Ian Hosein
In the never-ending process of optimizing a solution to a problem, everything matters, particularly the materials one uses to fix the problem. And the more complex the solution, the more advanced the materials. One has to choose materials that are perfectly suited to the address the problem at hand.
Often, it is useful to employ composite materials, those that combine two or more separate materials to form another, with new and improved properties. Materials like these are used in things like batteries, solar cells, building materials, anti-stick frying pans and vehicles. The trouble is, they can be difficult and expensive to produce, so companies are always looking for a better way.
In his National Science Foundation CAREER Award-winning proposal, “Fabrication of Composite Material Structures Using Light-Induced Self Writing,” College of Engineering and Computer Science Assistant Professor Ian D. Hosein lays out his plans to use light to “write” composites at the microscale. This approach, also known as photocuring, provides faster production and greater control over the arrangement of materials in fabrication of composite material microstructures. Hosein’s method could unleash an incredible new range of beneficial chemical, mechanical and electrical properties in composites.
