CAREER: Mechanics of Nano-Crumples

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖将支持旨在了解多尺度褶皱纳米结构基本力学行为的研究。褶皱物质在自然界和日常生活中无处不在，既可用于生物学目的，也可用于工程目的。由于其多方面的层次结构，在小尺度上理解褶皱的力学本质上是具有挑战性的。该奖项将开发一个集成的实验计算框架，用于确定和预测由纳米片组成的褶皱物质的复杂行为。预测模型和工具将使能和促进在能量存储、药物输送、固体润滑和纳米复合材料结构中的轻质多功能应用的设计和开发。该项目的教育部分将侧重于知识转移到K-12，本科生和研究生，重点是代表性不足的群体。以视觉艺术和纸艺的形式实施艺术元素将是一个关键策略，通过实践推广活动和令人兴奋的学习材料吸引学生。本项目的目标是建立一个综合的实验计算框架，通过了解纳米级及以上的变形机制，确定和预测纳米褶皱片材的复杂结构和力学行为。该研究将重点关注表面粘附力作为关键驱动力如何通过在分层结构内空间重排应力分布来提高纳米褶皱片材的承载能力和缺陷容限。基本的力学模型的褶皱，粗粒度的分子动力学，力学测试和机器学习将形成的基础的方法。具体研究任务包括：1）理解作为不同尺寸、形状、弹性和粘附力的函数的起皱纳米片的复杂结构; 2）阐明表面粘附力在具有和不具有缺陷或工程切割的纳米起皱的变形中的作用; 3）确定结构-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用的支持基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award will support research that seeks to understand the fundamental mechanical behavior of crumpled nanostructures across multiple scales. Crumpled matter is ubiquitous in nature and daily life, serving both biological and engineered purposes. Understanding the mechanics of crumples at small scales is inherently challenging due to their multifaceted hierarchical structure. This award will develop an integrated experimental-computational framework for determining and predicting the complex behavior of crumpled matter composed of nano-sheets. The predictive models and tools will enable and facilitate the design and development of lightweight, multifunctional applications in energy storage, drug delivery, solid lubrication, and nanocomposite-based structures. The education component of this project will focus on knowledge transfer to K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students with emphasis on underrepresented groups. The implementation of artistic elements in the form of visual and paper arts will be a key strategy to engage students through hands-on outreach activities and exciting learning material.The objective of this project is to establish an integrated experimental-computational framework to determine and predict the complex structural and mechanical behavior of nano-crumpled sheets by understanding their deformation mechanisms at the nanoscale and above. The research will focus on how surface adhesion as a key driving force could improve the load-bearing capacity and flaw tolerance of nano-crumpled sheets by spatially rearranging stress distributions within a hierarchical structure. Basic mechanics models of crumples, coarse-grained molecular dynamics, mechanical testing, and machine learning will form the bases of the approach. Specific research tasks include: 1) Understanding the complex structure of crumpled nanosheets as a function of varying sizes, shapes, elasticity, and adhesion; 2) Elucidating the role of surface adhesion in the deformation of nano-crumples with and without defects or engineered cuts; 3) Determining structure-property correlations operative at the nanoscale and higher.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.