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Michael Hickner
Michael Hickner

Michael Hickner
Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Virginia S. and Philip L. Walker, Jr. Faculty Fellow
310 Steidle Building
(814) 867-1847
hickner@matse.psu.edu
 
Research Group Website

Biographical Sketch: 

Mike Hickner received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).  In graduate school he worked under the direction of James E. McGrath and also spent time at Los Alamos National Laboratory.  Before joining Penn State as an Assistant Professor in 2007, he was a postdoc and subsequently became a staff member at Sandia National Laboratories.  Professor Hickner’s research and teaching interests include all aspects of polymeric materials, polymer micro- and nano-structure, transport characterization, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and new materials for energy applications.

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Research Interests: 
  • Functional polymeric materials
  • Electrochemistry and electrochemical technology
  • Transport in materials
  • Vibrational spectroscopy
  • Micro- and nano-phase separation
  • Membrane separations
  • Materials chemistry
Areas of Research: 

Research in the Hickner group probes the connection between the molecular identity, nanophase structure, and the resulting transport properties in polymeric materials.  Our activities are motivated by application-specific needs that drive fundamental investigations into new materials chemistry and demand incisive measurements of the structure and transport properties of novel materials.  We characterize technologically important materials and synthesize model materials systems to probe specific structural and property questions. 
A significant thrust in our group is directed towards the study of ion-containing polymers that form robust membranes and absorb water.  These types of materials are the basic functional units of solid-state electrochemical systems such as fuel cells and electrolyzers and enable water treatment technologies such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis.  The binding and diffusion of the absorbed water internal to the membrane structure and the interactions between the polymer, ions, and water are important aspects of these materials which ties the transport properties to the nano-scale and molecular features. 

We employ tools such as impedance spectroscopy, NMR, TEM, AFM, vibrational spectroscopy, calorimetry, and scattering to probe the structure and transport in multiphase polymeric materials.  Our team is composed of a diverse group of materials scientists, chemists, and engineers with wide ranging skills in synthesis, advanced experimental technique development, and analytical analysis.  Ultimately, the goal of our group’s work is to have impact on novel applications of polymer membranes and to uncover the fundamental factors that influence the structure and resulting properties of polymeric materials.

Technology Impacted By Research: 
  • Fuel cells
  • Water treatment membranes
  • Surface properties of polymers
  • Electrochemical reactors
  • Membrane processes
Journal Articles and Publications: 

Selected from over 65 with more than 3200 citations - full list
 
Gross, M. L., K. R. Zavadil, M. A. Hickner, “Chemical Mapping and Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube Patterned Arrays,” J. Mater. Chem. 2011, DOI:10.1039/C1JM11107H.
 
Kim, S., T. Tighe, B. Schwenzer, J. Yan, J. Zhang, J. Liu, Z. Yang, M. A. Hickner, “Chemical and Mechanical Degradation of Sulfonated Poly(sulfone) Membranes in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries,” J. Appl Electrochem. 2011, DOI:10.1007/s10800-011-0313-0.
 
Xie, H., T. Saito, M. A. Hickner, “Zeta Potential of Ion-Conductive Membranes by Streaming Current Measurements,” Langmuir 2011, 27(8), 4721–4727.
 
Mendoza, A. J., M. A. Hickner, J. Morgan, K. Rutter, C. Legzdins, “Raman Spectroscopic Mapping of the Carbon and PTFE Distribution in Gas Diffusion Layers,” Fuel Cells 2011, 11(2), 248-254.
 
Elabd, Y. A., M. A. Hickner, “Block Copolymers for Fuel Cells,” Macromolecules 2011, 44(1), 1-11.
 
Saito, T., T. H. Roberts, T. E. Long, B. E. Logan, M. A. Hickner, “Neutral Hydrophilic Cathode Catalyst Binders for Microbial Fuel Cells,” Energ. Environ. Sci. 2011, 4(3), 928-934.
 
Lee, D. K., T. Saito, A. J. Benesi, M. A. Hickner, H. R. Allcock, “Characterization of Water in Proton Conducting Membranes by Deuterium NMR T1 Relaxation,” J. Phys. Chem. B. 2011, 115(5), 776–783.
 
Vaughn, D., R. Patel, M. A. Hickner, R. E. Schaak, “Single Crystal Colloidal Nanosheets of GeS and GeSe,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132(43), 15170–15172.
 
Kim, S., J. Yan, B. Schwenzer, J. Zhang, L. Li, J. Liu, Z. Yang, M. A. Hickner, “Investigation of Sulfonated Poly(phenylsulfone) Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries,” Electrochem. Comm. 2010, 12, 1650–1653.
 
Schaefer, Z. L., M. L. Gross, M. A. Hickner, R. E. Schaak, “Uniform Hollow C-Shells: Nano-Engineered Graphitic Supports for Improved Oxygen Reduction Catalysis,” Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 2010, 49(39), 7045-704.
 
Moore, H. D., T. Saito, M. A. Hickner “Morphology and Transport Properties of Midblock-sulfonated Triblock Copolymers,” J. Mater. Chem. 2010, 20, 6316-6321.
 
Hickner, M. A., “Ion-Containing Polymers: Functional Materials for New Energy and Clean Water,” Materials Today 2010, 13(5), 34-41.
 
Yan, J., M. A. Hickner “Anion Exchange Membranes by Bromination of Benzylmethyl-containing Poly(sulfone)s,” Macromolecules 2010, 43, 2349–2356.
 
Xu, K., K. Li, C. S. Ewing, M. A. Hickner, Q. Wang, “Synthesis of Proton Conductive Polymers with High Electrochemical Selectivity,” Macromolecules 2010, 43 (4), 1692–1694.
 
Saito, T., H. D. Moore, M. A. Hickner, “Synthesis of Mid-block Sulfonated Triblock Copolymers,” Macromolecules 2010, 43 (2), 599-601.
 
Mangiagli, P. M., C. S. Ewing, K. Xu, Q. Wang, M. A. Hickner, “Dynamic Water Uptake of Flexible Ion-Containing Polymer Networks,” Fuel Cells 2009, 9(4), 432-438.
 
