Biography

Eleftheria Roumeli joined the MSE department in January 2020 as an assistant professor. Previously, she was a postdoctoral scholar at California Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich, working on a new class of biocomposite materials from plant cells, as well as architected nanocomposite materials. She received her B.S. (2009) and Ph.D. in Physics (2014) from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. In her Ph.D. research, she focused on identifying structure-property relationships in synthetic polymer nanocomposite materials.

Education

• Ph.D. in Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• MSc in Materials Physics & Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• BSc in Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Previous appointments

• Postdoctoral Scholar, 2017-2019, California Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
• Postdoctoral Scholar, 2015-2017, ETH Zürich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering
• Postdoctoral Scholar, 2015, Tampere University of Technology, Department of Physics

Research Statement

Our research focus is on engineering new high-performance polymer nanocomposite materials, and studying their fundamental structure-processing-properties relationships, with emphasis on mechanical and thermal properties. Towards this main goal our group works in two main research directions:

1. Bio-engineered polymer nanocomposite materials from renewable resources
We utilize the natural ability of plants and algae to fabricate intricate and hierarchical polymer composite structures, and develop low energy processing methods to design sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymers. Using self-growing cells as the fundamental building block, we apply processing methods that allow us to control how cells are arranged in the microscale, thereby creating hierarchical and sustainable composites with controlled properties.

Additionally, we study fundamental plant cell biomechanics (a) to inform our processing methods in order to prepare biocomposites with tunable mechanical properties, and (b) to expand our understanding of plant growth and development. 

2. Nanoconfinement in hierarchical polymer nanocomposites 
   We utilize additive manufacturing at multiple length scales to study nanoconfinement effects in polymer nanocomposite materials. We also explore thermal effects and phase transitions in composite nanolattices, in order to expand the currently available design space of these structures.

Both of these research themes serve our effort to improve the state-of-the-art, by delivering new, more sustainable, high-performance polymer nanocomposite materials. At the same time our work contributes to the fundamental understanding of nanoscale-induced effects in natural and synthetic systems.

