MIT Associate Professor, robert macfarlane, is investigating design principles that allow scientists to fine-tune materials at multiple size scales. Their goal is to create new materials with specific combinations of electrical, mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties.
Macfarlane has focused his research on the creation of nanocompositesmaterials made from blends of polymers and nanoparticles, and has developed ‘nanocomposite tectons’ (NCTs) that use polymers and molecules to mimic the ability of DNA to direct the self-organization of objects at the nanometer scale. NCTs allow you to create macroscopic objects with specific properties, opening up a wide range of possibilities in material design.
Among the possible applications of NCTs, Macfarlane highlights the ability to transfer energy in a controlled wayboth from particles and from electrons or photons, which could improve efficiencies in energy storage, computing, and transport components.
In addition to his work in the laboratory, Macfarlane is dedicated to train the next generation of researchers, both through his courses at MIT and his commitment to mentoring his students. For him, the true success of his work is not just the creation of new materials, but also the impact his students can have on the world through their own research.
Macfarlane, born and raised in Alaska, discovered his passion for chemistry through a passionate teacher at his high school. After completing his PhD at Northwestern University, where he developed the design rules for creating DNA nanostructures, he joined the laboratories of Harry Atwater and Bob Grubbs at Caltech, where he studied the self-organization of polymers.
At MIT, Macfarlane has combined his knowledge of creating materials with nanoparticles and polymers to develop NCTs. His work is an example of how materials science can lead to revolutionary advances in multiple fields, and his focus on training the next generation of researchers ensures that these innovations will continue into the future.
You can get to know him better in this MIT article
