Michael Rubinstein

Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

The research of the Rubinstein group is in the field of polymer theory and computer simulations. The unique properties of polymeric systems are due to the size, topology and interactions of the molecules they are made of. Our goal is to understand the properties of various polymeric systems and to design new systems with even more interesting and useful properties.

Our approach is based upon building and solving simple molecular models of different polymeric systems. The models we develop are simple enough to be solved either analytically or numerically, but contain the main features leading to unique properties of real polymers. Computer simulations of our models serve as an important bridge between analytical calculations and experiments.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor
  • Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Professor of Chemistry
  • Professor of Physics

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 3377 CIEMAS Building, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708
  • Office Phone: (919) 660-5365
  • Email Address: michael.rubinstein@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • Ph.D. Harvard University , 1983

Research Interests

Polymer theory and computer simulations

Courses Taught

  • BME 590: Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
  • CHEM 543: Statistical Thermodynamics
  • CHEM 544: Statistical Mechanics
  • ME 490: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • PHYSICS 590: Selected Topics in Theoretical Physics

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Huang, Q., J. Ahn, D. Parisi, T. Chang, O. Hassager, S. Panyukov, M. Rubinstein, and D. Vlassopoulos. “Unexpected Stretching of Entangled Ring Macromolecules.” Physical Review Letters 122, no. 20 (May 2019): 208001. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.122.208001.
  • Wang, S., S. Panyukov, M. Rubinstein, and S. L. Craig. “Quantitative Adjustment to the Molecular Energy Parameter in the Lake-Thomas Theory of Polymer Fracture Energy.” Macromolecules 52, no. 7 (April 9, 2019): 2772–77. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02341.
  • Galati, Elizabeth, Huachen Tao, Moritz Tebbe, Rija Ansari, Michael Rubinstein, Ekaterina B. Zhulina, and Eugenia Kumacheva. “Helicoidal Patterning of Nanorods with Polymer Ligands.” Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English) 58, no. 10 (March 2019): 3123–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201812887.