Select publications

1. E. Roumeli, M. Diamantopoulou, M. Serra-Garcia, P. Johanns, G. Parcianello, C. Daraio, Characterization of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests grown on stainless steel surfaces, Nanomaterials 9 (2019) 444. doi:10.3390/nano9030444.
2. A. Terzis, E. Roumeli, K. Weishaupt, S. Brack, H. Aslannejad, J. Groß, S.M. Hassanizadeh, R. Helmig, B. Weigand, Heat release at the wetting front during capillary filling of cellulosic micro-substrates, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 504 (2017) 751–757. doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2017.06.027.
3. E. Roumeli, J. Brus, O. Policianova, K. Chrissafis, D.N. Bikiaris, Modified Crystalline Structure of Silane-Crosslinked Polyethylene in the Proximity of Nanodiamonds, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 301 (2016) 441–450. doi:10.1002/mame.201500382.
4. J. Harra, P. Juuti, J. Haapanen, M. Sorvali, E. Roumeli, M. Honkanen, M. Vippola, J. Yli-Ojanperä, J.M. Mäkelä, Coating of silica and titania aerosol nanoparticles by silver vapor condensation, Aerosol Sci. Technol. 49 (2015) 767–776. doi:10.1080/02786826.2015.1072263.
5. D.G. Papageorgiou, E. Roumeli, Z. Terzopoulou, V. Tsanaktsis, K. Chrissafis, D. Bikiaris, Polycaprolactone/multi-wall carbon nanotube nanocomposites prepared by in situ ring opening polymerization: Decomposition profiling using thermogravimetric analysis and analytical pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis. 115 (2015) 125–131. doi:10.1016/j.jaap.2015.07.007.
6. E. Roumeli, N. Nianias, M. Filippousi, A. Avgeropoulos, K. Chrissafis, G.Z. Papageorgiou, D.N. Bikiaris, Combined and distinct contributions of different carbon nano-forms in polypropylene, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 300 (2015). doi:10.1002/mame.201400419.
7. E. Roumeli, Z. Terzopoulou, E. Pavlidou, K. Chrissafis, E. Papadopoulou, E. Athanasiadou, K. Triantafyllidis, D.N. Bikiaris, Effect of maleic anhydride on the mechanical and thermal properties of hemp/high-density polyethylene green composites, J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 121 (2015). doi:10.1007/s10973-015-4596-y.
8. E. Roumeli, D.G. Papageorgiou, V. Tsanaktsis, Z. Terzopoulou, K. Chrissafis, A. Avgeropoulos, D.N. Bikiaris, Amino-Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Lead to Successful Ring-Opening Polymerization of Poly(ε-caprolactone): Enhanced Interfacial Bonding and Optimized Mechanical Properties, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 7 (2015) 11683–11694. doi:10.1021/acsami.5b03693.
9. D.G. Papageorgiou, E. Roumeli, K. Chrissafis, C. Lioutas, K. Triantafyllidis, D. Bikiaris, A.R. Boccaccini, Thermal degradation kinetics and decomposition mechanism of PBSu nanocomposites with silica-nanotubes and strontium hydroxyapatite nanorods, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16 (2014). doi:10.1039/c3cp55103b.
10. E. Roumeli, A. Avgeropoulos, E. Pavlidou, G. Vourlias, T. Kyratsi, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Understanding the mechanical and thermal property reinforcement of crosslinked polyethylene by nanodiamonds and carbon nanotubes, RSC Adv. 4 (2014). doi:10.1039/c4ra05585c.
11. E. Roumeli, A. Markoulis, K. Chrissafis, A. Avgeropoulos, D. Bikiaris, Substantial enhancement of PP random copolymer’s thermal stability due to the addition of MWCNTs and nanodiamonds: Decomposition kinetics and mechanism study, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis. 106 (2014) 71–80. doi:10.1016/j.jaap.2013.12.012.
12. E. Roumeli, A. Markoulis, T. Kyratsi, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Carbon nanotube-reinforced crosslinked polyethylene pipes for geothermal applications: From synthesis to decomposition using analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS and thermogravimetric analysis, Polym. Degrad. Stab. 100 (2014). doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2013.12.027.
13. E. Roumeli, E. Pavlidou, A. Avgeropoulos, G. Vourlias, D.N. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Factors controlling the enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of nanodiamond-reinforced cross-linked high density polyethylene, J. Phys. Chem. B. 118 (2014). doi:10.1021/jp504531f.
14. E. Roumeli, E. Pavlidou, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Microscopic observation and micromechanical modeling to predict the enhanced mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced crosslinked high density polyethylene, Carbon N. Y. 67 (2014) 475–487. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2013.10.020.
15. E. Roumeli, K.M.M. Paraskevopoulos, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Effect of high energy ball milling on the structure and mechanical properties of cross-linked high density polyethylene, J. Mater. Sci. 48 (2013) 6753–6761. doi:10.1007/s10853-013-7480-9.
16. E. Roumeli, A. Tsiapranta, E. Pavlidou, G. Vourlias, K. Kachrimanis, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Compatibility study between trandolapril and natural excipients used in solid dosage forms, J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 111 (2013) 2109–2115. doi:10.1007/s10973-012-2476-2.
17. K. Chrissafis, E. Roumeli, K.M.M. Paraskevopoulos, N. Nianias, D.N.N. Bikiaris, Effect of different nanoparticles on thermal decomposition of poly(propylene sebacate)/nanocomposites: Evaluation of mechanisms using TGA and TG-FTIR-GC/MS, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis. 96 (2012) 92–99. doi:10.1016/j.jaap.2012.03.010.
18. E. Roumeli, E. Papadopoulou, E. Pavlidou, G. Vourlias, D. Bikiaris, K.M.M. Paraskevopoulos, K. Chrissafis, Synthesis, characterization and thermal analysis of urea-formaldehyde/ nanoSiO2resins, Thermochim. Acta. 527 (2012) 33–39. doi:10.1016/j.tca.2011.10.007.
19. E. Roumeli, A. Tsiapranta, K. Kachrimanis, D. Bikiaris, K. Chrissafis, Physicochemical characterization and decomposition kinetics of trandolapril, Thermochim. Acta. 539 (2012). doi:10.1016/j.tca.2012.04.009.
20. E. Roumeli, O.M. Goudouri, C.P. Yoganand, L. Papadopoulou, N. Kantiranis, V. Selvarajan, K.M. Paraskevopoulos, Study of the Bioactive Behavior of Hydroxyapatite/SiO₂–CaO–MgO Glass-Ceramics Synthesized by Transferred Arc Plasma (TAP), Bioceram. Dev. Appl. 1 (2011) 1–4. doi:10.4303/bda/D110153.

Honors & awards

• Best Poster Presentation Award, 6th Panhellenic Conference on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, September 26-28, 2014, Larissa, Greece
• Distinction Award for Excellent Academic Performance of a PhD Student, Research Committee of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• The Young Scientist Oral Presentation Award, 15th International Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Conference, August 20–24, 2012, Osaka, Japan

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