Song, Y., M. A. Hickner, S. R. Challa, R. M. Dorin, R. M. Garcia, H. Wang, Y.-B. Jiang, P. Li, Y. Qiu, F. van Swol, C. J. Medforth, J. E. Miller, T. Nwoga, K. Kawahara, W. Li, J. A. Shelnutt, “Evolution of Dendritic Platinum Nanosheets Into Ripening-Resistant Holey Sheets,” Nano Letters 2009, 9(4), 1534-1539.

 

Hickner
Evangelos Manias
Evangelos Manias

Evangelos Manias
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
325-D Steidle Building
(814) 863-2980
manias@matse.psu.edu
http://zeus.plmsc.psu.edu/

Biographical Sketch: 

Professor Manias received his B.S. degree in Physics from the Aristotle U in Thessaloniki, Greece, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from U. of Groningen, the Netherlands. He subsequently carried out postdoctoral research in the Materials Science and Engineering department at Cornell U, before joining Penn State as an assistant professor in 1998. His research combines theoretical, simulation, and experimental approaches focused on explaining how nanoscale structures affect the macroscopic materials properties in multi-phase polymer systems, and on further designing appropriate structures and functionalities that lead to high-performance novel materials.

Research Interests: 
  • Polymer/Inorganic nanocomposite materials
  • Polymers at surfaces, interfaces, and confinements; structure and dynamics of nano-confined polymers
  • Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) studies of polymer surfaces
  • Smart/Responsive polymers and soft-condensed matter systems
Areas of Research: 

Professor Manias’ research focuses on the development of new high performance polymer and polymer-composite materials, with approaches spanning the range from basic-science fundamentals to engineering development of materials designed for specific applications. All of these research efforts exploit the unique opportunities of nanoscale structures and nanoscopic components in polymer and organic materials.
More specifically, examples of recent work in Professor Manias’ research group include: (a) development of high performance polymer/inorganic nanocomposites, involving synthesis, processing, fundamental physics, and engineering design approaches;  (b) atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies of polymer surfaces and polymer nanostructures, including he development of new state-of-the-art instruments and modifications of AFM modes of operation; (c) fundamental understanding of nanoscopically confined polymer electrolytes and lubricants, based on molecular modeling; and (d) design and syntheses of smart polymers that respond to external stimuli –such as temperature, electric fields, and pH– and applications of these smart materials in biomedical and surface applications.
A unique feature of Manias’ research group approach in its investigations is the concurrent in-depth employment of polymer physics, molecular modeling computer simulations, synthetic chemistry, and engineering approaches –design, processing, characterization, structure-property relations, and application-driven materials development. The feedback and cross-fertilization between fundamental science, computer modeling, and engineering approaches offers unprecedented opportunities for fast progress in research, and to date has yielded diverse results that were featured in eminent scientific journals of physics, polymers, and engineering, new technologies that were patented, and new advances in materials that were featured in popularized-science books and magazines.

Technology Impacted By Research: 
  • Polymer nanocomposites for structural, barrier, packaging, fire resistance, and biomedical applications
  • Smart polymers for microfluidics, smart-surfaces, biomedical, biological, and for biodetection and toxic removal
  • Molecular modeling for technologies related to lubrication, advanced polymer electrolytes, and fuel cells
  • Advanced packaging, defense-related composites, fuel cell membranes.
Journal Articles and Publications: 

Full list of publications (up to date, incl. full-text where allowed)

  1. "Nanocomposites: Stiffer by Design", E. Manias, Nature Materials, 6, 9-11 (2007)
  2. "Nested self-similar wrinkling patterns in skins", K. Efimenko, M. Rackaitis, E. Manias, A. Vaziri, L. Mahadevan, J. Genzer, Nature Materials, 4, 293-297 (2005)
  3. "Polymerically modified layered silicates: An effective route to nanocomposites", J. Zhang, E. Manias, C.A. Wilkie, J. Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, 8, 1597-1615 (2008)
  4. "Simulation insights on the structure of nanoscopically confined poly(ethylene oxide)", V. Kuppa, S. Menakanit, R. Krishnamoorti, and E. Manias, J. Polym. Sci. B: Polym. Phys. 41, 3285-3298 (2003)
  5. "Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites: A Review of Synthetic Routes and Materials Properties", E. Manias, A. Touny, L. Wu, K. Strawhecker, B. Lu, T.C. Chung, Chemistry of Materials, 13, 3516-3523 (2001)

ResearcherID (A-7557-2011)

Manias
Suzanne Mohney
Suzanne Mohney

Suzanne Mohney
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering
N-209 Millennium Science Complex
(814) 863-0744
mohney@matse.psu.edu
www.esm.psu.edu/mohney/

Biographical Sketch: 

Suzanne Mohney has been a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering since 2004 and holds the title of Professor of Electrical Engineering. Prior to 2004, she was an Associate or Assistant Professor at Penn State. She earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science at the University of Wisconsin in 1994 and a B.S.Ch.E. summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 1987. She has been a recipient of research awards from The Electrochemical Society and the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Science, as well as an award for outstanding teaching from the College. She currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the TMS-IEEE Journal of Electronic Materials.

Research Interests: 
  • Electronic materials
  • Metals in electronics
  • Compound semiconductors
  • Wide band gap semiconductors
Areas of Research: 

Our research group investigates electronic and photonic materials. Many of our projects focus on metal/semiconductor contacts for electronic and optoelectronic devices. We are also investigating semiconductor nanowires for nanoscale electronics and quantum dots for more efficient white lighting. In addition, we study metallic thin films for interconnects, electronic packaging, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
     The metal/semiconductor contacts we study are an essential part of electronic and optoelectronic devices, including transistors, laser diodes, and solar cells. Controlled metallurgical reactions between the contact metals and the semiconductor are required to engineer the electrical properties of the contacts. On the other hand, uncontrolled reactions can result in nonuniform contacts and poor thermal stability during processing, packaging, or long-term operation. Through an examination of the thermodynamics and kinetics governing interfacial reactions, contacts with greatly improved thermal stability, uniformity, and electrical performance can be designed. This work also involves study of current transport in the contacts and materials characterization using techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, Auger depth profiling, and atomic force microscopy. We work with many families of semiconductors, some of which have been commercialized and others that are in the early stages of development. These materials include III-V compound semiconductors, GaN, SiC, and Si.
     Our research on semiconductor nanowires and quantum dots, MEMS, and novel semiconductors is very interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with faculty in electrical engineering, physics, chemical engineering, and other materials disciplines. We also frequently work with researchers from government laboratories and industry.

