Hygromorph and poligromorph materials from bioprinting to 4D printing. Fabrizio Scarpa

My research interests are in the field of mechanical metamaterials – negative Poisson’s ratio and negative stiffness materials. I design, model, and manufacture auxetic foams, composites, and cellular structures for structural integrity, vibration damping, vibroacoustics, and multifunctional applications. I also develop predictive micromechanical and structural models for energy dissipation performance in composite and polymeric structures.

I am also involved in the modeling, manufacturing, and characterization of natural fiber reinforcements for composites (sisal, agave, cactus) and recycled polymers (originating from rubber tires). Other works include the development of biocomposites with fossil and bio-based matrices. Activities are also carried out to develop structural materials using synthetic biology and biomimetics.

Another set of research activities I carry out is about nanostructures modeling and design, with particular emphasis on graphene, CNTs, BN, ZnO, and GaN nanostructures. Special focus of the nanostructure-related activities is on the mechanical characterization of nanomaterials for applications ranging from nanocomposites to NEMS.