PhD Researcher · Rice University

Maximo T. Estrada

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Investigating how molecular-scale interactions shape the behavior of complex materials and biological systems.

Maximo T. Estrada
Rice UniversityChemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Research

Questions that move across scales.

From molecular interactions to measurable performance, this work seeks principles that explain—and ultimately help design—complex chemical and biological systems.

Research direction

Thesis Statement

My thesis develops a fully three-dimensional, orientation-resolved iSAFT-CDFT framework for describing rigid, higher-order association and dipole-coupled interactions in spatially inhomogeneous fluids. Validated against molecular simulation, the framework will determine how bonding geometry and molecular architecture govern network formation, interfacial structure, and the self-assembly of biologically relevant polymers, micelles, and vesicles. The central thesis is that explicitly resolving molecular orientation and association geometry captures structural behavior that conventional orientation-averaged theories cannot represent.

About

Connecting molecular insight to real-world systems.

I am a doctoral researcher in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. My work combines fundamental science, quantitative analysis, and collaborative experimentation to understand complex systems.

  • ProgramPhD, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
  • InstitutionRice University
  • LocationHouston, Texas

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