Technology Impacted By Research: 
  • Microelectronics
  • Energy
  • Communication
  • Lighting
Journal Articles and Publications: 
  1. C. M. Eichfeld, S. S. A. Gerstl, T. Prosa, Y. Ke, J. M. Redwing and S. E. Mohney, “Local Electrode Atom Probe Analysis of Silicon Nanowires Grown with an Aluminum Catalyst,” Nanotechnology 23, 215205 (2012).
  2. F. Zhang, J. Liu, G. J. You, C. F. Zhang, S. E. Mohney, M. J. Park, J. S. Kwak, Y. Q. Wang, D. D. Koleske, and J. Xu, “Nonradiative Energy Transfer Between Colloidal Quantum Dot-Phosphors and Nanopillar Nitride LEDs,” Optics Express 20, A333–A339 (2012).
  3. J. A. Howell, S. E. Mohney, and C. L. Muhlstein, “Developing Ni-Al and Ru-Al Thin Films for Microelectromechanical Systems,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 29, 042002–13 (2011).
  4. B. P. Downey, J. R. Flemish, and S. E. Mohney, “Investigation of Polarity Effects on the Degradation of Pd/Ti/Pt Ohmic Contacts to p-type SiC Under Current Stress,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 29, 061205 (2011).
  5. K. Sarpatwari, S. E. Mohney, and O. O. Awadelkarim, “Effects of Barrier Height Inhomogeneities on the Determination of the Richardson Constant,” J. Appl. Phys. 109, Article 014510 (2011).
  6. B. P. Downey, S. Datta, and S. E. Mohney, “Numerical study of reduced contact resistance via nanoscale topography at metal/semiconductor interfaces,” Semicond. Sci. Tech. 25, Article 015010 (2010).
  7. K. Sarpatwari, N. S. Dellas, O. O. Awadelkarim, and S. E. Mohney, “Extracting the Schottky barrier height from axial contacts to semiconductor nanowires,” Solid-State Electron. 7, 689–685 (2010).
  8. N. S. Dellas, J. Liang, B. J. Cooley, N. Samarth, and S. E. Mohney, “Electron microscopy of MnAs/GaAs core/shell nanowires,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 072505 (2010).
  9. R. Dormaier, Q. Zhang, B. Liu, Y. C. Chou, M. D. Lange, J. M. Yang, A. K. Oki, and S. E. Mohney, “Thermal Stability of Pd/Pt/Au Contacts to InAlAs/InAs Heterostructures for High Electron Mobility Transistors,” Journal of Applied Physics 105, Article 044505 (2009).
  10. N. S. Dellas, B. Z. Liu, S. M. Eichfeld, C. M. Eichfeld, T. S. Mayer, and S. E. Mohney, “Orientation Dependence of Nickel Silicide Formation in Contacts to Silicon Nanowires,” Journal of Applied Physics 105, Article 094309 (2009).
Mohney
Clive A. Randall
Clive A. Randall

Clive A. Randall
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Director, Center for Dielectric Studies
N-221 Millennium Science Complex
(814) 863-1328
randall@matse.psu.edu
Center for Dielectric Studies
www.mri.psu.edu/centers/CDS/.

Biographical Sketch: 

Professor Randall received his B.S. degree in Physics at the University of East Anglia (United-Kingdom). He then performed his graduate studies at the University of Essex in Experimental Physics. He then performed post doctoral studies at Pennsylvania State University. He later entered the faculty of Material Science and Engineering in 1994 as an associate professor and become Full professor in 1999.  In 1997, he became the Director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Dielectric Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. He has had a number of visiting positions during his career including Shonan Institite (Japan), EPFL (Switzerland), and University of Sheffield (United Kingdom). In a sabbatical year (2004-2005) he was a Visiting Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, at Cambridge University. He was named Fellow of the American Ceramic Society in 2004. In 2006, he was elected as an Academician to the World’s Congress of Ceramics. He has published over 200 papers and holds 11 patents.

Research Interests: 
  • Electronic Materials
Areas of Research: 

Professor Randall utilizes a combination of the material science approaches of structural-property-process-performance relations and coupling these with material physics to understand and design future generation electroceramic materials and devices. Specific materials the group is studying are ferroelectric and related materials, microwave, and piezoelectric materials in a variety of different forms, ranging from crystal structure, composition, particle and grain size, bulk, film and composites are considered. Our philosophy is to use extreme application needs to direct a fundamental study to enable material advances to be made and implemented. These extreme performance parameters include a combination of temperature, electric field strength, frequency- time and size reduction. Under these conditions, we are concerned with basic mechanisms that control the degradation under all times of use. These time dependant failure mechanisms may be controlled through important physical processes such as electron injection at an electrode or grain boundary, oxygen vacancy migration, defect dipole rotations, thermochemical and electrochemical reactions at interfaces. Any of these or similar phenomena are  built into a material through the fabrication thermal processes  and remain in a metastable state, but  ultimately these defects drive the degradation mechanisms and thereby prevent the implementation of  new materials into a system. Once understanding the sources and failure processes, our group develops methods through process modifications or design new materials or chemistries to suppress these deleterious effects. The above approach has proven extremely useful in the education of our students and the research conclusions have attracted collaborations with leading international electroceramic based companies.

Technology Impacted By Research: 

High frequency high permittivity dielectrics are being implemented into integrated - tunable Microwave Circuits. Piezoelectric materials are being developed for diesel injection systems. High temperature ferroelectrics are being developed for accelerometers and electronic components. Our protocols for characterizing interfacial phenomena in capacitors are being adopted by manufacturers.

