Humboldt Award winner and BAM develop stronger glasses for the future

18/01/2024

Professor Mo Li, Research Award winner of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Source: Georgia Institute of Technology

Professor Mo Li, Research Award winner of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, will conduct research on metallic glasses at the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM). Li, an internationally renowned expert in this field, wants to develop new glass structures together with experts at BAM using material modelling and theory to enable stronger and therefore safer glass.

Metallic glasses are amorphous solids that have a disordered atomic structure similar to liquids. Their special physical and chemical properties make this innovative class of materials promising for numerous high-tech applications ranging from shatterproof casings for smartphones or tablets to durable medical devices. However, the development and characterization of atomically disordered materials is experimentally difficult and requires new approaches.

Together with BAM and TU Hamburg, Professor Li will test novel theoretical and computer-aided methods for glass development. One focus of the collaboration is the design of microstructures in disordered solids and the question how they influence macroscopic physical and mechanical properties.

"We are looking forward to collaborating with Professor Li," said Professor Robert Maaß, head of the Materials Engineering Department at BAM and host of the Humboldt Award winner. "BAM offers a unique platform for in-depth research into the mechanisms, processes, and structure of glasses and is an ideal partner for Professor Li's research project."

Professor Mo Li is an internationally recognized expert in the field of glassy solids and has already made numerous pioneering research contributions to glass structure, glass transitions, and the thermodynamics of metastable phases. His focus is on the structure-property relationships of amorphous materials and the development of new glasses for various applications, which he investigates using atomistic simulations and theoretical models.