February 10
@
4:00 PM
–
5:00 PM
UW-Madison Department of Materials Science and Engineering welcomes Dr. Dylan M. Barber. Their presentation on “AI-driven Computational Predictions for Polymeric Materials” will be on Monday, Feb. 10 in MS&E 265 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Abstract
Controlling structure and material properties across length scales could revolutionize fields ranging from energy storage to bioelectronics. In this talk, I will demonstrate structural control in three materials systems spanning the molecular, meso-, and macroscale. I will begin with small molecules and polymers by highlighting the rational design and synthesis of zwitterionic liquids that exhibit low viscosity and high dielectric permittivity, then describe an emerging class of polarizable elastomers. Next, inspired by natural hierarchical materials, I will move to larger length-scales, introducing a pathway to self-bundling mesoscale polymer filaments. Finally, I will describe a “print-and-plate” method for creating architected porous electrodes based on 3D periodic lattices for understanding electrochemical flow systems. Together, these foundational advances combine materials synthesis, quantitative characterization, and assembly of functional matter to unlock architectural control and new opportunities from molecules to the macroscale.
Bio
Dr. Barber is passionate about solving problems with better materials. He pursued this passion as an undergraduate at Williams College by earning a B.A. with honors in Chemistry, during which he synthesized antioxidant block copolymers for drug encapsulation and targeted delivery. Then, he earned a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst under the joint mentorship of Professors Todd Emrick and Alfred J. Crosby. During his Ph.D., fully funded by the NDSEG Fellowship, he developed methods to control the structure and assembly of mesoscale polymer filaments, mimicking the hierarchical assembly of natural materials like collagen and muscle. He is currently a postdoctoral Fellow working with Professor Jennifer A. Lewis at Harvard University, where he 3D-prints conductive lattice electrodes for electrochemical flow systems and develops soft materials with high permittivity.