Journal Articles and Publications: 
  1. The XRD and IR Study of the Barium Titanate Nano-powder Obtained via Oxalate Route, A.V. Polotai, A.V. Ragulya, T.V. Tomila, C.A. Randall, et al., Ferroelectrics 298: 243–251 (2004).
  2. Polarization Relaxation Anisotropy in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 Single-Crystal Ferroelectrics as a Function of Fatigue History, M. Ozgul, E. Furman, S. Trolier-McKinstry, et al., J. Appl. Phys. 95(5): 2631–2638 (2004).
  3. Investigation of a High Tc Piezoelectric System: (1-x)Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–PbTiO3, C.A. Randall, R. Eitel, B. Jones, T.R. Shrout, D.I. Woodward, and I.M. Reaney, J. Appl. Phys. 95(7): 3633–3639 (2004).
  4. Influence of Electrical Cycling on Polarization Reversal Processes in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 Ferroelectric Single Crystals as a Function of Orientation, M. Ozgul, S. Trolier-McKinstry, and C.A. Randall, J. Appl. Phys. 95(8): 4296–4302 (2004).
  5. Characterization of Perovskite Piezoelectric Single Crystals of 0.43BiScO3-0.57PbTiO3 with High Curie Temperature, S.J. Zhang, C.A. Randall, and T.R. Shrout, J. Appl. Phys. 95(8): 4291–4295 (April 15, 2004).
Randall
James Runt
James Runt

James Runt
Professor of Polymer Science
325-C Steidle Building
(814) 863-2749
runt@matse.psu.edu

Biographical Sketch: 

James Runt is currently Professor of Polymer Science in the MatSE Department at Penn State. Dr. Runt is the author of >180 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers. He is an editor of the ACS Professional Reference Series book: Dielectric Spectroscopy of Polymeric Materials: Fundamentals and Applications, and is a co-editor of the recent ACS Symposium Series book: Polymers for Energy Storage and Delivery: Polyelectrolytes for Batteries and Fuel Cells. He recently served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Macromolecules, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Dielectrics Society. Dr. Runt received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Penn State, the latter in Solid State Science (with a concentration in polymeric materials).

Research Interests: 

 

  • Broadband dielectric spectroscopy; polymer dynamics

  • Ion-containing polymers: electrolytes, ionomers

  • Segmented polyurethane and polyurea block copolymers

  • Hydrogen bonded polymer blends and solutions

  • Polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs)

  • Crystalline polymers, from renewable resources

  • Nanoscale structure and morphology

 

Areas of Research: 

Our group’s research is focused on three principle areas:

  1. Ion and polymer dynamics and nanoscale structure of ‘single ion’ polymer conductors and more conventional ion-containing polymer systems (ionomers). The principle techniques used in these experimental investigations are broadband dielectric (= impedance) spectroscopy and X-ray scattering.
  2. Polyurethane and polyurea segmented block copolymers.  This work focuses on the role of hard and soft segment chemistries on nanodomain phase separated morphology, unlike segment mixing (using principally small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy) and polymer dynamics. Polyurethane chemistries have been chosen to reflect those of interest as blood-contacting biomaterials, and polyurea chemistries of interest in protection against shock impact loading (traumatic brain injury).
  3. Investigation of segmental and local dynamics of an array of complex polymer systems including oriented elastomers and crystalline polymers, polymer blends and solutions exhibiting inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding, polyurethane block copolymers, biopolymers, and polymer nanocomposites.
Technology Impacted By Research: 

Polymers in energy applications; Polyurethanes and polyureas;  Li ion battery electrolytes; Ionomers; Polymers of intrinsic microporosity; Blood-contacting polymers in biomedical devices; Polymer blends/alloys; High performance polymers.

Journal Articles and Publications: 

 

