MATERIALS

07-en-materialsAt the heart of every sustainability, energy, or environmental issue lies a materials challenge. Materials are the building blocks of all devices providing energy conversion and storage, energy harvesting, and environmental remediation. Advances in new materials, materials design and discovery, and materials synthesis and processing will play a key role in bringing about a sustainable future for the world in clean electricity, clean transportation fuels, and clean access to water and food.

Areas of Research Focus

At the University of Illinois, researchers are engaged in a broad spectrum of cutting-edge research in materials, from design and optimization, to synthesis and processing, to characterization, and beyond. From materials for inexpensive and abundant solar photovoltaics, clean hydrogen fuel production, environmental remediation, to materials for next generation nuclear reactors and high efficiency turbines, research at the Illinois is finding materials solutions to address key global challenges in energy, environment, and sustainability.

Some specific projects:

  • New materials synthesis and processing.
  • High-temperature materials.
  • Solar energy harvesting materials: photovoltaics, photocatalysis.
  • Waste heat harvesting materials: thermoelectrics.
  • Energy storage materials: clean production of hydrogen.
  • Catalysis materials for reduction of carbon dioxide.
  • Materials for energy conversion: fuel cells, etc.
  • Energy materials at the nanoscale.
  • Radiation resistant materials, materials for next generation nuclear reactors.
  • Computational materials discovery and modeling.
  • Nanowire tandem solar cells and solar water splitting.
  • Electromagnetic shielding, electrical cables, material properties.
  • Thin-film inorganic solar cells and thin-film flexible LEDs.
  • X-ray tomography of Si- and Sn- based high capacity battery electrodes.
  • Digital volume correlation for internal strain measurements in battery electrodes.
  • Self-reporting and autonomous stabilization strategies at electrochemical interfaces.

Researchers

Can Bayram

Can Bayram

Microelectronics and photonics

Pascal Bellon

Pascal Bellon

Alloy structure and durability

Subhonmesh Bose

Subhonmesh Bose

Power and energy systems

Joe A. Bradley

Joe A. Bradley

Product development and design

David G. Cahill

David G. Cahill

Thermal materials

Marie Charpagne

Marie Charpagne

Alloy design, additive manufacturing

Ying Diao

Ying Diao

Thermal materials

Shen Dillon

Shen Dillon

Storage materials

Jim Eckstein

Jim Eckstein

Superconducting materials

Elif Ertekin

Elif Ertekin

Thermal materials

David Flaherty

David Flaherty

Thermodynamics

Nishant Garg

Nishant Garg

Chemistry and materials

Andrew Gewirth

Andrew Gewirth

Electrochemistry

Tony Grift

Tony Grift

Biomass production

Damien Guironnet

Damien Guironnet

Catalysis

Harley Johnson

Harley Johnson

Electronics and photonics

Kyekyoon Kim

Kyekyoon Kim

Microelectronics and photonics

Jaemin Kim

Jaemin Kim

Materials science

Waltraud M. Kriven

Waltraud M. Kriven

Mechanical properties and materials

Jessica Krogstad

Jessica Krogstad

Materials structure and durability

Minjoo Lawrence Lee

Minjoo Lawrence Lee

Microelectronics and photonics

Xiuling Li

Xiuling Li

Nanotechnology and photovoltaics

Bruce Elliott-Litchfield

Bruce Elliott-Litchfield

Stored solar energy

Nenad Miljkovic

Nenad Miljkovic

Fluid mechanics and thermal sciences

Jeffrey Moore

Jeffrey Moore

Polymeric materials

Ralph Nuzzo

Ralph Nuzzo

Photovoltaics and catalysis

Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O'Brien

Traditional and alternative energies

Martin Ostoja-Starzewski

Martin Ostoja-Starzewski

Thermomechanics

Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez

Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez

Electrochemistry for energy storage materials

R. Mohan Sankaran

R. Mohan Sankaran

Nuclear, plasma, materials

Lance Schideman

Lance Schideman

Bioenergy and biomass

André Schleife

André Schleife

Nanoscale science and technology

Edmund Seebauer

Edmund Seebauer

Semiconductors

Moonsub Shim

Moonsub Shim

Nanoelectronics

Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith

Fluid dynamics and thermal sciences

Petros Sofronis

Petros Sofronis

Hydrogen materials compatability

Nancy R. Sottos

Nancy R. Sottos

Materials for extreme conditions

Timothy Stark

Timothy Stark

Geotechnical engineering

Alexander Vakakis

Alexander Vakakis

Controls and dynamics

Sherilyn Williams-Stroud

Sherilyn Williams-Stroud

Petroleum geology

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