IRGs

This IRG includes three thrust areas. These thrust areas are intimately related in several ways: the overlappingparticipation of the investigators, the common experimental methods and biopolymer materials, and thecommon theme of materials under constraint resulting in new properties. More important, they explorethis common theme on several levels of complexity. The first thrust deals with constraints […]

The primary goal of IRG #2 is to develop and produce materials with superior mechanical properties using polymer-based processing strategies that include polymers, ceramics, metals, and structured composite materials.
Polymers and gels are versatile materials with useful mechanical, electrical and biological functions. Center scientists are developing methods for controlling the properties of these materials by tuning […]

The interdisciplinary research group on Patterns, Gradients and Signals in Soft Biomaterials seeks to develop macromolecular materials with predictable biological response by combining understanding of macromolecular synthesis, experimental and theoretical nanomechanics, and cell biology to move towards a comprehensive understanding of biological structure-function relationships in soft materials. Artificial extracellular matrix (aECM) proteins which enable […]

The LC MRC is a Single Interdisciplinary Research Group that unites the fields of physics, chemistry, chemical engineering and electrical engineering toward the creation, understanding, development and application of novel chiral/polar liquid crystal (LC) materials. The Center conducts basic and applied research on the phases, structures and electro-optics of liquid crystals focusing on the roles […]

The goal of this IRG is to make important advances towards directing the assembly of soft materials, by using interfaces between distinct materials as templates for controlling the dynamic assembly of structure. This IRG has introduced the study of single fluid droplets coated with solid particles as an area of active research.

Fundamental Issues in Materials Integration on Silicon investigates the fundamental atomistic and mesoscopic mechanisms underlying the integration of materials, devices and structures on silicon, as an integration platform. Materials integration on Si leverages the power of CMOS through the addition of other components, thereby increasing function while maintaining the advantages and the versatility of […]

The next generation of polymer-based materials will rely on the incorporation of multiple components to achieve superior and tunable properties; this, in turn, will require control over chemical connectivity and morphology from the nanometer scale up to microns. The thermodynamic incompatibility of most polymer pairs demands a flexible strategy for designing hybrid materials in both […]

Engineered nanoparticles present a wide range of opportunities for the synthesis and assembly of materials with entirely new electronic, optical or mechanical properties. They are of interest for materials science because their size-dependent characteristics give rise to an entirely new spectrum of materials properties. In addition, nanoparticles offer new ways of forming combinations of very […]

The theme of this IRG is to understand and control of micro- and nanoscale movement. By investigating three classes of motors - catalytic, biological and synthetic - we are endeavoring to bring the study of dynamic nanoscale processes into the realm of engineering science and physics.

The IRG research projects are augmented by seed projects in materials science research. At present there are three seed projects in the CCMR funded through a combination of NSF and Cornell University resources.

SEED Leader: Sang Bok Lee
We are interested in synthesis of multifunctional nanotubes and nanowires with various materials such as conductive polymers, metal oxides, metals, and their composites materials, based on well-controlled template synthesis method. Using these nanotube/nanowire structures, we are exploring new chemical, physical, electrochemical, and biological properties and their applications in fast electrochemical […]

IRG2 seeks to understand the science, technology, and fabrication of large-scale ordered structures with features on the nanometer to micrometer scale. Substrates of square centimeters in area covered with trillions of organic or inorganic structures could be employed in nanofilters, sensors, catalytic supports, quantum dots, optical devices, and ultradense memories. Current foci of research include […]

IRG3, Jamming and Slow Relaxation in Materials Far From Equilibrium, is developing a novel, unifying framework to understand the complex behavior of large classes of materials, from spin systems to supercooled liquids to granular matter, that become stuck in states far from equilibrium and defy description by conventional statistical mechanics. This interdisciplinary approach is based on the concept of “jamming” co-developed at Chicago. A first thrust investigates phenomena in which systems jam via self-organized processes. A second thrust extends the jamming phase diagram to include systems with externally imposed disorder.

Senior Investigators: Dennis E. Discher & Andrea Liu
IRG Leaders; Paul A. Heiney, Randall D. Kamien, Michael L. Klein, Virgil Percec, Shu Yang
IRG-2 will collaborate to synthesize sstrongi-flexible, functional cylinders composed of dendrimer-based polymers & self-assstrongbling block copolymers. The goal is to understand the interplay between soft structure & function and thereby develop cylinders whose meso-conformations […]

Senior Investigators: Shu Yang & Arjun G. Yodh
IRG Leaders; Christopher S. Chen, John C.Crocker, Paul A. Janmey, Tom C. Lubensky, Karen I. Winey
IRG-1 will draw on expertise from five departments & collaborate to explore & understand the properties of filamentous networks. The goal is to design & synthesize responsive network materials. The ultimate aim is […]