  1. T. Choi, D. Fragiadakis, C.M. Roland and J, Runt, Microstructure and Segmental Dynamics of Polyurea Under Uniaxial Deformation, Macromolecules 45, 3581 (2012).
  2. C. Chanthad, K.A. Masser, K. Xu, J. Runt, and Q. Wang, Synthesis of Triblock Copolymers Composed of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and Ionic Liquid Segments, J Mater Chem 22, 341 (2012).
  3. S. Liang, U.H. Choi, W. Liu, J. Runt and R.H. Colby, Synthesis and Lithium Ion Conduction of Polysiloxane-based Single-Ion Conductors Containing Novel Weak-Binding Borates, Chem Mater 24, 2316 (2012)
  4. A. Castagna, A. Pangon, T. Choi, G. Dillon, J. Runt, The Role of Soft Segment Molecular Weight on Microphase Separation and Dynamics in Bulk Polymerized Poly(tetramethylene oxide) Based Polyureas. Macromolecules 45, 8438 (2012).
  5. M. Grujicic, R. Yavari, J. S. Snipes, S. Ramaswami, J. Runt, J. Tarter, G. Dillon, Molecular-Level Computational Investigation of Shock-Wave Mitigation Capability of Polyurea, Journal of Materials Science  47, 1897 (2012).
  6. G.J. Tudryn, M.V. O’Reilly, S. Dou, D.R. King, K.I. Winey, J. Runt, R.H. Colby, Molecular Mobility and Cation Conduction in Polyether-ester-sulfonate Copolymer Ionomers, Macromolecules 45, 3962 (2012).
  7. A. G. McDermott, G. S. Larsen, P. M. Budd, C. M. Colina, and J. Runt, Structural Characterization of a Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity: X-Ray Scattering With Interpretation Enhanced by Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Macromolecules 44, 14 (2011).
  8. A. Castagna, W. Wang, K.I. Winey, J. Runt, Structure and Dynamics of Zinc Neutralized Sulfonated Polystyrene Ionomers. Macromolecules.44, 2791 (2011).
  9. A. Castagna, D. Fragiadakis, H.K. Lee, T. Choi, and J. Runt, “The Role of Hard Segment Content on the Molecular Dynamics of Poly(tetramethylene oxide) Based Polyurethane Copolymers”, Macromolecules 44, 7831 (2011).
  10. A. Castagna, W. Wang, K.I. Winey, J. Runt, “Influence of Cation Type on Structure and Dynamics of Sulfonated Polystyrene Ionomers“, Macromolecules. 44, 5420 (2011)
  11. A. Castagna, W. Wang, K.I. Winey, J. Runt, Sulfonation Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of Sulfonated Polystyrene Copolymers. Macromolecules 43, 10498 (2010).
  12. K.A. Masser, H.Q. Zhao, P.C. Painter, J. Runt, Local Relaxation Behavior and Dynamic Fragility in Hydrogen Bonding Polymer Blends”. Macromolecules 43, 9004 (2010).
  13. H.K. Lee, D. Fragiadakis, D.J. Martin, A. Milne, J. Milne and J. Runt. Dynamics of Uniaxially Oriented Elastomers Using Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy. Macromolecules 43, 3125 (2010).
  14. D. Fragiadakis and J. Runt. Microstructure and Dynamics of Semi-crystalline Poly(ethyleneoxide) - Poly(vinyl acetate) Blends. Macromolecules 43, 1028 (2010).
  15. M.M. Mok, K.A. Masser, J. Runt, J. M. Torkelson. Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy of Gradient Copolymers and Block Copolymers: Comparison of Breadths in Relaxation Time for Systems with Increasing Interphase. Macromolecules 43, 5740 (2010).
  16. K.A. Masser and J. Runt. Dynamics of Polymer Blends of a Strongly Interassociating Homopolymer with Poly(vinyl methylether) and Poly(2-vinyl pyridine). Macromolecules 43, 6414 (2010).
  17. T. Choi, J. Weksler, A. Padsalgikar and J. Runt, Microstructural Organization of Polydimethylsiloxane Soft Segment Polyurethanes Derived From a Single Macrodiol. Polymer 51, 4375 (2010).
  18. L.C. Xu, J. Runt and C.A. Siedlecki, Dynamics of Hydrated Polyurethane Biomaterials: Surface Microphase Restructuring, Protein Activity and Platelet Adhesion. Acta Biomaterialia 6, 1938 (2010).
  19. M. Grujicic, B. Pandurangan, A. E. King, J. Runt, J. Tarter and G. Dillon, Multi-Length Scale Modeling and Analysis of Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties in a Polyurea. J. Materials Sci. 46, 1767 (2010).
  20. D. Fragiadakis, S. Dou, R.H. Colby, and J. Runt. Molecular Mobility and Li+ Conduction in Polyester Copolymer Ionomers Based on Poly(ethylene oxide). J. Chem Phys 130, 064907 (2009).
  21. M.F. Lu, J. Runt and P.C. Painter. An Infrared Spectrocopic Study of a Polyester Copolymer Ionomer Based on Poly(ethylene oxide). Macromolecules 42, 6581 (2009).
  22. T. Choi, J. Weksler, A. Padsalgikar and J. Runt. Influence of Soft Segment Composition on Phase Separated Microstructure of Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Multiblock Polyurethane Copolymers. Polymer 50, 2320 (2009).
  23. X. Zhou, X. Zhao, Z. Suo, C. Zou, J. Runt, S. Liu, S.H. Zhang and Q.M. Zhang. Electrical Breakdown and Ultrahigh Electrical Energy Density in Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) Copolymer. Appl Phys Lett 94, 162901 (2009).
  24. P. Atorngitjawat, R.J. Klein, A.G. McDermott, K.A. Masser, P.C. Painter and J. Runt. Dynamics of Concentrated Solutions of Low Molecular Weight Phenolics and Poly(2-vinylpyridine): Role of Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding. Polymer 50, 2424 (2009).
  25. R. Hernandez, J. Weksler, A. Padsalgikar, T. Choi, E. Angelo, J.S. Lin, L.C. Xu, C.A. Siedlecki and J. Runt. A Comparison of Phase Organization of Model Segmented Polyurethanes With Different Intersegment Compatibilities, Macromolecules 41, 9767 (2008).
  26. D. Fragiadakis, S. Dou, R.H. Colby, and J. Runt. Molecular Mobility, Ion Mobility and Mobile Ion Concentration in Poly(ethylene oxide)-Based Polyurethane Ionomers. Macromolecules 41, 5723 (2008).

 

Runt
Ralph Colby
Ralph H. Colby

Ralph H. Colby
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering
309 Steidle Building
(814) 863-3457
colby@matse.psu.edu
http://felix.metsce.psu.edu/Colby/index.html

Biographical Sketch: 

Ralph H. Colby received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University in 1979. After working for two years at the General Electric Company in rheology research and process development, he attended graduate school at Northwestern University, where he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1983 and 1985. Graduate research focused on rheology of linear polybutadiene melts and solutions, and included 15 months as a visiting scholar in the Exxon Research and Engineering Company, Corporate Research - Science Laboratories. He then worked for ten years at the Eastman Kodak Company in their Corporate Research Laboratories. Rheology research areas over these ten years included linear polymer melts and solutions, miscible polymer blends, block copolymers, randomly branched polymers, polymer gels, liquid crystalline polymers, polyelectrolytes, proteins, surfactants and colloidal suspensions. In 1995, Dr. Colby was hired as Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University and was promoted to Professor in 2000. He teaches an undergraduate course on Polymer  Processing and a graduate course on Polymer Physics. Dr. Colby has over 130 publications and published a textbook Polymer Physics in 2003.

Research Interests: 
  • Proteins
  • Polyelectrolytes
  • Ionomers
  • Liquid crystalline polymers
  • Block copolymers
  • Miscible polymer blends
  • Branched polymers
  • Networks
  • Glass-forming liquids
  • Surfactants and colloidal suspensions
Areas of Research: 

Professor Colby’s research group is interested in a molecular-level understanding of dynamics in interesting liquids. Polymer liquids are good examples because they are viscoelastic: While polymer liquids do flow, they have considerable elastic character. Other examples include many “complex fluids” such as liquid crystals and surfactants. The Colby group measures the dynamics of these liquids using mechanical rheology and dielectric spectroscopy and also characterizes the liquid structure using neutron and x-ray scattering and optical methods. This is classical materials science research on structure-property relations but at the same time is highly innovative because it is applied to the liquid state! One nice example is the study of ion transport in ionomer membranes. Ionomers are polymers with one type of ion covalently bonded to the chain and are ‘single-ion conductors’ in that only the unattached counterions can move rapidly in response to an applied electric field. Designing ionomers for facile ion transport is challenging and the Colby group is attacking this problem with ab initio calculations of ion interactions that guides our synthesis of new ionomers. We use small-angle X-ray scattering (picture above), mechanical rheology and dielectric spectroscopy to understand what the ions are doing in these new ionomers. We quantify the temperature dependences of the fraction of ions in ion pairs, conducting triple ions and quadrupoles, for different ionomers with various counterions (figure below). There are a great many interesting liquids known in the world today and more are being discovered every day. The Colby group’s mission is to understand in detail the structure-property relations of all interesting liquids. This is a great challenge and as such, only the best highly motivated students are able to participate in this exciting mission.

