The Nexus of Bio-, Nano-, Architecture and Mechanics of Interfaces

This 3rd GRC on Nanomechanical Interfaces in 2017 will focus on the multidisciplinary nature of mechanics of interfaces: from bio- to nano- to chemo- and opto-. Topics and sessions will be centered around the fundamentals of small-scale material systems subjected to mechanical perturbation generated by a biological, chemical, or another nano-sized force. The point of departure for this meeting will be to stress the interdisciplinary and multi-scale nature of some of the most relevant nano-mechanics problems today. Of particular interest are topics on mechanotransduction of cells on substrates, properties of dissimilar interfaces - i.e. bio-nano, chemo-mechano, biological and bio-inspired materials, electrochemical interfaces relevant to energy storage, piezoelectric response, nano-optomechanical properties, and mechanics of architected materials. Multiple technological applications with these phenomena at their core require a thorough understanding of the mechanics of aforementioned interfaces.

This meeting promises to advance our understanding of interfacial properties in complex hierarchical material systems and to make advances towards predictability of their properties through computational and experimental means. We welcome submissions from researchers, particularly young researchers (students and post-docs) whose research focus lies in the mechanics of small-scale (micro- and nano-) material systems that contain one or more boundaries between two distinguishable phases. Preference will be given to young researchers and to the topics that address biologically- and biomedically-relevant systems and devices, electrochemical interfaces for energy storage, nano-photonics devices, and other mechanics-driven problems of small-scale systems.