We are working on interdisciplinary projects at the interface of polymer science, molecular assembly, and 3D manufacturing, with the aim to develop new materials (active polymers, 2D materials, inorganic nanostructures), and new fabrication/manufacturing techniques for their applications in biological and energy systems.
Current Research Projects:
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Additive Manufacturing of Functional Elastomers and Composites
In this project, we focus on the 3D printing of functional elastomers and composites, including thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and rubber, as well as their hybrid materials with the incorporation of functional nanofillers. Details can be found in the following recent work.​​
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Molecular Engineering and Integration of Perovskite Nanomaterials with Polymers for Flexible Multifunctional Optical Materials (Funded by NSF)
In this project, we are developing a new type of multifunctional hybrid materials based on chemical modification and precise assembly of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). Distinct from conventional co-assembly of the inorganic nanoparticles with block copolymers, we design and customize the surface chemistry of the perovskite NPs and the chemical state of the polymer blocks in the TPEs, which will enable high compatibility and strong preferential interactions between the perovskite NPs and a particular polymer block. Multifunctional, highly stable and stretchable perovskite-TPE composite materials can be achieved.​​
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Hierarchical Biocomposites with Exceptional Properties from Synergistic Microbial Biosynthesis (Funded by DoD)​
We are developing a fundamentally new approach for the scalable and sustainable production of biocomposites with high thermal conductivity by designed microbial biosynthesis. Our approach minimizes energy cost and synthetic inputs, at the same time, enables precise internal structure control and property tuning. This research will not only provide new biocomposites for thermal management, but also provides a versatile platform for composites with tunable structures and compositions for applications including biomedicine, sensing, energy storage, and soft robotics.​​
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Functional Materials and Structures Based on Integration of 2D Layered Materials with Polymers
In this project, we focus on the integration of functional polymers and atomically thin 2D materials in a synergistic way to create hybrid materials and structures for adaptive composites, functional coatings, biosensing, and flexible electronics. Details can be found in the following recent work.​​
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Hybrid Materials and Devices for Energy Storage and Electronics
In this project, we focus on integrating conductive or semiconducting nanomaterials with polymers, and use micro/nanopatterning techniques to create hierarchical hybrid structures for energy and electronics applications.
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Microstructural tuning of polyaniline with monolayer graphene and polydopamine for flexible supercapacitors.​​
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Other Ongoing Projects......
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