Remembering Rudi Podgornik - Charged Liquids, Electrified Interfaces and More

Explore the groundbreaking contributions of the late Professor Rudolf Podgornik to charged soft matter physics in this memorial lecture from a workshop on charged soft matter. Delve into Podgornik's significant work across five key research areas: DNA physics, virus capsids, the Casimir effect, fluctuation-induced interactions, and the role of electric charge in soft matter systems. Examine two contemporary projects in charged soft matter research, beginning with the surface tension of electrolytes—a topic with a century-long history starting with Onsager's pioneering work—approached through a field-theoretical framework that incorporates ionic specificity based on the Hofmeister series. Investigate the concept of charge regulation as a more realistic approach to understanding biomolecules with dissociable charges in aqueous environments, including recent modeling developments and applications to proteins, polyelectrolytes, and membranes.