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Program Highlights

Glass transition of irreversibly adsorbed nanolayers
Princeton University researchers are investigating how the Tg of an adsorbed layer is influenced by the free surface and employing a fluorescence technique to directly measure the Tg of the adsorbed layer buried in a film.

Electron spin coherence of shallow donors in germanium
An international collaboration led by Princeton University IRG3 researchers have measured electron spin coherence in germanium for the first time.

MAPLE of Polymer Films for Morphology Control
Princeton researchers found that deposition temperature can significantly affect the stability of liquid phase PEO in MAPLE (matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation)-deposited films, which results in different crystallization kinetics.

Successful synthesis of novel MOF compositions
Successful synthesis of novel MOF compositions employing “in-house made” organic linkers.  These MOF compositions  displayed superior catalytic ability in the conversion of fatty acid methyl esters  (FAMEs) into liquid fuel hydrocarbons. Synthesis of microporous carbon membranes derived from metal organic frameworks for natural gas purification.

Surface Patterning of Nanoparticles with Polymer Patches
We demonstrate nanoparticle surface patterning, which utilizes thermodynamically driven segregation of polymer ligands from a uniform polymer brush into surface pinned micelles following a change in solvent quality.

RT-MRSEC Graduate Fellow Launches Award-Winning Startup Company
A team of Duke graduate students has been named one of five companies receiving a total of $250,000 through the NC IDEA Foundation - an organization committed to supporting entrepreneurial business innovation and economic advancement in North Carolina.

Self-Propelled Bouncing Droplets Remove Contaminants
Researchers at Duke University and the University of British Columbia are exploring whether surfaces can shed dirt without the use of fragile superhydrophobic coatings.

Synergistic Chemical Action Leads to Enhanced Adhesion

Siderophores are compounds in microorganisms that bind and store iron. Parallels between the chemistry of compounds secreted by mussels to aid adhesion to rocks, and the chemistry of some siderophores inspired UCSB researchers Butler, Israelachvili, and Waite and their coworkers to study their adhesive properties.

3D Multimodal Imaging of Biphasic Thermoelectrics

The use of a prototype “TriBeam” microscope, a scanning electron microscope equipped with a femtosecond laser for rapid serial sectioning, allows 3D views of materials to be obtained.

Electrocatalytic Surfaces Using Bulk Metallic Glass Nanostructures
Metallic glass nanostructures provide a new platform for electrocatalytic applications. Several surface modification strategies that remove or add metal species (images, right) improve the catalytic activity of metallic glass nanostructures.   These strategies were demonstrated for three key electrocatalytic reactions important for renewable energy.     

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