Overview

The Portela Research Group seeks to utilize 3D architecture in materials to address current societal and engineering challenges. We aim to understand materials across length and time scales, from nanometers to centimeters and from quasi-statics to extreme dynamics, respectively.  We strive to design, fabricate, model, and test all our materials in an in-house loop whenever possible. 

Self-Assembled Nanomaterials

The Portela Research Group seeks to utilize 3D architecture in materials to address current societal and engineering challenges. We aim to understand materials across length and time scales, from nanometers to centimeters and from quasi-statics to extreme dynamics, respectively.  We strive to design, fabricate, model, and test all our materials in an in-house loop whenever possible. 

Mechanics of 3D Microgranular Crystals

Granular materials have exhibited unique responses, particularly in the dynamic regime, which have remained limited to large-scale particle assemblies. Recently, novel fabrication procedures have enabled the fabrication of micro granular crystals with tunable arrangements and with nanoscale precision. In collaboration with the Flexible Research Group at UCLA (led by Prof. Jonathan Hopkins), we are exploring the mechanical response of these materials across time scales.     

Collaborators

The Portela Research group is proud to actively collaborate with the Nelson Group at MIT and the Flexible Research Group at UCLA (led by Prof. Jonathan Hopkins). We are also happy to continue interacting with the Greer Group at Caltech and the Kochmann Research Group at ETH Zürich.