assembly of block polymers in thin films and melts.
• Mechanistic studies of DNA behavior in nanoscale confinement.
• Computational discovery of novel nanostructures via particle swarm optimization.
• Interfacial tension analysis in polymer blends.

Group Members include graduate students and undergraduates working on polymer simulations, DNA biophysics, and microfluidic device applications.

Key Collaborations span institutions, including Zhen-Gang Wang (Caltech) and David Morse (University of Minnesota).