Reconfigurable Matter from Programmable Atom Equivalents
Abstract
In order to make next-generation materials and devices–especially those of interest to the AirForce Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Department of Defense (DoD)–novelmaterial building blocks must be designed and synthesized, and new tools must be developed toassemble them, in a highly programmable manner, into complex, responsive architectures whereproperties can be adjusted on-demand. Taking inspiration from Nature, biomolecules such asDNA will be used to program the assembly of nanoscale building blocks into a new class ofstructurally sophisticated, reconfigurable, and highly functional materials. A highly qualified,multidisciplinary team will conduct this transformational research. Professor Chad Mirkin is aworld-renowned expert in nanoparticle synthesis, nanoscale patterning, and biomolecularassembly and characterization. Professor Vinayak Dravid has pioneered advancedcharacterization techniques for hard and soft nanoscale architectures. Professor David Harris isan emerging leader in the design and synthesis of responsive metal-organic frameworks and anexpert in magnetism. Professor Koray Aydin is an expert in metamaterial properties, includingboth the simulation and measurement of emergent optical phenomena.Our team’s unique genetic approach to materials design will lead to the creation of a newphase space of reconfigurable materials with well-defined, sophisticated structures that exhibitboth fundamentally insightful and technologically important properties. Top-performingmaterials are expected to open new areas of research within metamaterials design and synthesis,ultra-sensitive chemical and biological detection, data storage, magnetic and electronic devicefabrication, and solar energy harvesting, among others, and enable new applications of particularimportance to the AFOSR and DoD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 11, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501710348
Entities
People
- Chad Mirkin
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Northwestern University
- United States Air Force