• Atomic Scale Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Materials
• Biomolecular Materials
• Conducting Metal-Organic Frameworks
• Functional Materials at Inorganic-Macromolecular Interfaces
• Inorganic-Organic Nanocomposites
• Microscopy Investigations of Nanostructured Materials
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
• Physical Basis for Biomineralization
• Physical Chemistry of Semiconducting Nanocrystals
• Plastic Electronics
• Self-Assembly of Membrane Proteins

Materials Discovery, Design and Synthesis

Core Research Areas:  Materials Chemistry, Biomolecular Materials, and Synthesis and Processing Science
This program area supports fundamental research in the design, synthesis and discovery of novel materials and material constructs, and the development of innovative materials synthesis and processing methods.    Major research thrust areas include

• nanoscale chemical synthesis and organization of nano-materials into macroscopic structures;

• solid state chemistry–exploratory synthesis and discovery of new classes of energy-related materials such as superconductors, magnets, thermoelectrics and ferroelectrics;

• polymers and polymer composites,

• surface and interfacial chemistry–electrochemistry, electro-catalysis, molecular level understanding of friction, adhesion and lubrication,

• basic research in synthesis and processing science–for developing innovative synthesis techniques, to understand the physical phenomena that underpin materials synthesis such as diffusion, nucleation and phase transitions, and to develop in situ monitoring and diagnostic capabilities; and

• fundamental research in biomimetic/bioinspired functional materials and complex structures, and materials aspects of energy conversion processes based on principles and concepts of biology.

Peidong Yang, laser lab.