The KABlab studies hierarchically structured soft materials including polymers and smart fluids. However, to interrogate, design, and control these materials across all relevant scales requires innovations in instrumentation and novel approaches to accelerating research more generally.
ACCELERATING RESEARCH
nanocombinatorics & autonomous research
Interrogating numerous length scales requires new approaches as existing Edisonian techniques are hopelessly outmatched by the vast parameter space. We apply two emerging techniques to address this, (1) the development of novel nanocombinatorial approaches that leverage scanning probes to interrogate and pattern small scale materials and (2) autonomous research systems in which automation is partnered with machine learning to vastly accelerate the rate of knowledge generation.
A Bayesian Experimental Autonomous Researcher for Mechanical Design, Science Advances (2020)
Designing lattices for impact protection using transfer learning, Matter (2022)
Driving school for self-driving labs, Digital Discovery (2023)
Superlative mechanical energy absorbing efficiency discovered through self-driving lab-human partnership, Nature Comm. (2024)
PARTICLES
fundamental properties to smart fluids
Nanoparticles are fascinating and useful materials that can exhibit extraordinary properties. When interacting, collections of particles can lead to the emergence of novel bulk properties and form smart fluids whose properties change with applied fields. We study the properties of individual particles such as their polarizability and connect them to a continuum picture of smart fluids to rationally design new methods of assembly and smart fluids more generally. Systems of interest include liquid marbles, magnetorheological fluids, and electrohydrodynamic effects.
Measuring Nanoparticle Polarizability using Fluorescence Microscopy, Nano. Lett. (2019)
Dielectrophoresis of Air, Appl. Phys. Lett. (2020)
Magnetorheological Fluid-Based Flow Control for Soft Robots, Soft Robotics (2020)
Electric field induced macroscopic cellular phase of nanoparticles, Soft Matter (2022)
POLYMERS
mechanics from molecules to structures
Nature uses structures with many length scales to form extraordinary materials using otherwise mundane constituents. We take inspiration from this and seek to identify the most effective ways to combine materials in three dimensional arrangements. Projects in this area include fundamental studies of polymer nanomechanics, developing novel ways to pattern soft polymers, and the design of macroscopic structures for superlative properties such as energy absorption.
Polymer Nanomechanics: Separating the Size Effect from the Substrate Effect in Nanoindentation, Appl. Phys. Lett. (2017)
Confinement Induced Stiffening of Elastomer Thin Films, J. Phys. Chem. B (2018)
Foams with 3D Spatially Programmed Mechanics Enabled by Autonomous Active Learning on Viscous Thread Printing Advanced Science (2024)
Electrodeposition of Polymer Networks as Conformal and Uniform Ultrathin Coatings Advancer Materials (2024)
Assistant Professor Keith A. Brown leads the interdisciplinary KABLab. He holds appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Physics
We gratefully acknowledge support from:
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) FA9550-1-16-1-0150
The National Science Foundation
Nanomanufacturing (NM) CMMI-1661412
The American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
Doctoral New Investigator 57452-DNI9
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The Moorman-Simon Interdisciplinary Career Development Professorship
Faculty Research Award
The Boston University College of Engineering
Dean's Catalyst Award 2018
Dean's Catalyst Award 2020
The Boston University Nanotechnology Innovation Center (BUnano)
The Boston University Division of Materials Science & Engineering
MSE Innovation Award