CM-AMO Seminar | Meta and Useful: Dynamic Kirigami Solar Cells and Vapor Printed Nanolobes

Abstract: Part I – A simple 2-dimensional cut pattern undergoes a surprisingly intricate transformation into a 3-dimensional shape upon stretching. The resulting mechanical metamaterial has several interesting properties and applications, with further modifications enabling conformal electronics and transformative improvements in the economics of solar energy harvesting. Part II – A simple thin-film printing technique is used to generate 2-dimensional patterns micrometers across that also contain complex nano-crystalline structures within the patterned deposits. These nanocrystalline structures exhibit interesting dissolution behavior that unlocks new frontiers for pharmaceutical discovery, formulation, and production. In each case, the nominally 2-dimensional patterning technologies are used to generate structure that circumvents long-standing technological and application trade-offs – an approach applicable to other areas of innovation.

References:
1. Dynamic kirigami structures for integrated solar tracking. Nature Comm. 6, 8092 (2015)
2. Growth and modelling of spherical crystalline morphologies of molecular materials. Nature Comm. 5, 5204 (2014)

Bio: Prof. Shtein earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley (1998) and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, while co-advised by Prof. Benziger in ChE and Prof. Forrest in EE at Princeton (Summer 2004), where he developed key aspects of Organic Vapor Phase Deposition and invented Organic Vapor Jet Printing. He joined the Materials Science and Engineering de-partment at the Univ. of Michigan in Fall 2004, where he now serves as Associate Professor, with appointments in Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Macromolecular Science and En-gineering, Art & Design, and as faculty co-director for the Undergraduate Program in Entre-preneurship in the College of Engineering. His work has been recognized through several awards: the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the MSE Department Achievement Award, College of Engineering-wide Vulcans Prize for Excellence in Education, the Newport Award for Excellence and Leadership in Photonics and Optoelectronics, the Materials Research Society (MRS) graduate student Gold Medal Award, and others. He co-founded Arborlight, LLC (www.arborlight.com – a multiple award-winning lighting technology company), and co-authored the book Scalable Innovation: A Guide for Inventors, Entrepre-neurs, and IP Professionals. (Taylor & Francis, ISBN-10: 1466590971)