The goal of IRG #3 is to advance the understanding of molecular plasmonics at the single nanoparticle and single molecule levels and to develop the new research tools necessary to accomplish this. The group is working to control and manipulate light on the nanometer-length scale as mediated by localized and propagating surface plasmons. The major thrusts of this effort include:

1. developing new, anisotropic nanomaterials,
2. creating passive and active plasmonic devices,
3. developing coherent control strategies to manipulate plasmons within nanoparticle arrays,
4. understanding the coupling mechanism between molecular chromophores and surface plasmons, and
5. understanding the coupling between plasmons and other nano- and micro-scale resonantors.

While living systems routinely achieve size-controlled assembly, synthetic approaches lag far behind. IRG1: Self-Limiting Assembly adopts a bioinspired approach to develop a suite of building blocks which undergo equilibrium self-assembly that self-terminates at tunable finite-sized structures without requiring external control. 

IRG-3 at MRL examines in detail the unique opportunities afforded bulk materials through the addition of nanoparticles. We have shown that the increasing availability of organic and inorganic nanoparticles and structured colloids creates exciting opportunities for new soft cellular materials with unique property combinations at low cost. These include improved electrical or ionic conductivity and thermal/mechanical stability, exceptional barrier properties or chemical resistance, etc. Nanoparticles can be used to statically or dynamically stabilize the cellular fluid precursors and enhance or impart new properties to the material formulation. Development of these materials will require a fundamental, science-based understanding of strategies to control nanoparticle location, structure and dynamics.

IMS-2026 serves as a global platform for discussing scientific breakthroughs that address some of today's most urgent technological and environmental challenges. From clean energy materials to biomedical engineering applications, the conference highlights the transformative role of materials science in driving progress across multiple sectors.

In the world of materials science, researchers are constantly seeking new ways to create more efficient, durable, and adaptable materials. One promising avenue is the study of bottlebrush block polymers, a unique class of macromolecules that self-assemble into intricate nanostructures. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have been at the forefront of this research, uncovering new possibilities for these polymers and their applications.

A new travel award will support up to five MRSEC trainees from any of the 20 current MRSEC Centers or their NSF-funded PREM partners across the United States to attend and present research at the 2026 Materials Research Society Spring Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Applications are due Sunday, March 22, at 11:55 p.m. PST.

HighRise is another summer program in partnership with local high schools, offering students interested in STEM careers a hands-on laboratory experience in Materials Science & Engineering.

The Center for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing (CAMM) launched a biweekly “Machine Learning for Materials Discovery” Hackathon, bringing together students and researchers from materials science, physics, and data science to explore how AI can accelerate materials design. Over 5 intensive sessions since October 2025, participants worked through hands-on problems that linked real experimental data to modern machine learning workflows.

Chiral superconductivity — a long-sought quantum phase with potential applications in quantum technologies — has eluded definitive microscopic confirmation for decades. While several candidate materials exhibit signatures of time-reversal symmetry breaking, such evidence alone does not prove chiral Cooper pairing.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on polymer coating that could help plants resist harmful bacterial infections and survive drought. The advance, published in ACS Materials Letters, could help strengthen global food security as increased environmental stresses continue to intensify plant disease pressures.