Research Projects

The natural world's intricate flora and fauna has immense potential for use in cutting-edge technology, including biomimicry in architecture and the invention of metamaterials for stealth technology applications. This project proposal explores the potential of nature and bio-inspired metamaterials in microwave/radar absorbing materials. The proposal aims to facilitate a scalable and reliable synthesis approach to silicon metamaterials inspired by nature using self-assembled cellulose nanocrystals as templates. The specific goals include isolating nanocrystals from bulk cellulose, co-assembling them to form highly organized self-assembled cellulose nanocrystals (sCNCs) and sCNCs/si scaffolds, post-treating these films for optimal porosity and compatibility with silicon precursors, creating continuous morphology for silicon, and optically characterizing sCNCs-templated silicon structures. This cellulose-assisted synthesis could open up a new pathway for metamaterial engineering and become a major breakthrough in the field. Advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing and nanotechnology will also be used to create intricate structures at a microscopic level. The development of nature and bio-inspired metamaterials for stealth technology applications is an exciting and potentially revolutionary field.