MEAM

Multifunctional soft materials and interfaces create intriguing new opportunities to enhance performance through programmable and adaptable properties. I will discuss: 1) Novel material architectures of solid-liquid soft composites for electronics, 2) Switchable and programmable materials for adhesion control, and 3) Morphing materials for soft robotics. For soft composites, I will show how liquid metal droplets […]

The ability to three-dimensionally pattern semiconducting electronic and optoelectronic materials could provide a transformative approach to creating active electronic devices without the need for a cleanroom or conventional microfabrication facilities. This could enable the generation of active electronics on-the-fly, using only source inks and a portable 3D printer to realize electronics anywhere, anytime, including directly […]

Solid/water interfacial phenomena are pervasive in both natural and built environments. Heat exchangers, membrane pores, and packed bed reactors are all examples of solid/water interfaces where interfacial phenomena and small-scale fluid physics can have outsized influences on process efficacy and sustainability. Even innocuous surfaces such as reactor walls are not inert and can actively interact […]

In the past half-century, partial differential equation (PDE)-based computational models have emerged as indispensable for science and engineering. However, remarkable gaps still exist between state-of-the-art simulations and reality, meaning that many simulations are ineffective in supporting decision-making or design under uncertainty for complex systems (e.g., Mars landing). To bridge the gap and fulfill challenging real-world […]

Wind energy is poised to play a considerable role in the global transition to clean-energy technologies within the next few decades. Modern wind turbines, like aircraft and other aerodynamic structures, are typically designed with the assumption that the flows they encounter will be uniform and steady. However, atmospheric flows are highly unsteady, and systems operating […]

Achieving energy sustainability requires efforts from not only sourcing clean energy, but also storing and dispatching energy whenever and wherever needed, as well as being energy-efficient whenever possible. Two-dimensional (2D) materials hold great promises as mechanical reinforcement in high strength-to-weight ratio structural materials and as next-generation energy-efficient electronic materials, both of which contribute to less […]

While lithium (Li) ion battery technology has had major successes, at the current rate of progress, it is unlikely to meet the mid-century global demands related to full de-carbonization and interruption of fossil fuel usage for transportation and energy generation. The replacement of currently used anodes by Li metal is one of the most promising […]