Listen to this articleA world-renowned materials scientist is bringing his expertise to one of Clemson University’s newest projects — an endeavor the university says will add fuel to a fast-growing industry in South Carolina.
Peter Maksymovych, a new professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, is helping design a laboratory that will be a crown jewel in the new Advanced Materials Innovation Complex, under construction now on the main campus at Clemson.
AMIC’s labs will feature cutting-edge technologies, including nanomechanical, optoelectronic and three-dimensional X-ray imaging, according to a news release. These techniques will be developed with machine learning and automation to help researchers analyze and manipulate materials in ways that were previously not possible.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this transformative effort,” Maksymovych said in the release. “We have an incredible opportunity here to push the boundaries of what advanced materials can achieve and can be, and AMIC is the perfect environment to make that happen.”
Before Maksymovych joined Clemson in August, he served as a distinguished research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where numerous awards, patents and publications established him as an international leader in materials science and scanning probe microscopy, the release stated.
His work centers on unraveling the mysteries of complex materials — reverse engineering them to understand their properties down to atomic level and discover new phenomena that can define future functional materials.
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By breaking down the structure and composition of advanced materials, he aims to understand how they form, how they function and how something entirely new can be created. The approach could pave the way for breakthroughs in how materials are created and used across industries that include computing, energy and health, according to the release.
In the AMIC lab, Maksymovych plans to bring together what he called “sophisticated microscopy methods that will make it possible to analyze materials and devices through a concept of multiresolution functional imaging.” It is intended to help researchers better understand how materials grow, respond and function at multiple scales.
When complete, AMIC will have the largest research footprint at Clemson. The 143,000-square-foot facility will be the largest on campus and support the research and workforce needs of the advanced materials industry.
In South Carolina, the industry accounted for 5,272 jobs announcements and $1.5 billion in capital investment announcements from 2017-23, according to the state Department of Commerce.
Kyle Brinkman, chair of Clemson’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said that with its new facilities and top-tier faculty, Clemson is well positioned for the future.
“With AMIC set for completion in 2025, Clemson is positioning itself as a leader in future advanced materials innovation, and Dr. Maksymovych is a key part of that vision,” Brinkman said. “His work will help students and researchers push the boundaries of what materials can do, keeping Clemson at the forefront of technological advancement, while supporting the needs of industry in the region and nation.”
The building will be the home of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Researchers and educators from the departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will work collaboratively in the new space, according to information from the university at the time of the groundbreaking.
“In the atomic realm, we’ve unlocked the ability to predict millions of potential materials,” Maksymovych said in the release. “Yet, bridging simulation and reality reveals complexities that challenge our understanding. We now recognize that structure-function relationships evolve dynamically with size, time, and energy. Static pictures no longer suffice; we must capture, decode and connect material structure, defects and functional properties as they traverse vast scales. This pursuit defines the next evolution of experiments and models, accelerating our grasp of materials’ true potential and paving the way for transformative discoveries.”
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