Martin Thuo
R.J. Polge Professor for Excellence in Engineering
Deputy-Director, COMPASS
3078 Engineering Building I
mthuo@ncsu.edu WebsiteBio
Our group is interested in frugal science/innovation, the ability to minimize cost and complexity while providing efficient solutions to better human conditions. We are, by necessity, an interdisciplinary physical-organic/materials research group interested in engineering soft matter and understanding surfaces and interfaces at all size scales. Our research focuses on the development of a generalized framework for engineering structures and ultimately functional devices via self-assembly and/or stacking of molecules, films, or layers of materials, to introduce new function(s) or utility.
Education
Postdoctorate Chemistry and Materials Science Harvard University 2012
Ph.D. Chemistry University of Iowa 2008
Master of Science Chemistry Simon Fraser University 2004
Master of Science Chemistry Kenyatta University 2002
Bachelor of Science Applied Mathematics and Chemistry Kenyatta University 1999
Area(s) of Expertise
Functional soft matter and surface/interface thermodynamics (SMMT) to design metastable materials for advanced manufacturing and technology applications
Publications
- Call for Papers: Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Africa , Molecular Pharmaceutics (2026)
- Optimizing Solid Lubricity in Complex Particle Flow , ACS Materials Au (2026)
- Avoiding the Kauzmann Paradox via Interface‐Driven Divergence in States , Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025)
- Avoiding the Kauzmann Paradox via Interface‐Driven Divergence in States , Angewandte Chemie (2025)
- Graph‐Theory Approach to Element Miscibility and Alloy Design , Advanced Science (2025)
- In-situ thermo-mechano-chemical transformation and consolidation of Sm-Co powders via a single-step route for bulk magnet fabrication , Nature Communications (2025)
- Industry–academia partnership in building materials science capacity in Africa , MRS Communications (2025)
- Influence of interface asymmetry on phase partitioning in metal alloys , Matter (2025)
- Kauzmann Paradox, Supercooling, and Finding Order in Chaos , Angewandte Chemie (2025)
- Kauzmann Paradox, Supercooling, and Finding Order in Chaos , Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025)
Grants
The objective of this project is to achieve RPOD by demonstrating the role of multi-prong stimuli on interface structure/stability (and associated metastability), that enables non-equilibrium relaxation, leading to de-mixing.