Dr. Muhammad Latif is a materials researcher specializing in advanced sustainable materials, nanocellulose-based composites, additive manufacturing, and multifunctional bio-based systems. His research focuses on the 3D printing of nanocellulose materials, with emphasis on high-concentration nanocellulose inks, shape fidelity, interfacial adhesion, structural reinforcement, flexible piezoelectric films, triboelectric nanogenerators, and energy-harvesting devices. He develops and applies direct ink writing, extrusion-based 3D printing, wet-spinning, and composite fabrication approaches to design environmentally friendly materials for structural, functional, and smart-device applications.

Dr. Latif earned his PhD from Inha University, South Korea, where his doctoral research focused on 3D printing of nanocellulose materials for multifunctional applications. He also received his MS from Changwon National University, South Korea, with research on self-healing composites. He has held postdoctoral and research positions at Hanyang University and Inha University, South Korea. His expertise includes composite fabrication, wet-spinning of cellulose filaments, mechanical testing, and advanced material characterization techniques. His research outputs have been published in peer-reviewed journals including Carbohydrate Polymers, Advanced Materials Interfaces, ACS Applied Nano Materials, Materials Today Advances, ACS Applied Energy Materials, Polymer Chemistry, Results in Engineering, and International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

PUBLICATIONS

1. B. Kumar, M. Latif, S. Adil, and J. Kim, “Preparation of a biomass-derived imine hardener, biobased epoxy thermoset and their coating on cellulose nanofiber film for high-performance and energy-harvesting applications,” Polymer Chemistry, vol. 16, no. 26, pp. 3079–3091, 2025.

2. Y. Jiang, M. Latif, S. Song, H. Lee, S. M. Kim, and J. Kim, “Additively manufactured tannic acid-nanocellulose structures with superior mechanical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties,” International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, p. 149107, 2025.

3. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, and J. Kim, “Additively manufactured flexible piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate-nanocellulose films with outstanding mechanical strength, dielectric and piezoelectric properties,” Materials Today Advances, vol. 21, p. 100478, 2024.

4. B. Kumar, M. Latif, S. Adil, and J. Kim, “Vanillin-derived epoxy-coated flexible cellulose nanofiber film for multifunctionality and energy harvesting applications,” Results in Engineering, vol. 21, p. 101935, 2024.

5. J. M. Song, M. Latif, Y. Jiang, Z. Ounaies, and J. Kim, “High-performance flexible triboelectric nanogenerator based on micropatterned allicin-grafted cellulose film,” Materials Today Nano, vol. 26, p. 100475, 2024.

6. Y. Jiang, M. Latif, and J. Kim, “Three-dimensional printing of lignocellulose structures: improving mechanical properties and shape fidelity,” ACS Omega, vol. 9, no. 22, pp. 23442–23450, 2024.

7. H. C. Cho, M. Latif, Y. Jiang, and J. Kim, “Environment-friendly triboelectric nanogenerator based on 3D-printed nanocellulose films for human motion monitoring,” ACS Applied Energy Materials, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 267–275, 2024.

8. S. Roy, H. D. Pham, M. Latif, J. W. Kim, G. Park, J. Kim, B. D. Ghosh, and K. L. Goh, “Facile and sustainable upcycling of waste cotton into multifunctional durable superhydrophobic coatings,” Progress in Organic Coatings, vol. 197, p. 108770, 2024.

9. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, and J. Kim, “3D printing of concentrated nanocellulose material: The critical role of substrates on the shape fidelity and mechanical properties,” Carbohydrate Polymers, vol. 320, p. 121197, 2023.

10. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, J. Song, and J. Kim, “Additively-manufactured high-concentration nanocellulose composites: structure and mechanical properties,” Polymers, vol. 15, no. 3, p. 669, 2023.

11. M. Sattar, M. Alzaid, N. U. R. Junejo, R. A. Malik, M. Tanveer, and M. Latif, “Solar array drive assembly disturbance modeling, jitter analysis and validation tests for precision space-based operations,” Journal of Vibration Engineering & Technologies, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 2069–2080, 2023

12. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, B. Kumar, J. M. Song, H. C. Cho, and J. Kim, “High content nanocellulose 3D-printed and esterified structures with strong interfacial adhesion, high mechanical properties, and shape fidelity,” Advanced Materials Interfaces, vol. 9, no. 16, p. 2200280, 2022.

13. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, B. Kumar, H. C. Cho, J. M. Song, and J. Kim, “Three-dimensional printing of highly crosslinked and concentrated nanocellulose for environmentally friendly structural applications,” ACS Applied Nano Materials, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 5680–5687, 2022.

14. D. O. Agumba, B. Kumar, M. Latif, P. S. Panicker, H. D. Pham, H. C. Kim, and J. Kim, “High-performance esterified-poly(vinyl alcohol)-citric acid-lignin resin and its application to wet-spun nanocellulose filament-reinforced polymer composite,” Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 153, p. 106735, 2022.

    H. Alrobei, A. Maqbool, M. A. Hussain, R. A. Malik, M. R. A. Karim, I. AlBaijan, A. Hafiz, and M. Latif, “Single-step fabrication and characterization of nanoscale Cu thinfilms for optoelectronic applications,” Crystals, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 62, 2022.

15. J. Shafique, H. Alrobei, A. Wakeel, R. A. Malik, A. Hussain, J. Kim, and M. Latif, “Structural and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Al2O3 and SiC reinforced Al 7075 alloys,” Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 1437–1444, 2021.

16. B. Kumar, D. O. Agumba, D. H. Pham, M. Latif, Dinesh, H. C. Kim, H. Alrobei, and J. Kim, “Recent research progress on lignin-derived resins for natural fiber composite applications,” Polymers, vol. 13, no. 7, p. 1162, 2021.

17. L. Zhai, H.-C. Kim, R. M. Muthoka, M. Latif, H. Alrobei, R. A. Malik, and J. Kim, “Environment-friendly zinc oxide nanorods-grown cellulose nanofiber nanocomposite and its electromechanical and UV sensing behaviors,” Nanomaterials, vol. 11, no. 6, p. 1419, 2021.

    M. Shahid, R. A. Malik, H. Alrobei, J. Kim, M. Latif, A. Hussain, M. U. Iqbal, and A. Hafiz, “Synthesis and mechanical characterization of alumina based composite material for armor application,” Journal of Ceramic Processing Research, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 149–157, 2021.

18. A. Awan, R. A. Pasha, M. S. Butt, R. A. Malik, I. M. Alarifi, M. Alzaid, M. Latif, A. Naseer, M. Saleem, and H. Alrobei, “Corrosion and wear behavior of TiN PVD coated 304 stainless-steel,” Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 34, no. 8, pp. 3227–3232, 2020.

19. N. Zaman, R. A. Malik, H. Alrobei, J. Kim, M. Latif, A. Hussain, A. Maqbool, R. A. Karim, M. Saleem, M. A. Rafiq, et al., “Structural and electrochemical analysis of decarburized graphene electrodes for supercapacitor applications,” Crystals, vol. 10, no. 11, p. 1043, 2020.

    Z. Arshad, M. A. Nasir, Y. Baig, M. Zeeshan, R. A. Malik, K. Shaker, A. Hussain, M. Latif, M. Sattar, and H. Alrobei, “Drop weight impact and tension-tension loading fatigue behaviour of jute/carbon fibers reinforced epoxy-based hybrid composites,” Polymers Korea, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 610–617, 2020.

20. M. Latif, C. N. Kumar, M. N. Prabhakar, and J.-I. Song, “Development of hybrid composites with improved mechanical and self-healing properties,” Fibers and Polymers, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 413–420, 2019.

    M. Latif, M. N. Prabhakar, and J.-I. Song, “Fabrication of hybrid matrix/silane modified carbon fabric composites and study of their mechanical properties,” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 136, p. 47695, 2019.

21. Z. Wei, S. N. Ahmed, M. Latif, and J.-I. Song, “Fabrication of self-reinforced polyester composites and their mechanical and flame-retardant properties,” Advances in Polymer Technology, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 2436–2445, 2018.

22. L. Boton, J. M. Puguan, M. Latif, and H. Kim, “Synthesis and properties of quick-drying UV-curable hyperbranched waterborne polyurethane coating,” Progress in Organic Coatings, vol. 125, pp. 201–206, 2018.

