Materials researchers have long recognized that surfaces and grain boundaries can exhibit “phase” behaviors.  Recent studies of interfacial phase behaviors at grain boundaries shed light on several outstanding scientific problems that have been puzzled the materials science community for more than half a century, including the atomic-level mechanisms of activated sintering, abnormal grain growth and liquid metal embrittlement.  Analogous surface phase behaviors have also been studied and recently utilized to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries.  Since bulk phase diagrams are one of the most useful tools for materials science, it is conceived that interfacial phase (also called “complexion”) diagrams can be developed as a useful component for the “Materials Genome” project.    

 

Jian Luo graduated from Tsinghua University in 1994 with dual Bachelor's degrees, one in Materials Science and Engineering and another in Electronics and Computer Technology.  He received a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1999, and a Ph.D. degree in Ceramics in 2001, both from M.I.T.  Luo worked in the industry with Lucent Technologies and OFS/Fitelfor 2001-2003, before he joined the Clemson faculty, where he served as an Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Materials Science and Engineering from 2003 to 2012.  In January 2013, he joined UCSD as a Professor of NanoEngineering and Materials Science and Engineering.  Luo received a National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2005 (from the ceramics program) and an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator award in 2007 (from the metallic materials program). He is currently serving as the Chair of the Basic Science Division of the American Ceramic Society (for 2012-13) and the Chair of the Thin Films and Interfaces committee of TMS (for 2012-14).