Engineering of Soft Materials

Soft materials are an integral part of everyday life. These materials are present in a state of matter between liquid and solid, and their macroscopic behavior is the result of interactions at the mesoscopic scale, the collective organization of atoms and molecules.

The overarching theme of research in this area, as well our research on functional materials, is rational design and development of materials with unique structures, properties, and function. Key research themes include polymeric and polymer matrix composite materials, nanoscale self-assembly and organization, nano- and mesoscale-interfacial engineering, polymer synthesis and functionalization, patterning semiconductors, organic/inorganic elastomers, and rheology. Areas of applications include thin film devices, smart coatings, structural materials, nanomedicine, and renewable energy.