Book Chapter

1. J. Kim, M. Latif, J. Song, G. Park, and J. Lee, “Automated sorting of recyclable domestic waste,” in Harnessing Automation and Machine Learning for Resource Recovery and Value Creation, Elsevier, 2025, pp. 417–426.

Conference Papers / Proceedings

1. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, B. Kumar, and J. Kim, “3D printing of nanocellulose structures infused Epofix resin with improved mechanical properties,” in 2022 2nd International Conference on Digital Futures and Transformative Technologies, ICoDT2, IEEE, 2022, pp. 1–3.

2. B. Kumar, S. Adil, D. H. Pham, D. O. Agumba, P. S. Panicker, M. Latif, and J. Kim, “Development, characterization, and properties of vanillin-based epoxy resins for natural fiber composites,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, vol. 12045, pp. 22–46.

3. H. C. Cho, J. M. Song, M. Latif, and J. Kim, “Additively manufactured nanocellulose-based flexible triboelectric nanogenerator,” 한국정밀공학회 학술발표대회 논문집, pp. 620–621, 2022.

4. D. O. Agumba, D. H. Pham, M. Latif, B. Kumar, and J. Kim, “Esterified lignin-based resin for cellulose-long-filament reinforced polymer composites,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, vol. 12045, pp. 36–41.

5. M. Latif, J. Kim, Y. Jiang, H.-C. Kim, H. Alrobei, and B. Kumar, “Optimization of 3D printing parameters of twin-screw extruder for high concentration nanocellulose,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors and Wearable Systems, SPIE, 2021, vol. 11590, pp. 34–38.

6. M. Latif and J.-I. Song, “Development of high-performance hybrid matrix/glass fabric composites for self-healing properties,” in 2018 15th International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technology, IBCAST, 2018, pp. 1–4.

7. M. Latif, M. N. Prabhakar, G.-B. Nam, D.-W. Lee, and J.-I. Song, “Influence of organomodified nanoclay on the mechanical and flammability behavior of jute fabric/vinyl ester nanocomposites,” Composites Research, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 303–309, 2017.

8. M. Latif and Jung-Il Song, “Design and fabrication of bearing testing machine,” KSME Conference, South Korea, 2016.

Conference Presentations

1. Y. Ci, M. Latif, Y. Jiang, S. Roy, G. Park, and J. Kim, “포백 닥나무 펄프에서 추출한 3D 프린팅 닥나무 펄프 셀룰로오스 나노섬유의 제조 및 특성,” 대한기계학회 춘추학술대회, p. 205, 2024.

2. J. Song, Y. Jiang, M. Latif, H. C. Cho, and J. Kim, “3D printing of concentrated nanocellulose blended tannic acid blend for environmentally friendly structural applications,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2023, SPIE, 2023, p. PC1248509.

3. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, H. Cho, J. Lee, and J. Kim, “Investigation of structural, morphological, and mechanical properties of 3D-printed flexible piezoelectric ceramics made by blending PZT powder and nanocellulose,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2023, SPIE, 2023, p. PC1248507.

4. M. Latif, Y. Jiang, H. Cho, J. Song, B. Kumar, and J. Kim, “3D printing of concentrated wood-derived biopolymers by twin-screw extruder: Approach towards greenery,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, p. PC1204505.

5. F. Salemi, F. Karimzadeh, M.-H. Abbasi, F. Moradi, J. M. Song, M. Latif, J. Lee, and J. Kim, “Surface patterning of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-graphene nanocomposites for application in triboelectric nanogenerators,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, p. PC120450L.

6. Y. Jiang, M. Latif, H. Cho, J. Song, and J. Kim, “Effect of lignin concentration on the mechanical properties of extrusion-based 3D printed nanocellulose structures,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, p. PC120450K.

7. J. Kim, J. Song, F. Salemi, M. Latif, D. H. Pham, and H. Cho, “An eco-friendly triboelectric hybrid nanogenerators based on cellulose-polyvinyl alcohol-graphene oxide,” in Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2022, SPIE, 2022, p. PC1204503.