Speaker: Boyce Chang, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Title: High Precision Nanomaterials through Self-Assembly
Abstract: Nature has the ability to build nanostructures with unparalleled precision. Inspired by this, soft materials such as block copolymers (BCP) and polymer-grafted nanocrystals (PGNC) have demonstrated a plethora of hierarchical assemblies and programmable properties. Despite recent developments in structural control, there remains challenges in long-range orientational control and understanding their structure-property relations, thus, creating a hurdle for fabricating functional devices. In this seminar, Dr. Chang will discuss i) effects of spatial control on thermal transport in BCP nanocomposites and ii) strategies to control long-range orientational order in soft materials such as BCP and PGNCs. First, the utility of BCPs as a self-assembling matrix that forms percolating networks will be highlighted. This work will demonstrate the advantages of a well-defined nanocomposite in guiding our understanding of structure-property relations. Second, strategies to control the long-range orientational order of BCPs and PGNCs will be discussed. Techniques such as graphoepitaxy and chemoepitaxy will be demonstrated, allowing large area patterning. Overall, this talk provides insights into the power of self-assembly in creating functional materials and strategies employed to harness it.
Bio: Boyce Chang is a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He completed his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (2018) at Iowa State University, which shaped his research interest in soft materials. In addition to the Graduate College Research and Teaching award, he was granted research fellowships from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Critical Materials Institute at Ames Laboratory. More recently, he received the MRS Best Oral Presentation award (2021). He contributed to more than 30 publications including peer reviewed articles, patents and conference presentations.