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Program Highlights

Maquette protein engineering and construction for long-lived photo-induced charge separation

We have developed analytic methods that establish molecular constraints to photochemical efficiency in the engineering and construction of molecular photochemical materials and devices useful to addressing the global energy challenge. The absence, to-date, of analytic procedures has seriously handicapped progress in the development of photochemical devices.

Engineering a virus-like particle via protein design

We have designed specialized protein molecules that organize around carbon nanotubes into an atomistically-predefined pattern. Targeted design of such self-organization is a powerful tool for engineering at the nano scale. For example, we have shown that our protein/nanotube hybrid can be used to generate a regularly-spaced array of gold nano-particle.

Patterning within Amphiphilic Self-Assemblies using Charge, Curvature, and Crystallinity

Design & engineering of modern devices increasingly requires complex nano-

Colloidal Networks & Lattices at Threshold of Mechanical Stability

An isostatic lattice is one at the threshold of mechanical stability. The square and kagome lattices (see Figure 1a-b) in two dimensions are examples of isostatic lattices. A 2D kagome lattice of N sites has of order N1/2 zero-energy bulk modes under periodic boundary conditions.

High School Student Research Internships at The Johns Hopkins University

Background: The JHU MRSEC conducts extensive K-12 educational outreach programs aimed at promoting interest in and awareness of the importance of modern materials

Dynamics of Magnetic Charges in Spin Ice

Background: A bar magnet has two poles, denoted as +1 and -1 magnetic charges.  Patterned structures consist of many magnets (Fig. 1), where the square array (Fig. 1a) does not, whereas the honeycomb (Fig. 1b) has, net magnetic charges (or magnetic monopoles).  Under a magnetic field these local magnetic monopoles will move (Fig. 1c). 

Control of Tetrahedral Coordination in FeSe Superconductors

Background: The tetrahedral coordination of Fe surrounded by 4 Se(Te) atoms is of crucial importance for the new high TC Fe pnictides superconductors with lattice parameters c and a. To

The Material World

A weeklong materials science workshop series with morning lectures followed by hands-on lab exercises to reinforce concepts for introduction of materials-related content into core science curricula at the home institution Organized and taught by MRSEC faculty investigators Partnership with the Faculty Resource Network at NYU,

Effective Defects: Strength in Numbers. The surprising strength of highly defective graphene

Graphene in its pristine form is one of the strongest materials, but defects influence its strenth.  Using atomistic calculations, we find that, counter to standard reasoning, graphene sheets with large-angle tilt boundaries that have a high density of defects are as strong as the pristine material and unexpectedly are much stronger than those with low-angle boundaries having fewer defects.  We

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