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Highlights

May 16, 2023
Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

A New Common Behavior for Glasses

L. Yu, D. Morgan, P. Voyles, M. Ediger, J. Perepezko, U. Wisconsin-Madison

Materials  scientists  use  rules  that  hold  across  different kinds   of  materials   as  powerful  tools  to  understand material’s    fundamental    behavior,    to    predict    their properties   and   performance,   and   to   design   new materials.
May 16, 2023
Center for Complex and Active Materials

Atomic-scale origin of the low grain-boundary resistance in perovskite solid electrolyte Li0.375Sr0.4375Ta0.75Zr0.25O3

T. Lee, C.A. Gadre, H. Huyan, C. Du, J. Li, T. Aoki, R. Wu, X. Pan (University of California, Irvine) J. Qi, S. Ko, Y. Zuo, J. Luo, S. P. Ong (University of California, San Diego)

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.
May 16, 2023
Center for Complex and Active Materials

Sugar-fueled Dissipative Living Materials

Hyuna Jo, Serxho Selmani, Zhibin Guan, Seunghyun Sim (University of California, Irvine)

The  first  example  of  synthetic  living  material featuring   dissipative   behaviors   directly controlled  by  the  fuel  consumption  of  their constituent cells.
In suspensions of polymer particles designed to undergo a glass transition, the ability to shear jam can be turned on (or off) in situ by varying temperature. Images show pull tests.
In suspensions of polymer particles designed to undergo a glass transition, the ability to shear jam can be turned on (or off) in situ by varying temperature. Images show pull tests.
May 16, 2023
Big Idea: Understanding the Rules of Life

Leveraging the Polymer Glass Transition

A collaboration between the de Pablo, Rowan and Jaeger groups at the University of Chicago developed a novel class of suspensions with stimuli-responsive polymer particles to be able to transition reversibly between liquid to solid behavior in response to temperature,
Cover image of MXenes
Cover image of MXenes
May 16, 2023
Big Idea: Understanding the Rules of Life

Direct Synthesis and CVD of 2D MXenes

Novel chemical reactions enable scalable and atom-economic synthesis of two-dimensional metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes). These directly synthesized MXenes from the University of Chicago show excellent energy storage capacity for Li-ion intercalation.
The four exposed probosces that comprise the jaws of bloodworms. On the right is a scanning electron micrograph of a single jaw.
The four exposed probosces that comprise the jaws of bloodworms. On the right is a scanning electron micrograph of a single jaw.
May 15, 2023
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UCSB

A Multi-tasking Polypeptide from Bloodworm Jaws

Matthew Helgeson, UCSB J. Herbert Waite, UCSB

The key protein that helps bloodworms form copper-based mineral composites to make very strong jaws has been identified along with the several functions that it serves.
Controlling functional groups and polymer architectures allows the relative amount of lithium ions transported (the transference number) to be enhanced without much detriment to the total ionic conductivity.
Controlling functional groups and polymer architectures allows the relative amount of lithium ions transported (the transference number) to be enhanced without much detriment to the total ionic conductivity.
May 15, 2023
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UCSB

High-Performance Polymer Solid Electrolytes

Raphaële Clément, UCSB Javier Read de Alaniz, UCSB Rachel Segalman, UCSB

New lithium-ion transporting polymers, suitable for use as solid electrolytes in lithium ion batteries have been developed based on controlling the dielectric properties of polymers and details of the polymer architecture. Many lithium-transporting polymers, which could play a central role in the future of solid-state lithium batteries, suffer from poor lithium conductivity, even if the total conductivity could be high due to the counterions moving. MRSEC IRG-2 researchers have devised strategies to ensure that it is the lithium that moves, making these materials useful. 
Stability of XYZ half-Heusler and XY2Z Heusler compounds as a function of their valence electron counts. On the right are the unit cells depicting the structures of these compounds.
Stability of XYZ half-Heusler and XY2Z Heusler compounds as a function of their valence electron counts. On the right are the unit cells depicting the structures of these compounds.
May 15, 2023
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UCSB

Heusler Compounds: To Alloy or Not to Alloy?

Justin Mayer, UCSB Ram Seshadri, UCSB

Rules for the creation of alloys within the family of Heusler compounds, which are ordered compounds formed between metals, have been broadly formulated. Heusler compounds are important functional materials, used for their magnetic and thermoelectric properties. These rules will help in designing new materials with optimized functionality. The results directly support the goals of IRG-1 Magnetic Intermetallic Mesostructures since the controlled formation of single-phase and mesostructured magnetic Heusler materials is central to the project.
May 15, 2023
UC San Diego MRSEC

Plant Leaf ELMs Undergo Shape Shifting Driven by External Stimuli

Jiayu Zhao, Yvonne Ma, Nicole Steinmetz, Jinhye Bae, UC San Diego

Plant/polymer composite materials have been fabricated. These  composite  materials  are  stimuli responsive  and  can  undergo  shape-shifting   behavior   in   response   to temperature or light. 
May 15, 2023
UC San Diego MRSEC

A Multiphysics Approach for the Self-Assembly of Nanocrystal Checkerboards

Pedram Abbasi, David Fenning, Tod Pascal, UC San Diego

IRG1 has developed a toolkit for carrying out simulated X-ray   adsorption   spectroscopy   (XAS).   XAS   is   a powerful technique for understanding the surface local structure  and  chemistry  of  complex  interfaces  at  the nanoscale.