题目：Developing Multifunctional Materials through Nature-inspired Hierarchical Strategy
时间：2024年5月9日 10:30-11:30
地点：机械与动力工程学院 振华会议室
邀请人：王如竹 教授（制冷与低温工程研究所）
Biography
Dr. Wei ZHAI is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research group at NUS currently focuses on developing advanced multifunctional materials, including hydrogels, lattice structures, and composites, through bio-inspired hierarchical strategies. She has developed various multiscale manufacturing technologies including additive manufacturing and freeze casting to achieve control over material structures across multiple length scales. Since joining NUS in 2019, her team has published articles in journals, including Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, Materials Today, Advanced Functional Materials, ACS Nano, etc.
Dr Zhai received her B.Eng. from the University of Science and Technology Beijing in 2011 and her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2015. She worked as a Research Scientist at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, A*STAR, from 2015 to 2019. She currently serves as the Editor for Materials & Design and Section Editor on porous materials for Materials Today Communications.
Abstract
Drawing inspiration from the complex hierarchical structures of natural materials such as wood, nacre, and muscle—which simultaneously exhibit high strength and toughness—our research focuses on the development of multifunctional materials via nature-inspired hierarchical strategies. In this talk, I will highlight our work on a freeze-casting-assisted solution substitution strategy for strong and tough conductive organo-hydrogels. We have achieved PVA-based organo-hydrogel materials with tendon-like hierarchical structures and remarkable stretchability, strength (20.78 MPa), and fracture toughness (260 MJ/m³) for potential applications in flexible electronics and sensing. Furthermore, we have developed a hierarchical strategy via direct-ink-write 3D printing, which integrates shear-induced alignment of ceramic platelets within a polymer matrix at the unit strut level, and further 3D prints the unit struts into macro-structures for desired bio-inspired properties. This strategy can translate mechanical mechanisms from natural materials into composite organo-hydrogels with tunable stiffness, strength, and toughness. Additionally, our hierarchical strategy extends to multifunctional aerogels, achieved by combining electrospinning with freeze casting, resulting in dual fiber reinforcement and nanoparticle doping for enhancements in both mechanical and functional properties. Through our efforts, we aim to integrate nature's intricate design principles with our multiscale manufacturing technologies, paving the way for the creation of innovative multifunctional materials for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
