The development of functional materials with rationally designed hierarchical structure is an interdisciplinary challenge. Looking to nature for inspiration, we use small molecules that
engage in directed self-assembly through carefully tuned intermolecular interactions to construct
materials that have structure at multiple length scales. In this work, supramolecular structures
formed using...
Engineering responses of soft materials at hierarchical time and length scales is of great interest to both fundamental science and technological applications. In recent years, the hybridization between emerging soft condense matters and conventional hard condense matters keeps enriching the materials library of humankind and opens another largely-uncharted venue for...
In the face of a changing climate caused by anthropomorphic release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, major governments have committed to the reduction of CO2 and other emissions over time, requiring increased reliance on forms of carbon-free renewable energy. The inherent intermittency of renewable electricity sources creates a...
Solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells (SOFCs and SOECs) must be engineered with the entire lifetime of their performance in mind. Electrochemical activity will decrease as degradative processes take effect, leading to higher overpotentials and decreased power outputs. Materials science and engineering can stave off these inefficiencies through an understanding...
Dendritic microstructures form during the solidification of a variety of metal parts, from traditionally cast engine blocks to 3D-printed specialty tooling. These dendrites can evolve through growth, coarsening, fragmentation, and the formation of a Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition (CET), which all can greatly affect material properties. However, the basic science behind these...
Interfacial science brings together diverse areas of interest such as electronic materials, quantum materials, bio-membranes and catalysts. In-situ X-ray characterization techniques can be used to understand the assembly of atoms, molecules and supported nanoparticles at interfaces in complex environments. This thesis work focuses on the use of various X-ray characterization...
Graphene oxide (GO) is a heavily oxidized version of graphene, which is often made by oxidative chemical exfoliation from graphite powders. The reaction decorates the graphene sheets with oxygen-containing functional groups including hydroxyl and epoxide groups on the basal plane, as well as carboxyl groups on the edge, rendering the...
The past decade has seen the rapid progress of deep learning, which becomes a game-changing technique in different data-intensive domains, with the availability of large scale data, cost-effective computing hardware and more advanced learning theory and algorithms. Despite of the rapid progress of deep learning methods in daily-life applications, such...
The successful isolation of graphene marked the advent of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Their atomically thin structures enable unprecedented electrical, optical, and mechanical properties, which have triggered significant research interests in the past decade. For instance, they are promising candidates for the fabrication of flexible electronics, biological sensors, battery electrodes, and...
Thermoelectric devices utilize semiconducting n-type and p-type thermoelectric materials to convert heat into electricity. Despite their promise for deep space power generation or waste heat recovery, most high-performing thermoelectric materials reported in literature are absent in practical applications - partially due to inconsistent synthesis and poor mechanical performance. This work...