Dr. Aifantis with Atomic Force Microscope

Dr. Katerina Aifantis Adjunct Assistant Professor PhD, University of Groningen, 2005 Master of Philosophy, Cambridge University, 2004 Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2002 Nanomechanics, Li-batteries, Gradient Plasticity, Interfaces Phone: 906.487.2086 Fax: 906.487.2933 Email: kaifanti@mtu.edu

Current Affiliations Research Interests Awards and Fellowships Teaching Interests Select Publications Minitran ERC Project Probing the Micro-Nano Transition: Theoretical and Experimental Foundations, Simulations and Applications

Current Affiliations

• Senior Scientist, European Research Council-Starting Grant, Lab of Mechanics and Materials, School of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Physics Dept., Michigan Technological University, USA
• Researcher, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
• Affiliated Scientist, 1st Clinic of Neurology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Research Interests

My reseach interest is to understand the behaviour of materials at the nanoscale. Why the nanoscale? Because material properties at such small scales differ drastically from the macro- or even micron- scales. The protagonist of this area is carbon, with graphite being of the softest materials, while carbon nanotubes on the other hand are the stiffest materials known. Once the basic properties (such as mechanics, electronics) of nanomaterials are understood, a variety of applications will follow, ranging from aerospace and electronics, to medicine. The various nanostructures we are currently considering are next-generation anodes for Li anodes, electromigration in integrated circuits, mechanical properties of nanowires/quantum dots, as well properties of cells.

Awards and Fellowships

Honored by the President of Greek Democracy Dr. Karolos Papoulias, for receiving a European Research Council Starting Grant, Feb 2009.

Honored by the Association of Women Scientists of Greece, for her contribution in science and culture, Feb. 2009.

Youngest recipient of a European Research Council Grant (out of 9000 applicants 300 were granted; the average age was 35, while Aifantis was 24).

Youngest PhD ever in the Netherlands at age 21.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Teaching Interests

I am interested in mechanics and nanotechnology courses, as well as giving independent study courses on modern science issues that combine mechanics and materials science, such as rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

Select Publications

1. Aifantis K.E., Hackney S.A., Elasticity in Li-Batteries, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Materials 14, 403, 2003.
2. Aifantis K.E., Willis J.R., The role of interfaces in enhancing the yield strength of composites and polycrystals, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 53, 1047, 2005.
3. Aifantis K.E., Dempsey J.P., Stable crack growth in nanostructured Li-batteries, Journal of Power Sources 143, 203, 2005.
4. Soer W.A., Aifantis K.E., De Hosson J.Th.M., Incipient plasticity during nanoindentation at grain boundaries in body-centered cubic metals, Acta Materialia 53, 4665, 2005.
5. Aifantis K.E., Dempsey J.P., Hackney S.A., Cracking in Si-based anodes for Li-ion batteries, Reviews on Advanced Materials Science 10, 403, 2005.
6. Aifantis K.E., Willis J.R., The mechanical response of two phase media with periodic or random interface distributions, Mechanics of Materials 38, 702, 2006.
7. Aifantis K.E., Soer W.A., De Hosson J.Th.M, Willis, J.R, Interfaces within strain gradient plasticity: Theory and experiments, Acta Materialia 54, 5077, 2006.
8. Aifantis K.E., Dempsey J.P., Hackney S.A., Design criteria for nanostructured Li-ion batteries, Journal of Power Sources 165, 874, 2007.
9. Aifantis K.E., Ngan A.W., Modeling dislocation - grain boundary interactions through gradient plasticity and nanoindentation, Materials Science and Engineering A 459, 251, 2007.
10. Aifantis K.E., Kolesnikova A.L., Romanov, A.E., Nucleation of misfit dislocation in nanowires, Philosophical Magazine 87, 4731, 2007.
11. Aifantis K.E., Askes H., Gradient elasticity with interfacial effects, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Materials, 18, 283, 2007.
12. Aifantis K.E., Konstantinidis A.A., Hall-Petch revisited at the nanoscale, Materials Science and Engineering A, 503, 198, 2009.
13. Aifantis K.E., Konstantinidis A.A., Hackney S.A., On some aspects of interfaces at the nanoscale, Journal of Mechanics and MEMS 1, 105, 2009.