Benjamin J. Morgan

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Papers

Total Citations

217

H-Index

About

Benjamin J. Morgan is a materials scientist and polymer engineer whose research sits at the intersection of soft matter physics, electroactive materials, and biomedical engineering. He is perhaps best known for his pioneering contributions to bottlebrush elastomer-based dielectric actuators, work that has garnered nearly 200 citations since its 2016 publication. This landmark study demonstrated that freestanding, single-component actuators built from bottlebrush elastomers could achieve giant reversible strokes at remarkably low electric fields — eliminating the cumbersome preactuation steps that had long hindered practical deployment of artificial muscle technologies. Morgan extended this platform further by investigating inherently pre-strained, self-healing elastomers as next-generation electroactuators, addressing the persistent challenge of electromechanical instability that causes spontaneous rupture in conventional dielectric elastomers. More recently, his work on mechanically diverse polymer gels has opened new avenues for multigel systems used in soft robotics, tissue engineering, and biomedical devices, tackling the critical problem of differential swelling and shape distortion. Across these efforts, Morgan has consistently demonstrated a talent for materials design strategies that decouple competing mechanical and functional properties, making his work highly relevant to researchers developing the next generation of bioinspired, responsive soft materials.