Technology Impacted By Research: 

Polymer dynamics, characterized by rheology, plays a vital role in solution and melt processing of polymers. Ion-containing polymers are a poorly understood class of materials that are potentially very important for actuators, sensors, separators between the electrodes of advanced batteries and fuel cell membranes.

Journal Articles and Publications: 
  1. D. Fragiadakis, S. Dou, R. H. Colby and J. Runt, Molecular Mobility and Li+ Conduction in Polyester Ionomers based on Poly(ethylene oxide), J. Chem. Phys. 130, 064907 (2009).
  2. R. H. Colby, Polyelectrolyte Gels: Ionic Partners Split Up, Nature Materials 6, 401 (2007).
  3. S. Dou, S. Zhang, R. J. Klein, J. Runt and R. H. Colby, Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(ethylene glycol)-based Single-Ion Conductors, Chem. Mater. 18, 4288 (2006).
  4. F. Bordi, C. Cametti and R. H. Colby, Dielectric Spectroscopy and Conductivity of Polyelectrolyte Solutions, J. Phys.: Condens. Matt. 16, R1423 (2004).
  5. A. V. Dobrynin, R. H. Colby and M. Rubinstein, Polyampholytes, J. Polym. Sci., Polym. Phys. 42, 3513 (2004).
Colby
T.C. Mike Chung
T.C. Mike Chung

T. C. Mike Chung
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
325 Steidle Bldg.
(814) 863-1394
chung@matse.psu.edu

Biographical Sketch: 

Professor Chung obtained his B. S. in Chemistry from Chung Yuan University (Taiwan) in 1976. He came to the U. S. for his graduate study in the Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania in 1979. After finishing his Ph.D work in 1982 on conducting polymers (with Professor A. J. MacDiarmid, Nobel Laureate), he spend two years as a Research Scientist at Institute for polymers and Organic Solids (with Professor Alan J. Heeger, Nobel Laureate), University of California, Santa Barbara. Between 1984 and 1989, he was a Senior Research Staff in Corporate Research, Exxon Company. In 1989 he joined the faculty of the Pennsylvania State University as an associate professor and became professor of Polymer Science in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1993. He is author of about 200 professional publications, including 2 books and 45 U.S. patents.

Research Interests: 
  • Functionalization of polyolefins via the combination of metallocene catalysts and reactive chain transfer agents
  • Functionalization of fluoropolymers using borane-mediated radical polymerization
  • Living radical polymerization based on new borane/oxygen initiators
  • Energy storage via polymer thin film capacitors with high energy density, high power density, and low loss.
  • Polyolefin-based ion conductors for fuel cells, batteries, electrodialysis, etc.
  • Oil super-absorbent polymers (oil-SAP) for oil spill recovery and natural gas storage
  • B/C/M graphitic materials for hydrogen storage
Areas of Research: 

Professor Chung is interested in the development of new polymer chemistry that can lead to new materials with unique chemical and physical properties for applications. In his recent research activities, he has been focusing on the technologies relative to energy and environmental issues. Several current research projects include (a) functionalization of polyolefins (PE, PP, EP, etc.) via the combination of metallocene catalysts and reactive comonomers and chain transfer agents to prepare polyolefins containing side-chain or chain-end functional groups, (b) synthesis of long chain branched polyolefin, including i-PP and s-PS, and studying their thin film processing, (c) studying control radical polymerization based on new functional borane/oxygen initiators to prepare functional fluoropolymers, (d) developing new energy storage technology on the polymer thin film capacitors with high energy density, high power density, and low loss, (e) studying new polyolefin-based ion conductors that show high ion conductivity, good fuel selectivity, long term stability, and cost effective, (f) investigating new polyolefin-based oil superabsorbent (oil-SAP) for oil spill recovery,  (g) synthesizing boron substituted carbon (B/C) materials and doped derivatives for hydrogen storage. My group at Penn State is recognized as a leading research group in the functionalization of polyolefin and fluoropolymers with more than 180 papers and 50 US and international patents published in the past 20 years.

Technology Impacted By Research: 

In light of the 2010 BP disaster in Gulf of Mexico and the 2011 Exxon oil spill in Yellowstone river, showing no effective technology for recovering oil spills and preventing pollution in the air and water, we have recently developed a new polyolefin-based oil super-absorbent polymer (oil-SAP) that exhibits high oil absorption capability (up to 50 times of its weight), fast kinetics, easy recovery from water surface, and no water absorption. The recovered oil/oil-SAP solid is suitable for regular refining process (no pollutants and no wastes). This cost effective new oil-SAP technology shall dramatically reduce the environmental impacts from oil spills and recover most of precious natural resource. 

