Strong as Steel, Light as Foam: Machine Learning and Nano-3D Printing Produce Breakthrough High-Performance, Nano-Architected Materials
16th November 2025
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering have used machine learning to design nano-architected materials that have the strength of carbon steel but the lightness of Styrofoam.
In a new paper published in Advanced Materials, a team led by Professor Tobin Filleter (MIE) describes how they made nanomaterials with properties that offer a conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight and customizability. The approach could benefit a wide range of industries, from automotive to aerospace.
“Nano-architected materials combine high performance shapes, like making a bridge out of triangles, at nanoscale sizes, which takes advantage of the ‘smaller is stronger’ effect, to achieve some of the highest strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, of any material,” says Peter Serles (MIE MASc 1T9, MIE PhD?2T4), the first author of the new paper.
“However, the standard lattice shapes and geometries used tend to have sharp intersections and corners, which leads to the problem of stress concentrations. This results in early local failure and breakage of the materials, limiting their overall potential.
“As I thought about this challenge, I realized that it is a perfect problem for machine learning to tackle.”