The project proposes to advance atomic layer deposition (ALD) functionalization of mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres (MPNC) to create high-performance pseudocapacitors with enhanced energy density and power output. By integrating redox-active coatings (e.g., MoSx, MnSx, MnOx) with tailored porous carbon frameworks, the team will develop optimized electrodes and asymmetric device architectures that expand voltage windows, enabling efficient aqueous-based supercapacitors. The outcomes will support the development of next-generation photosupercapacitors—energy-autonomous devices for powering Internet-of-Things applications​.

The project proposes to advance thermoelectric battery systems-based responsive facades (ThermoBatS-RF) by integrating micro thermoelectric generators with phase change materials into building envelopes. The work combines simulation, life cycle assessment, and architectural design to evaluate energy-saving, carbon-reduction, and thermal comfort benefits, while also constructing and testing prototypes. By transforming building skins into energy-harvesting and storage systems, the project aims to create carbon-neutral, responsive facades that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve building performance​.

The project proposes to advance multi-agent friction-driven reconfigurable adaptive structures by developing a foundational framework for friction-based joints and control strategies that enable energy-efficient, self-regulating systems across length scales. The work integrates design and testing of friction-controlled joints, multi-agent replicator control simulations, and prototype demonstrations (e.g., adaptive facades) to show how such systems can achieve multiple shapes and behaviors under the same input, laying the groundwork for future intelligent reconfigurable architectures and metamaterials.

The project proposes to advance maskless writing and 3D printing of magnetic composites to create large arrays of cooperative, multi-stimulus responsive microactuators for 4D actuation. By developing novel polymers, leveraging two-photon crosslinking processes, and integrating magnetic nanoparticles, the team will fabricate micromagnets capable of synergistic interactions, metachronal wave generation, and responsiveness to multiple stimuli (magnetic fields, light, humidity, temperature). The work combines photochemistry, magneto-mechanical modeling, and multi-physics simulations to enable new materials and actuator systems with long-term applications in adaptive architectures and multifunctional devices​.