Research Areas
Smart Materials
The IRC-AM has a unique and broad level of expertise in the R & D of intelligent materials. Smart materials, also called intelligent materials, can change their structures and/or chemical/physical properties in response to one or more external stimuli such as light, pH, chemicals, temperature, humidity, mechanical force, electrical fields, and magnetic fields. We aim to develop advanced self-healing coatings, smart plastic packaging, smart glass windows, smart wearable textiles, and smart sensors for explosives, gas, and leak detection.
Our Challenges & Goals include:
- Smart packaging automatically changes to indicate food spoilage.
- Smart glasses with light transmission tuned to vary on the voltage/heat/light application
- Smart conversion, LBL and polymer coatings
- Self-healing and self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings
- Smart wearable textiles products which can interact with the environment or wearer.
- Chemical sensors to detect explosives and toxic gases.
- Body sensors to monitor health and essential bodily functions.
- Smart skin-attachable/wearable type sensors.