Penn State

Research: Materials

Materials at the Nanoscale

More than 50 faculty research teams are working in the emerging field of nanomaterials - a wide ranging frontier of study that includes nanoporous materials and structures; nanowires and nanotubes; nanoparticles; polymers; biomaterials; glass and optical materials; and electronic and photonic materials.

Materials research at Penn State increasingly begins with the modeling and simulation of novel materials. Computer simulation streamlines the development of materials by predicting the properties and performance of new materials and devices, providing theoretical frameworks, and isolating the variables in materials experimentation. Most multi- disciplinary groups studying materials at the nanoscale include a modeling and simulation component.

Researchers at Penn State are studying chemically modified nanoporous carbon as a storage material for hydrogen; metallic and semiconductor nanowires joined to single biomolecules as biomolecular electrical sensors; titania nanotube arrays for more efficient solar cells: graphene sheets with many of the remarkable electronic properties of carbon nanotubes but with more surface to functionalize; negatively refracting materials made from blended metallic and magnetic nanoparticles to make "perfect lenses" for optical and electronic devices; and chemical vapor deposition of semiconductor material inside optical fiber in nanometer-size structures that merge optics and electronics in a single system with the promise of revolutionizing telecommunications.

Penn State researchers have done groundbreaking work in chemical nanofabrication, including molecular rulers for nanolithography; self-assembled monolayers for applications in molecular electronics and surface chemistry; catalytic nanomotors from bimetallic nanorods, and metallic atoms for molecule-based electronic devices.

In the Particulate Materials Center at Penn State, the basic groundwork is being laid for the introduction of nanosize particles into industrial processes. Particle science and technology are being transformed for the rigorous requirements of advanced materials, including composites, electronic materials, and pharmaceuticals.

Characterization of nanomaterials is a crucial component in nanoscale science and engineering, and Penn State has a distributed network of user facilities with cutting-edge metrology equipment. The Materials Characterization Lab(MCL) is a full-service analytical laboratory that serves the research community at Penn State by offering a range of state-of-the-art analytical techniques with full-time professional staff. Techniques offered include: microscopy, surface and thin film analysis, trace chemical analysis, structural determination, and various physical property measurements.

Strength in nanotechnology at Penn State builds on a century- long tradition of leadership in materials science and engineering. With the construction of a new state-of-the-art Materials Building, scheduled for completion in 2010, Penn State will augment its strength position in nanomaterials and create new opportunities in the emerging field of nanobiomaterials. To find out more about Penn State materials research click on one of the links below.

The Materials Research Institute is the focus for materials research at Penn State www.mri.psu.edu

The MCL is a distributed materials characterization laboratory with professional staff and state-of-the-art equipment www.mri.psu.edu/mcl

The Keck Smart Materials Integration Lab creates and studies materials that can sense and react to changes in their environment. www.mri.psu.edu/centers/kecksmil

Read about Penn State's Materials Day www.mri.psu.edu/articles/materialsday06/index.asp

Faculty: Materials

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