Journal Articles and Publications: 

  1. "Functionalization of Polyolefins", T. C. Chung, Academic Press, London, 2002
  2. Synthesis of Functional Polyolefin Copolymers with Graft and Block Structures, T. C. Chung, Progress in Polymer Science 2002, 27, 39.
  3. Ferroelectric Polymers with Giant Electrostriction; Based on Semicrystalline VDF/TrFE/CTFE Terpolymers, T. C. Chung and A. Petchsuk, Ferroelectrics Letters 2001, 28, 135.
  4. Exfoliated PP/Clay Nanocomposites Using Ammonium-Terminated PP as the Organic Modification Montmorillonite, Z. M. Wang, H. Nakajima, E. Manias, and T. C. Chung, Macromolecules 2003, 36, 8919.
  5. Reaction Mechanism of Borane/Oxygen Radical Initiators During the Polymerization of Fluoromonomers, Zhi-cheng Zhang and T. C. Mike Chung, Macromolecules 2006, 39, 5187.
  6. Synthesis and Characterization of Long Chain Branched Isotactic Polypropylene (LCBPP) via Metallocene Catalyst and T-reagent, J. A. Langston, R. H. Colby, F. Shimizu, T. Suzuki, M. Aoki, T. C. Mike Chung, Macromolecules 2007, 40, 2712.
  7. Fluoro-terpolymer Based Capacitors Having High Energy Density, Low Energy Loss, and High Pulsed Charge-discharge Cycles, Zhicheng Zhang, and T. C. Mike Chung, Macromolecules 2007, 40, 783.
  8. Synthesis of Boron-Substituted Carbon (B/C) Materials Using Polymeric Precursors and Evaluation for Hydrogen Physisorption, Youmi Jeong, Alfred Kleinhammes, Yue Wu, and T. C. Mike Chung, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 6668.
  9. Super-activated Carbon Containing Substitutional Boron (BCx): Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in Hydrogen Storage, Youmi Jeong and T. C. Mike Chung, Carbon  2010, 48, 2526.
  10. Synthesis of Functionalized Isotactic Polypropylene Dielectrics for Electric Storage Application, Xuepei Yuan, Yuichi Matsuyama, and T.C. Mike Chung, Macromolecules 2010, 43, 4011.
Chung
Joan Redwing
Joan M. Redwing

Joan M. Redwing
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering & Electrical Engineering
Chair, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Materials Science and Engineering
101 Steidle Building
(814) 865-8665
redwing@matse.psu.edu
http://www.personal.psu.edu/jmr31/

Biographical Sketch: 

Joan M. Redwing received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was employed as a research engineer at Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. from 1994-1999 working on metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of group III-nitride materials. Dr. Redwing joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State University in 2000. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and is a member of the Materials Research Institute. Dr. Redwing’s research interests are in the general area of electronic materials synthesis and characterization with a specific emphasis on semiconductor thin film and nanostructure fabrication by chemical vapor deposition. She currently serves as secretary of the American Association for Crystal Growth and is an associate editor for the Journal of Crystal Growth. She is a co-author on over 130 publications in refereed journals and holds 8 U.S. patents.

Research Interests: 
  • Electronic materials synthesis and characterization
  • Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy of compound semiconductors
  • Wide bandgap materials (Group III-Nitrides and SiC)
  • Semiconductor nanowire fabrication Gas phase and surface chemistry of epitaxial growth
Areas of Research: 

Dr. Redwing’s research interests lie in the general area of electronic and optoelectronic materials synthesis and characterization with a special emphasis on chemical vapor deposition processing of semiconductor thin films and nanostructures. A current area of research focuses on the growth of semiconductor nanowires utilizing a combination of templating and directed growth techniques. This work is aimed at understanding the fundamental mechanisms of nanowire growth and the impact of nanoscale phenomena on materials synthesis. The fabrication of radial and axial nanowire heterostructures and p-n junctions is also under investigation for nanoscale device development. This research is an integral part of several multidisciplinary research team projects at Penn State which are focused on the development of nanowire-based devices for applications in microelectronics, chemical and biological sensing and solar energy conversion. The deposition of wide bandgap group III-nitride ((Al,Ga,In)N) thin films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is another active area of research. These materials are used in a wide variety of electronic and optoelectronic devices including high brightness light emitting diodes used in solid state lighting and high frequency/high power transistors for radar and wireless networks. The development of group III-nitride devices is often limited by film cracking which results from intrinsic and extrinsic stress due to lattice and thermal expansion mismatches between the film and substrate. The research is focused on understanding the microstructural mechanisms responsible for film stress and developing strategies to mitigate stress and film cracking. In-situ laser reflectance is used to study dynamic changes in film stress during deposition. This information is correlated to changes in film microstructure and dislocation density measured post-growth and is used to develop models of stress generation and relaxation in the group III-nitride materials system.

Technology Impacted By Research: 

Microelectronics, photovoltaics, chemical and biological sensors, light emitting diodes, high frequency/high power electronics.

Journal Articles and Publications: 
  1. "Diameter dependent growth rate and interfacial abruptness in vapor-liquid-solid Si/Si1‑xGex heterostructure nanowires," T.E. Clark, P. Nimmatoori, K.K. Lew, L. Pan, J.M. Redwing and E.C. Dickey, Nano Lett. 8 (2008) p. 1246.
  2. "Silicon nanowire photoelectrochemical cells," A.P. Goodey, S.M. Eichfeld, K.K. Lew, J.M. Redwing and T.E. Mallouk, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 129 (2007) p. 12344.'
  3. “In-situ axially doped n-channel silicon nanowire field-effect transistors,” T.T. Ho, Y.F. Wang, S. Eichfeld, K.K. Lew, B.Z. Liu, S.E. Mohney, J.M. Redwing and T.S. Mayer, Nano Lett. X (2008) p. XX. By the time this goes to print, we should have the page information
  4. "In-situ measurement of stress generation arising from dislocation inclination in AlxGa1‑xN:Si thin films," J.D. Acord, I.C. Manning, X.J. Weng, D.W. Snyder and J.M. Redwing, Appl. Phys. Lett. 93 (2008) p. 111910.
  5. "Effect of polarity on the growth of InN films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition," A. Jain, X.J. Weng, S. Raghavan, B.L. VanMil, T. Myers and J.M. Redwing, J. Appl. Phys. 104 (2008) p. 053112.
2Redwing
Long-Qing Chen
Long-Qing Chen

Long-Qing Chen
Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Materials Research Institute
N-321 Millennium Science Complex
(814) 863-8101
chen@matse.psu.edu
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~chen/
 

Biographical Sketch: 

