The Multifunctional Materials | Micro-and-Nanostructuring Laboratory (M3 Lab) focuses on advancing the science and improving the technology to tailor the multifunctionality of bio, flexible, light-weight, and/or smart material systems. Our research focuses on advanced polymer systems, including their blends, composites, nanocomposites, and foams, with tailored properties that are comparable to metals and ceramics (e.g., thermal and/or electrical conductivities), while maintaining the benefits of polymers (e.g., good manufacturability and low density). With a unifying theme centered upon the design and fabrication of multifunctional materials, our research ranges from fundamental science to emerging technology.
 Our research on bio multifunctional materials focuses on developing a new generation of materials that are bio-based, biocompatible, bioactive, and/or bioabsorbable. Biobased materials are derived from renewable biomass resources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, or pea starch. These material systems will support the earth by offering reduced carbon footprints and improved end-of-life options. The scope of this research aims to develop bulk or surface engineered multifunctional biomaterials that will promote environmental sustainability and/or will advance the science and technology in microfluidic devices, tissue engineering, controlled drug delivery, and other emerging biomedical applications. |
 The development of flexible multifunctional materials is researched, with the goal of expanding the potential scope and market of modern electronic devices in the areas of biomedical devices, computation, communications, displays, e-textile, sensing, and energy harvesting. The use of soft polymeric substrates with micro-and-nanostructured morphology and/or with 3-dimensional multifunctional filler network to design and fabricate new flexible engineered micro-and-nanostructured materials are studied. Flexible material systems that are capable of harvesting energy from waste heat, spatial mapping, and/or responding to external stimuli are also designed and developed in this research. |
 One of our research directions focuses on adding functionality into light-weight materials such as polymeric composite foams through the development of 3-dimensional functional filler network. Supercritical fluid will be used not only to generate the micro-and-nanocellular structures but also to tailor the crystallization kinetics. Such materials offer low density with additional functionality such as electrically conductive or insulative, thermally conductive or insulative, acoustic insulation, as well as tailored stiffness and strength. The research will facilitate the development of fuel efficiency and high performance automobiles and aircrafts. In addition, the light-weight multifunctional materials will help to reduce the material costs. |
 The research of smart multifunctional materials design and fabricate an emerging class of advanced materials that possess tailored structural and non-structural functions. They have the ability to respond to different stimuli, such as biological, chemical, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, thermal, and optical. The goal of this research program includes developing and evaluating smart nanomaterials and nanocomposites that can significantly alter its property, such as viscosity, volume, and conductivity. This research will result in the fabrication of new smart multifunctional materials for e-textile sensors, actuators systems, and energy harvester. |