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Hydrogels with dynamic linkers have garnered intense interest for applications that require flow, including injectable delivery vehicles and 3D bioprinting inks. However, to fully enable these applications, there remains a need to understand how linking chemistry affects gelation and nonlinear rheological properties. To probe this relationship, UT Austin MRSEC researchers developed synthetic multi-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG) gels linked with dynamic covalent bonds.

This unique partnership between Navajo Technical University and the Harvard MRSEC will build enduring pathways for undergraduate Native American students into STEM by including traditional tribal perspectives and methods of scientific inquiry in materials science research and education.

For the first time, a team comprised of two IRG-1 theorists (Birol  and Fernandes) working with experimentalists from other institutions (including  the  Columbia  MRSEC) showed the  coexistence of ferroelectricity (i.e.,  electrostatically switchable macroscopic dipole moment) and superconductivity in a two-dimensional superconductor.

The PIs of IRG2 have substantially refined synthetic control over the synthesis of superatoms and their assemblies into macroscopic single crystals. They are now leveraging this control to engineer new, exceptional semiconductor transport properties not seen in any other material.

UW Chemical Engineering Prof. Lilo Pozzo’s ‘23/’24 Seed project aims to serve the materials community by advancing AI-driven experimentation and analysis for broad adoption and acceleration of materials research. Pozzo has engaged in highly collaborative projects to advance self-driving laboratory (SDL) technologies and to help others adopt them for their own workflows.

Wisconsin MRSEC IRG 1 developed a new theory describing how sound waves couple two level systems together. Experiments using a superconducting qubit measured the coupling of many TLS, one at a time, and showed that they are consistent with the theory. Machine learning applied to simulations identified the atomic arrangements associated with TLS and showed that as the glass grows more stable, the TLS density decreases.

We have developed a solution-phase protocol to modify the Lewis basic surface of few-layer black phosphorus (bP) using commercially available Lewis acids, and demonstrated its effectiveness at providing outstanding ambient stability and tuning of electronic properties.

The main achievement of this research is revealing the atomic-scale origin of the low grain-boundary (GB) resistance in Li0.375Sr0.4375Ta0.75Zr0.25O3 (LSTZ0.75) perovskite solid electrolyte and providing insights on overcoming the ubiquitous bottleneck of high GB resistance in other oxide solid electrolytes.

In partnership with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, McCormick School of Engineering, Pritzker School of Law, and Innovation and New Ventures Office, the Northwestern University MRSEC fosters a comprehensive innovation ecosystem that allows fundamental research to be transferred to the market via startup companies.

Moire superlattices consist of two monolayers of atomically thin materials, in this case the transition metal dichalcogenide MoS2, stacked on top of each other with a slight rotational misalignment (twist) that creates a moire interference pattern between the atomic lattices of the two monolayers.