These advances are applicable to microelectronics, renewable fuels, national security, and advanced textiles. The lab also develops methods to scale production of innovative materials for manufacturing.
The lab focuses on developing organic-inorganic hybrid materials that improve the performance, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact of electronics and energy production. For example, researchers modified the surface properties of sorbents used to soak up toxic substances after oil spills to make them more effective, stable, and environmentally friendly.
Research Goals
- Novel materials: Converting organic polymers into organic-inorganic hybrid materials
- Electrical, thermal, and mass transport: Understanding these processes at organic-inorganic interfaces
- Material functionality: Three-dimensional (3D) structuring at the micro/nano scale for enhanced and new functionalities
- Microelectronics: Controlling heat flow and enabling operation at higher power and speeds
- Solar fuel cells: Stabilizing metal-organic dyes and catalysts
Activities
- Materials: Textiles, polymers, ceramics, nanostructures, etc.
- Processing: Atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, vapor phase infiltration, etc.
- Vacuum equipment: Design and construction
- Materials science and characterization: Surface plasmon resonance, interfacial thermal conductance, chain-chain interactions, etc.
Leadership
Dr. Losego is faculty founder and director of The Materials Innovation and Learning Laboratory (The MILL), a student-operated makerspace in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering