Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez is an Associate Professor of Materials Engineering and Graduate Admission Chair at Purdue University's School of Materials Engineering. His research focuses on soft materials physics and applications like drug delivery, photonic materials, and chemical sensing. He holds a B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao (1994), a Ph.D. in Materials Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2002), and postdoctoral experience at NIST and Harvard. His lab investigates porous nanoparticle microshells, emulsion fabrication, and bio-based phase change materials. Recent work includes PFAS-free firefighting foams and bilge water emulsion studies. Advising over seven graduate students, he emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to materials innovation.

Research interests span soft condensed matter, including colloids, complex fluids, and emulsions, with applications in biomedical and environmental engineering. Publications since 2021 highlight advancements in microencapsulated PCMs for asphalt temperature regulation, surfactant-driven emulsion stability, and hypersonic thermal protection systems. His lab's work merges fundamental physics with practical engineering solutions, supported by collaborations in academia and industry.

Students under his guidance include Bianka Pajo, recognized for nanoartography and mentoring undergraduates like Raul Paredes Noroña. While no personal awards are explicitly listed, his group’s work has earned accolades such as the 2023 American Ceramic Society Best Paper Award for contributions to ultra-high temperature ceramics research.