CAREER: Integrated Research and Education on the Electro-Mechanical Behavior of Multifunctional Structural Coatings

这个教师早期职业发展（Career）项目是一个以碳纳米管（CNT）为基础的多功能涂层为中心的综合研究和教育研究。多功能涂料是具有多种工程功能的材料体系。主要研究目标是推导和验证多层碳纳米管聚电解质（PE）薄膜的基本机电行为。它们的耦合电气和机械性能将通过实验、理论特征和不同长度尺度的数值模拟来测试。首先，CNT-PE薄膜将进行力学、断裂和粘弹性测试。然后推导并验证了一个微机电模型，用于模拟薄膜对不同类型负载的机电响应。接下来，该模型将用于评估缺陷对体膜线性/非线性性能的影响，以及大型涂层的不均匀性的影响。最后，将创建一个包含机电性能空间变化的有限元模型，用于评估和比较其空间感知和机械行为的实验。这项研究将从物理学的角度解释为什么这些纳米复合材料具有如此独特的线性/非线性和静态/时间相关的机电行为。研究的影响将是新的理论、数值模型和实验数据的推导，这些理论、数值模型和实验数据从整体上和不同的长度尺度上描述了这些基于碳纳米管的多功能薄膜的机电行为。所开发的实验方法、分析技术和模型适用于广泛的纳米复合材料和涂层。将产生多物理场建模、力学、材料科学、纳米工程、传感器系统和多功能涂层等领域的新知识和创新。吸取的经验教训将促进未来涂料在实际应用中的实施。作为CAREER项目的一部分，还有一个教育/推广计划，为未来的学生/劳动力提供知识、技能和商业培训，使他们能够在纳米技术支持的多功能材料领域追求并确保职业发展。加州大学戴维斯分校和洛斯里奥斯社区学院将开发一个传感纳米科学系列课程。来自代表性不足和经济弱势群体的学生和女学生将被招募参加这项新的努力和研究。课程和研究成果将通过网站、在线视频、演示文稿和出版物传播。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is an integrated research and education study centered on carbon nanotube (CNT)-based multifunctional coatings. Multifunctional coatings are material systems intentionally encoded with multiple engineering functionalities. The main research objective is to derive and validate the fundamental electromechanical behavior of multifunctional layer-by-layer CNT-polyelectrolyte (PE) thin films. Their coupled electrical and mechanical properties will be tested using experiments, characterized by theory, and simulated numerically across different length scales. First, CNT-PE thin films will be subjected to mechanical, fracture, and viscoelastic tests. A micro-electro-mechanical model will then be derived and validated for simulating thin film electromechanical response to different types of applied loads. Next, the model will be used to evaluate the effects of defects on bulk film linear/non-linear properties, as well as the effects of inhomogeneity of large coatings. Finally, a finite element model that incorporates spatial variations of electromechanical properties will be created for assessing and comparing to experiments their spatial sensing and mechanical behavior. This research will explain, from a physics standpoint, why these nanocomposites possess such unique linear/non-linear and static/time-dependent electromechanical behavior. The research impacts will be the derivation of new theory, numerical models, and experimental data that describe, in a holistic sense and across different length scales, the electromechanical behavior of these CNT-based multifunctional thin films. The experimental methods, analysis techniques, and models developed are applicable to a broad array of nanocomposites and coatings. New knowledge and innovations in areas such as multi-physics modeling, mechanics, materials science, nano-engineering, sensor systems, and multifunctional coatings will be generated. The lessons learned will facilitate the implementation of future coatings in real-world applications. Integral to this CAREER project is also an education/outreach plan to equip future students/workforce with the knowledge, skills, and business training for them to pursue and secure careers in nanotechnology-enabled multifunctional materials. A nanoscience for sensing course series will be developed at UC Davis and the Los Rios Community Colleges. Students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged groups and female students will be recruited for this new effort and for research. Course and research results will be disseminated via a website, online videos, presentations, and publications.