Seminars

—Laufer Lecture—

Bringing Materials Fabrication to 21st Century: 3D Nano- and Micro-Architected Materials as Key Enablers for Enhanced Properties, Responsiveness, and Impact Mitigation

J.R. Greer

Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics, and Medical Engineering
Applied Physics and Materials Science Department
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
http://jrgreer.caltech.edu

Creation of reconfigurable and multi-functional materials can be achieved by incorporating architecture into material design. In our research, we design and fabricate three-dimensional (3D) nano-architected materials that can exhibit superior and often tunable mechanical, thermal, photonic, electrochemical, and biochemical properties at extremely low mass densities, which renders them useful and enabling in technological applications. Dominant properties of such meta-materials are driven by their multi-scale hierarchy: from characteristic material microstructure (atoms) to individual constituents (nanometers) to structural components (microns) to overall architectures (millimeters and above).

Our research is focused on the fabrication, synthesis, and characterization of hierarchical materials using additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, as well as on investigating their mechanical, electrochemical, and chemo-mechanical properties as a function of architecture, constituent materials, and microstructural detail. AM represents a set of processes that fabricate complex 3D structures using a layer-by-layer approach, with some advanced methods attaining nanometer resolution and the creation of unique, multifunctional materials and shapes derived from a photoinitiation-based polymerization of custom-synthesized resins and thermal post-processing. A type of additive manufacturing, vat polymerization via hydrogel infusion (HIAM), has allowed for using hydrogels as precursors to produce 3D nano- and micro-architected metals and metal oxides, and exploiting their nano-induced material and structural properties. We describe additive manufacturing via vat polymerization and function-containing chemical synthesis to create 3D nano- and micro-architected metals, ceramics, multifunctional metal oxides, and metal-containing polymer complexes with dynamic bonds, as well as demonstrate their potential in energy storage, microrobotics, and nano- and micro-electronics. I will describe how the choice of architecture, chemical composition, and microstructure can elicit new microstructural orders and induce stimulusresponsive, reconfigurable, and multifunctional response.

Greer’s research focuses on the design, synthesis, fabrication, and characterization of nanoarchitected materials using additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, as well as on investigating their mechanical, electrochemical, and chemo-mechanical properties as a function of architecture, constituent materials, and microstructural detail. We strive to uncover the synergy between the internal atomic- and molecular-level microstructure and the multi-scale external dimensionality, where competing material- (nano) and structure- (architecture) induced size effects drive overall response and govern these properties. Specific topics include applications of 3D nano- and microarchitected materials in devices, energy absorption, ultralightweight energy storage systems, mechanochemistry, reconfigurable and multi-functional materials, and additive manufacturing.

Greer obtained her S.B. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Advanced Music Performance from MIT in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Stanford, worked at Intel (2000-03) and was a post-doc at PARC (2005-07). Julia joined Caltech in 2007 and currently is a Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics, and Medical Engineering at Caltech, the Department Chair of Applied Physics and Materials Science Department, and the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Physics. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2025 and serves as the Fletcher Foundation Director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech from 2019-2025.

Greer has more than 170 publications, has an h-index of 83, and has delivered over 100 invited lectures, which include 2 TEDx talks, multiple plenary lectures and named seminars at universities: Racheff Distinguished Lecturer at UIUC, Barbara Cooper lecture at Cornell, Israel Pollak Distinguished Lecture Series at Technion, David Pope lecture at Penn, and Thayer Visionaries in Technology at Dartmouth to name a few, the Watson lecture at Caltech, the Gilbreth Lecture at the National Academy of Engineering, the Midwest Mechanics Lecture series, and a “IdeasLab” at the World Economic Forum, and was selected as Alexander M. Cruickshank (AMC) Lecturer at the Gordon Research Conferences (2022).

She was elected as an MRS Fellow (2026), to the National Academy of Sciences (2025), received the Nadai Medal from ASME Materials Division (2024), the Eringer Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (2024), was the inaugural AAAFM-Heeger Award (2019) and was named a Vannevar-Bush Faculty Fellow by the US Department of Defense (2016) and CNN’s 20/20 Visionary (2016). Her work was recognized among Top-10 Breakthrough Technologies by MIT’s Technology Review (2015). Greer was named as one of “100 Most Creative People” by Fast Company and a Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum (2014) and received multiple career awards: Kavli (2014), Nano Letters, SES, and TMS (2013); NASA, ASME (2012), Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award (2012), DOE (2011), DARPA (2009), and Technology Review’s TR-35, (2008). She is an active member of scientific community through professional societies (MRS, SES, TMS), having organized multiple symposia, been chosen as Conference Chair (MRS, 2021; GRC 2016), served on the Board of Directors for Society of Engineering Science (SES) and on government agency panels: DOE’s Basic Research Needs workshop (2020), National Materials and Manufacturing Board through National Academies (since 2020), and was selected to participate in DoD’s Bush Fellows Research Study Team, BFRST (2020) (see attached photo). Greer is also a concert pianist who performs solo recitals and in chamber groups, with notable performances of “Prejudice and Prodigy” with the Caltech Trio (2019), “Nanomechanics Rap” with MUSE/IQUE (2009), and as a soloist of Brahms Concerto No. 2 with Redwood Symphony (2006) and of Rachmaninoff’s 2^nd piano concerto with the Caltech Orchestra (2025).

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Reception at 2:30 PM

Seminar at 3:30 PM

Michelson Hall, Room 101 (MCB 101)

 

host: Ronney