Advanced Materials
The range of elements available for device production has exploded in the past 20 years, enabling entirely new classes of electronic and mechanical products, biomedical implants, tissues, coatings and more.
We’re leaders in the world of advanced materials, with three of our school’s seven departments moving this field forward: Materials, Macromolecular Science and Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. And with our home in Northeast Ohio—a region brimming with material and chemical industry leaders—we collaborate on moving the latest materials technologies quickly from research to use.
Centers and institutes that conduct research in Advanced Materials
Faculty who conduct research in Advanced Materials
Rigoberto Advincula
Explores polymer material nanostructure to discover new phenomena and functionality
Rohan Akolkar
Develops new electrochemical processes for applications including nano-material fabrication, energy storage, electrometallurgy and sensors
Eric Baer
Develops processing-structure-property relationships in polymeric systems; creates micro- and nano-layered films; and produces biomimetic hierarchical structures of soft materials
Harihara Baskaran
Understands and solves problems in biology and medicine using transport principles
Laura Bruckman
Develops predictive lifetime models for materials degradation related to stress conditions and induced degradation mechanisms evaluated by quantitative spectroscopic characterization of materials
Jeff Capadona
Engineers biomaterials-based strategies to improve the performance and longevity of central nervous system implanted devices
Jennifer Carter
deformation mechanisms of metals and metal-matrix composites; fatigue, fracture, and creep; failure analysis; electron microscopy; 3D microscopy; novel methodologies for multi-scale material characterization; data science and analytics; open science
Sunniva Collins
Engineers metallic surfaces for improved performance; selects materials and designs manufacturing processes for innovative outcomes
Liming Dai
Develops and functionalizes polymeric and carbon nanomaterials for energy applications
Mark De Guire
Analyzes performance of ceramics in energy applications, including fuel cells and oxygen transport membranes
Christine Duval
Develops advanced materials to enable radiochemical separations for nuclear forensics and human health
Steven Eppell
Designs, synthesizes and tests orthopedic biomaterials using biomimetic strategies emphasizing nanoscale structures and self-assembly
Frank Ernst
Studies and engineers microstructures, interfaces and surfaces of metallic materials by novel methods of processing and microcharacterization
Donald Feke
Develops novel polymeric materials and ultrasonic-based separation processes for nano- and microscale multi-phase systems
Philip Feng
Explores fundamental physics and new engineering of nanoscale solid-state structures and devices
Roger French
Applies data science and analytics to energy and materials science research problems
Mike Hore
Combines experiments, theory and simulation to study fundamental problems in the polymer physics of grafted and non-linear polymers
Hatsuo Ishida
Develops advanced benzoxazine resins, thermosetting resins based on natural renewable materials and green flame retarding systems
Daniel Lacks
Develops first-principles molecular-scale theories of chemical processes and materials properties
Peter Lagerlof
Develops a unified theory for plastic deformation via slip and deformation twinning
John Lewandowski
Researches material reliability for biomedical and structural applications, advanced materials manufacturing and processing/microstructure/property relationships
Bo Li
Develops HPC-based computational methods for the dynamic behavior and failure processes in materials and structures under extreme conditions
Ya-Ting Liao
Creates computational models of combustion, fire and fire behavior and develops fire-resistant structures
Joao Maia
Develops multi-scale, complex polymer-based materials, using both experimental and computational-based tools
Ica Manas-Zloczower
Engineering new materials and technologies for industrial applications
Heidi Martin
Develops diamond electrodes for electrochemical and neural device applications
David Matthiesen
Develops process engineering solutions for the manufacturing of new magnetic materials
Jim McGuffin-Cawley
Develops new methodologies for material processing, characterizes processing-property relationships, studies high-temperature diffusion and solid-state reactions, fosters industry-university relationships
Mehran Mehregany
Develops MEMS and sensors monitoring the status and health of machines and humans
Pubudu Peiris
Develops therapeutic and diagnostic agents for hard-to-treat and lethal forms of cancer, and generates nanomedicine platforms
Vikas Prakash
Engineers lithium-metal batteries, designs carbon nanomaterial composites for aerospace applications, and develops characterization techniques form materials subjected to multi-axial thermo-mechanical extremes
Julie Renner
Works at the interface of protein engineering and electrochemistry to enable a new generation of advanced technologies
Clare Rimnac
Advances the long-term performance of implants and structural bone allografts through material analysis and characterization
Valentin Rodionov
Investigates catalysis with soft materials: catalytic surfactants and polymers; complex macromolecular architectures for bio-inspired catalysis; and ligand-mediated nanocatalysis
R. Mohan Sankaran
Engineers plasma-based reactive systems to synthesize, functionalize and assemble nanoscale materials
Bob Savinell
Develops high-performance electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies through fundamental and applied studies of interfacial and transport processes
David Schiraldi
Develops bio-based, flame-retarded plastics, polymer aerogels and packaging materials; and studies properties of polyesters
Alp Sehirlioglu
Develops new materials through exploitation of interfaces to control functionality and exploration of multi-functionality for energy-related applications
Gerhard Welsch
Develops new processing methods and designs for energy storage and optimized materials
Matthew Willard
Investigates phase transformations and materials processing, especially their impact on structure and properties of materials
Gary Wnek
Develops advanced polymers for packaging, biomaterial applications and more.
Bill Yu
Advances geosystems, infrastructure and geotechnical engineering with expertise in smart and multifunctional materials and multi-scale multiphysics processes
Huichun (Judy) Zhang
Examines fate and transformation of environmental contaminants in natural and engineered environments and develops advanced water/wastewater treatment technologies
Lei Zhu
Develops high-energy and high-performance polymers based on close relationships among structure, property and processing