Facilities
BIMat research involves the extensive facilities available within the individual investigators and institutions. In addition to standard methods of materials analysis (such as X-ray diffractometry, thermal analysis, microscopy and spectroscopy), the BIMat team has developed instrumentation for bio- and nano-synthesis and characterization. The wide expertise available within the team ensures rapid fabrication of new materials, with the requisite testing equipment available for prompt characterization.
During the past decade, the interest in bio-inspired materials fabrication has led to developments in processing at the nanoscale. Chemical manipulations involve mechanisms such as directed self-assembly (PU, UCSB) while nano-manipulation of structures has become almost routine using modified surface probe microscopes (NU, UCSB).
Characterization laboratory (PU).
Materials Synthesis and Characterization
The Ceramics Materials Laboratory (PU) is a leader in the application of rapid prototyping for the construction of 3-dimensional structures that may yet exist only as theoretical models. Two systems are currently affiliated with BIMat studies: laser-patterned ceramic tapes and stereolithography. A high power programmable laser cutter is used to pattern designs onto thin composite tapes which are then stacked to form larger laminated structures with microdesigned features. A 3D Systems SLA250 stereolithography unit (PU) builds 3-dimensional objects by layering 2-dimensional "slices" of a CAD design, using the resin as the matrix. Ceramic, polymer, and ceramic/polymer composite parts can be fabricated using this technique.
Studies by the Saville Research Group (PU) on electrohydrodynamic printing (EHDP) focuses on understanding how electric fields can be used to manipulate flow. Many modern technologies, e.g., microfluidics and materials processing, involve controlling small scale motion. A current project uses the 'cone-jet transition' to deploy a thin filament of liquid or a suspension on a moving surface.
(Left) Schematic of EHDP apparatus. (Right) Consolidated line of 2µm polystyrene spheres deposited by EHDP (Poon, Saville, Aksay; PU).
The Nanomechanics and Nanomaterials group (NU) fabricates, characterizes, and tests nanostructures. A current focus is the electromechanical response of a variety of nanotubes and nanowhiskers, and for pullout experiments on CNTs embedded in polymers. Equipment includes several nano-manipulation stages that are operated inside a SEM; a new MEMS nanostressing stage that works in concert with SEM, (to be adapted to TEM), micro-Raman analysis of nanospecimens while they are under mechanical load.
Tensile experiments on a multiwalled carbon nanotube attached to two AFM cantilever tips (Yu, Ruoff; NU).
The Advanced Materials Laboratory (NU) include specialized creep loading frames, environmental chambers (temperature and humidity control), various data acquisition systems, an optical microscope, a microbalance, load cells and strain measurement methods to study the mechanical response of advanced materials (polymers, composites, shape memory alloys). In addition, the lab has various pieces of equipment necessary to fabricate nanotube-polymer composites.
Excellent shared facilities and advanced instrumentation for research and training are provided in UCSB's Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), the new California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), and the Marine Biotechnology Laboratory Building (with unique facilities for cultivation of the marine organisms from which some of the prototypical biomolecular materials are obtained) along with the resources of the respective laboratories of the participant researchers. Innovations in atomic force microscopy (AFM) have given UCSB an exceptional capability in this area. The development of increased resolution and analyses of dynamic processes in real time elucidated the structures and mechanisms underlying the abalone shell, and led to the discovery of the origin of toughness and strength in the self-healing protein lustrin.