The Air Force Center of Excellence (CoE) on Bio-nano-enabled Inorganic/Organic Nanostructures and Improved Cognition (BIONIC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) utilizes the expertise and capabilities of integrated teams of Georgia Tech faculty and students (from the Colleges of Engineering and Science), Air Force researchers (from the Materials & Manufacturing Directorate and the Human Effectiveness Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL), and an Ohio State University (OSU) faculty collaborator to:

• Learn how to design, fabricate, characterize, and model/simulate the performance of inorganic/organic nanocomposites for efficient and remote energy conversion (Interdisciplinary Research Group 1)
• Learn how to design, fabricate, characterize, and model/simulate the performance of inorganic/organic nanocomposites for tunable, adaptive surface structures (Interdisciplinary Research Group 2)
• Learn how to develop tools and assessment methodologies for the optimization of critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter (Interdisciplinary Research Group 3)

 

IRG – 1: Functional Nanocomposites

This research group is focused on the syntheses, characterization, and modeling of functional nanocomposites comprised of inorganic and organic phases with tailored nanostructures and chemistries for enhanced energy conversion/management (e.g., for light-to-electrical conversion) and antimicrobial activity (e.g., for decontamination of fluids and surfaces). This group utilizes the integrated interdisciplinary efforts of the Sandhage (School of Materials Science & Engineering), Marder (School of Chemistry & Biochemistry), Kippelen (School of Electrical & Computer Engineering), and Kröger (School of Chemistry & Biochemistry; School of Materials Science & Engineering) groups for: tailoring inorganic and organic surfaces; developing bio-enabled and/or synthetic layer-by-layer inorganic/organic deposition processes; synthesizing modified or new functional organic dyes and organic semiconductors; and characterizing and modeling the optoelectronic and antimicrobial properties of the resulting inorganic/organic composites.

 

IRG – 2: Adaptive Nanocomposites

The aim of this research group is to understand, fabricate, test, and model the performance of bioinspired adaptive nanocomposites that utilize asymmetric inorganic nanoparticles for light-to-heat conversion and thermally-responsive polymers for reversible compliant matrix conversion for reversibly tunable nanomaterials and coatings. Prospective applications targeted  are sensing, responsive, and adaptive properties which can be exploited for IR detection, morphing, microactuators, camouflaging, thermal management, optical microactuators, tunable optical metamaterials, flexible shielding, self-cleaning surfaces, adaptive visibility, surrounding monitoring, and de-fogging. The proposed integrated team of Georgia Tech researchers includes: the El-Sayed, Tsukruk, and Fedorov groups with focus on different aspects of the modeling and characterization of morphological and optical properties, stimuli-responsive mechanisms, and multistimuli approaches for responsive nanocomposites.

 

IRG – 3: Cognitive Enhancement

This research group will focus on the development of sensitive assessment tools and real-time algorithms for the adaptation and optimization of critical cognitive processes required for enhanced learning and skill retention. This group utilizes the integrated interdisciplinary efforts of the Schumacher (School of Psychology) and Keilholz (School of Biomedical Engineering) groups as well as additional faculty through a seed grant program for behavioral and neurological effects of task training, biofeedback adaptation, functional imaging and connectivity, molecular marker development and amplification and neuropsychological assessment.