Physics Colloquium with Bo Li

Abstract

Next-generation coatings and flexible electronics are pivotal for advancing human-machine interfaces in artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and healthcare. Polymer substrates and textiles offer inherently flexible and lightweight platforms that can host functional coatings and electronics built from nanomaterials. However, the stark differences in chemical structure, mechanical properties, solvent affinity, and other physical characteristics between nanomaterials and polymers pose significant challenges during fabrication and application.

The Hybrid Nano-architecture and Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (HNAM), under the leadership of Dr. Bo Li, is addressing these challenges by engineering the interfacial interactions between nanomaterials and polymers. In this colloquium talk, two primary research directions will be shared:

1. Eco-friendly, Water-based Manufacturing: This approach utilizes controlled fields (e.g., acoustic, flow, and salt modulation) to fine-tune the interactions between nanomaterials and polymers during assembly. This method enables scalable and versatile combinations of materials, supporting the production of high-performance coatings and flexible electronics in an environmentally conscious manner.

2. Atomic Template-Directed Polymer Assembly: Here, the intrinsic atomic templating properties of two-dimensional nanomaterials are exploited to guide the organization of polymer chains. This strategy creates nanoscale, highly ordered polymer structures on the surface of nanomaterials, leading to the formation of advanced nano-hybrid devices with enhanced functionalities.

Together, these innovative strategies aim to overcome the intrinsic material disparities and unlock the full potential of nanomaterial–polymer hybrids for next-generation electronic and coating applications.

Bio

Bo Li is an Associate Professor at the Hybrid Nano-architecture and Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (HNAM),Department of Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University.