Micro-/Nano-structures: Understanding and Enhancing Material Properties
A material is not one crystal — it is millions of tiny grains packed together. How those grains are arranged, and how defects move between them, determines whether a part bends, breaks, or holds.
What drives my research?
I am driven by curiosity. Understanding how things work is what motivates me. My research is inspired by the Kaya identity — a simple but powerful framework that breaks down what actually drives CO₂ emissions:
- CO₂ — total carbon dioxide emissions
- POP — world population
- GDP/POP — economic activity per person
- Energy/GDP — energy used per unit of economic output
- CO₂/Energy — carbon intensity of the energy we use
My goal is to reduce the CO₂/Energy term — in other words, to make energy cleaner and materials more efficient, so we emit less CO₂ for the same amount of work done.
At the core of this work is understanding how tiny defects inside materials — at the atomic and nanoscale — affect their ability to bend, stretch, or resist forces without breaking. This relationship between defects, microstructure, and plasticity (how materials permanently deform) is the key to designing stronger, lighter, and more durable materials.
Research topics
Making Materials Lighter, Stronger, and More Resistant
I study how micro- and nanostructures in materials like titanium, magnesium, and advanced ceramics (such as MAX phases) can be optimized to make them lighter, stronger, more durable, and resistant to high temperatures. This helps cars, planes, and engines use less energy and last longer — which means less CO₂ emitted for the same performance.
How Materials Behave After Radiation Exposure
For industries like nuclear power and aerospace, I investigate how defects and microstructures evolve when materials are exposed to radiation. This helps make energy systems safer and longer-lasting, reducing their overall environmental impact.
How Materials Change Under Extreme Conditions
I look at how the internal structure of metals and ceramics changes when they experience extreme forces — as in crashes or high-velocity impacts. This knowledge helps design better protective materials, making vehicles and infrastructure safer and more energy-efficient.
Storing Hydrogen Safely in Solids
Hydrogen can be stored safely inside solid materials like metal hydrides (e.g. magnesium or titanium compounds) or composites. My research focuses on making this process faster and more stable, so hydrogen can be more readily used as a clean energy carrier.
Improving Electronics for Energy Efficiency
I specialize in identifying and analyzing defects in semiconductor materials used in electronics — from smartphones and solar panels to quantum computers. By understanding and controlling these defects, we can improve device efficiency and performance, reducing the energy required for their operation and lowering CO₂ emissions.
Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science
We develop and apply AI-based tools to two key challenges: improving the constitutive laws that govern plastic deformation of materials, and automating the detection and classification of defects in electron microscopy images. These approaches accelerate discovery and bridge the gap between experimental observations and predictive modelling.
I am always open to exploring new connections between microstructures and material properties, seeking innovative solutions to global challenges.