The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to study the mechanical behavior of biomimetic materials with extreme topological features. This will be carried out by developing predictive theoretical and computational methods to understand the mechanical deformation of biomimetic systems and by performing detailed experiments at the micro- and nanoscale. Mechanical behavior of three different systems will be studied including cellular structures with heterogeneous organization, composites with tough interfaces, and functional polymeric surfaces. The research will provide new understanding of the behavior of biomimetic materials and will elucidate the intricate interplay between topology, structural organization, mechanics and function in these systems. This study will pave the way for creating functional surfaces with controllable frictional, adhesion and mechanical properties and provide guidance for the design of mesoscopic materials with tailorable properties.
The creation of new knowledge on the mechanics of biomimetic materials is expected to have broad implications in the development of multifunctional materials, surface engineering and coatings, tissue engineering, nanotechnology and optics. Strong efforts are planned to link the research results to educational efforts, by developing new courses reflecting interdisciplinary philosophy at the university level and practical training for K-12 students, undergraduates, graduate students and high school teachers. The education and research plans will tie together, by developing an education website "Science of Shapes" in the context of K-12 outreach and by organizing the Science/Technology and Art Workshop (STArt). The outreach activities will affect large bodies of minorities and underrepresented groups, and the project creates an unusually cross-disciplinary and well-rounded PhD experience.
