Previously, UC Santa Barbara MRSEC researchers demonstrated that chain-end functionalization of immiscible polystyrene/polydimethylsiloxane (PS/PDMS) blends with oppositely paired acid and base groups forms ionic supramolecular block copolymers, where electrostatically stabilized microdomains prevent macroscopic phase separation.
A model phase-separating system of DNA nanostars provides unique access to nucleation physics in a biomolecular context. At low DNA concentrations, highly thermo-responsive DNA hybridization drives phase separation near room temperature.
Penn MRSEC researchers Lee and Patel developed nanoporous films that spontaneously condense water vapor from undersaturated air and release it as collectible droplets at room temperature, requiring no external energy.
Toyota Research Institute of North America, collaborating with MRSEC-supported scientists and facilities have developed a novel [LiCl]/[FeOCl] heterointerface composite material (LFH) that achieves high lithium-ion conductivity from two traditionally non-conductive materials. The unique core-shell structure facilitates interstitial lithium-ion diffusion.
An article in the journal MRS Advances documented the outcomes of a summer research program for high school students based at the University of Puerto Rico, in partnership with the Penn MRSEC. Over the past two decades this program has engaged nearly 400 students in hands-on materials science research since 2005, with 84% pursuing STEM undergraduate studies.
This University of Pennsylvania program immerses students in hands-on materials research while incorporating a recently piloted initiative: training participants to become effective science communicators. While students spend 10 weeks conducting advanced research projects, they simultaneously develop crucial skills in translating complex scientific concepts for broader audiences, particularly younger students.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania discovered a unique self-assembling network structure that forms when certain liquid crystal materials separate. These networks spontaneously create intricate patterns of filaments and disc-shaped structures through a series of physical transformations driven by competing forces.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College developed new non-invasive methods to measure the mechanical properties of defects in liquid crystals using magnetic fields and advanced imaging. The study revealed that the line tension of twist disclinations ranges from 75 to 200 piconewtons and increases logarithmically with sample thickness, providing crucial quantitative data for testing theoretical models of these defects.
MRSEC researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated that introducing geometric disorder in mechanical metamaterials leads to distributed damage during failure, resulting in significantly enhanced fracture toughness with minimal loss of strength. This finding challenges the traditional reliance on periodic unit cell geometries in architected materials.
Researchers John Crocker and Andrew Liu at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that biopolymer networks pruned by tension-inhibited methods remain rigid at much lower coordinations than those pruned randomly. This finding helps explain the evolutionary advantage of tension-inhibited filament-severing proteins in biological systems.
