Michael F. Rubner

TDK Professor of Polymer Materials Science and Engineering
Director, Center for Materials Science and Engineering, MIT
Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow

BS Chemistry, University of Lowell, 1982
PhD Polymer Science, MIT, 1986

Room 13-5106, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA  02139
617-253-4477 (phone) 617-258-7874 (fax)
Prof. Rubner's research group
rubner@mit.edu

The research of Professor Rubner's group is focussed on the design, fabrication and properties of ultra-thin films of polymers for electrical, optical, and biomaterial applications. Much of this research utilizes a new, molecular-level layer-by-layer processing technique that makes it possible to fabricate complex thin film heterostructures with a wide range of properties.

Properties and applications of current interest include anti-fogging coatings, anti-reflection coatings, photonic band-gap reflectors, bio-inert coatings, bio-specific coatings, ink-jet and micro-contact printed patterned thin films, micro- and nanoporous thin films, structural color and patterned biosensors.

Fundamental studies are aimed at understanding hydrogen bonding and electrostatic multilayer assembly, interactions of cells and bacteria with surfaces, and mechanisms controlling the wetting of surfaces with water.  

Selected Publications

Lee, D., Omolade, D., Cohen, R.E., Rubner, M.F. “pH-Dependent Structure and Properties of TiO₂/SiO₂ Nanoparticle Multilayer Thin Films” Chemical Materials 19(6): 1427-1433, 2007.

Bravo, J., Zhai, L., Wu, Z., Cohen, R.E., Rubner, M.F. “Transparent Superhydrophobic Films Based on Silica Nanoparticles” Langmuir 23(13): 7293-7298, 2007.

Nolte, A., Takane, N. Hindman, E., Gaynor, W., Rubner, M.F., Cohen, R.E. “Thin Film Thickness Gradients and Spatial Patterning via Salt Etching of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers” Macromolecules 40(15): 5479-5486, 2007.

Lee, D., Gemici, Z., Rubner, M.F., Cohen, R.E. “Multilayers of Oppositely Charged SiO₂ Nanoparticles: Effect of Surface Charge on Multilayer Assembly” Langmuir 23(17): 8833-8837, 2007.

Wu, Z., Lee, D., Rubner, M.F., et al. “Structural Color in Porous, Superhydrophilic, and Self-Cleaning SiO₂/TiO₂ Bragg Stacks” Small 3(8): 1445-1451, 2007.

Prof. Rubner is part of a team of MIT researchers who have developed bacteria-resistant films with the potential for medical-industry use in order to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infections. See the MIT News Office for further details.

Rubner and Cohen copied the water-collecting design of a Namib desert beetle to create a hydrophobic coating that collects water from the air like a "nanosponge".  The invention could increase the supply of water in even the driest environments.  This research was highlighted in numerous media publications including Science Now, The New York Times, Fox News, Scientific American, Nature International Weekly Journal of Science, and Chemical & Engineering News.