Functionalized nanomaterials

Biomaterials and devices

Multifunctional material systems

Multiscale Modeling

Intelligent systems

Education and outreach

Participants and sponsors

Multiscale Modeling

Modeling the properties and characteristics of materials systems across the temporal and spatial scales from nano to macro levels.

To develop full scale structural systems to satisfy the challenging design requirements of futuristic aerospace vehicles requires an integrated understanding of engineered material properties across all spatial and temporal scales. Fundamental research in materials and structure design now considers a third approach, modeling and simulation, as a complement to theory and experimentation. Integrating physical testing, advanced computations and system simulation could dramatically reduce the design and development time and costs.

The development of nanotubes has fostered an opportunity to fabricate high strength-to-weight ratio nanocomposites. Breakthroughs in nanotube science, production and functionalization are leading to developing advanced nanocomposites for aerospace applications. This research will purify and functionalize carbon nanotubes to enable new nanotube polymeric and ceramic composites that have electrically conductive, switchable molecular properties, including nanoshells.

Further development of nanocomposites will be to make them tunable, adaptive, self-healing and stress-smart sensing systems. These materials will enable a revolution in air and space travel by increasing intelligence in aerospace systems and vehicles while reducing mass, size and power consumption.

Research goals:

• Strength of SWNT: mechanisms and limits via theory and simulations
• Life assessment of materials and structures
• Tensegrity mechanics at the nanoscale: nanotubes+polymer designs
• Detailed computations identify ground state structure of Si nanowires as pentagonal polycrystalline
  

Team Leader: (click name for contact info)

Boris I. Yakobson
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Rice University

Team members: (click name for contact info)

B. Montgomery Pettitt
Department of Chemistry
University of Houston

Pradeep Sharma
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston

Lewis T. Wheeler
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston

John D. Whitcomb
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University