Long-Qing Chen is Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at the Pennsylvania State University.  He is a short-term visiting Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University under the short-term 1000-Scholar program, a guest Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University, and a guest Professor of Physics at the Beijing University of Science and Technology in China. He received his B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University in China in 1982.  After spending one year as an assistant instructor at Zhejiang University, he came to the United States in 1983 and received his M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1985 and a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1990.  After a two-year post-doc appointment with Professor Armen G. Khachaturyanat Rutgers University, he joined the faculty at Penn State as an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in 1992.  He was promoted to Associated Professor in 1998 and Professor in 2002. Professor Chen teaches undergraduate thermodynamics of materials and graduate kinetics of materials processes and also co-teaches one graduate course and one undergraduate course in computational materials science in the department.  Professor Chen's main research interest is developing multiscale computational models for predicting microstructure evolution in materials using a combination of atomistic/first-principles calculations and phase-field methods.  In particular, he is interested in microstructure evolution during phase transformations, grain growth, Ostwald ripening, ferroelectric and multiferroic domain switching, and coupled ionic/electronic transport in electrochemical systems.  His research group collaborates actively with numerous experimental groups, applied mathematicians, and other fellow computational materials scientists and physicists as well as with more than a dozen companies and national labs.  Professor Chen has published over 350 authored or co-authored papers (H-index = 51, Number of Citations >10,000), 1 patent licensed by Intel, and co-edited 3 books in the area of computational materials science of microstructures and properties.  He has given more than 200 invited talks including 6 at the Gordon Research Conferences.  Professor Chen's current and former graduate students have received more than 40 awards including Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold and Silver Medal Awards, American Ceramic Society Graduate Excellence in Materials Science Awards, Acta Materialia best student paper award, Penn State Materials Research Institute best Ph.D. thesis research award, TMS Young Leader Award, etc.  Professor Chen received numerous awards for his work including:

  • ONR Young Investigator Award (1995)
  • NSF special research creativity award (1999)
  • Wilson Award for Excellence in Research from his college (2000)
  • University Faculty Scholar Medal in Engineering at Penn State (2003)
  • Outstanding Overseas Young Scholar by the Chinese Natural Science Foundation (2004)
  • Changjiang Chair Professorship by the Chinese Ministry of Education (2004)
  • Guest Professor at Beijing University of Science and Technology (2004)
  • Guggenheim Fellow (2005)
  • Royal Society Kan Tong Po Fellowship at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2005)
  • ASM Materials Research Silver Medal (2006)
  • American Physical Society Fellow (2008)
  • D. B. Robinson Distinguished Lecture at University of Alberta (2010)
  • Materials Science and Engineering Departmental Teaching Award of Students’ Choice (2010)
  • TMS EMPMD Distinguished Scientist/Engineer Award (2011)
  • Short-Term 1000-Talent Program Visiting Professorship at Tsinghua University (2011)
  • Bo Yugang Visiting Professorship at Zhejiang University (2012)
  • ASM Fellow (2012)
  • Penn State Distinguished Professorship (2013)
  • Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellow (2013)
Research Interests: 
  • Computational materials science
  • Phase-field method
  • Multiscale modeling of microstructure evolution integrating first-principles calculations, and phase-field methods, and microstructure-property relationships
  • Phase transformations
  • Deformation twinning
  • Microstructure coarsening
  • Structural alloys (Ti-alloys, Ni-alloys, Al-alloys and Mg-alloys)
  • Domain structures in ferroelectric and magnetic materials, multiferroics
  • Electrochemical transport in dielectrics, batteries and solid oxide fuel cells.
     

 

Areas of Research: 

Dr. Chen’s main research interest is in the fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations and mesoscale microstructure evolution in bulk solid and thin films using computer simulations. Essentially all engineering materials contain certain types of microstructures, and our success of designing new materials is largely dependent on our ability to control them. Microstructure is a general term that refers to a spatial distribution of structural features that can be phases of different compositions and/or crystal structures, or grains of different orientations, or domains of different structural variants, or domains of different electrical or magnetic polarization, as well as structural defects such as dislocations. It is the size, shape, and spatial arrangement of the local structural features that determine the physical properties of a material such as mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical properties. For the last decade, Dr. Chen’s group at Penn State is particularly active in developing phase-field models for microstructure evolution during various materials processes including grain growth, coherent precipitation, ferroelectric domain formation, particle coarsening, domain structure evolution in thin films, phase transformation in the presence of structural defects, and effect of stress on microstructure evolution. Current research focus is on the effect of stress/strain on ferroelectric phase transitions and domain structure evolution in ferroelectric and multiferroic thin films, domain structures in ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, electrode microstructure evolution in solid oxide fuel cells and batteries, precipitate microstructure evolution in Al-, Mg-, Ti- and Ni-alloys, strain-dominated morphological evolution, effect of defects such as dislocations on microstructure evolution. Dr. Chen’s group collaborates extensively with experimentalists and with industry.

Technology Impacted By Research: 

Alloy development for aerospace and automobile iapplications
Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic thin films for memory, capacitor and electromechanical system applications
Solid oxide fuel cells and batteries

 

Journal Articles and Publications: 
  • N. Balke, B. Winchester, W. Ren, Y. H. Chu, A. N. Morozovska, E. A. Eliseev, M. Huijben, R. K. Vasudevan, P. Maksymovych, J. Britson, S. Jesse, I. Kornev, R. Ramesh, L. Bellaiche, L. Q. Chen, and S. V. Kalinin, Enhanced electric conductivity at ferroelectric vortex cores in BiFeO3, Nature Physics, 2012. 8():p. 81-88
  • L.Y. Liang, Y. Qi, F. Xue, S. Bhattacharya, S.J. Harris, and L.Q. Chen, Nonlinear phase-field model for electrode-electrolyte interface evolution. Physical Review E, 2012. 86(5).
  • K. Chang, C.E. Krill, Q. Du, and L.Q. Chen, Evaluating microstructural parameters of three-dimensional grains generated by phase-field simulation or other voxel-based techniques. Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 2012. 20(7).
  • B.S. Fromm, K. Chang, D.L. Mcdowell, L.Q. Chen, and H. Garmestani, Linking phase-field and finite-element modeling for process structure property relations of a Ni-base superalloy. Acta Materialia, 2012. 60(17): p. 5984-5999.
  • 24. Y.H. Wen, L.Q. Chen, and J.A. Hawk, Phase-field modeling of corrosion kinetics under dual-oxidants. Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 2012. 20(3).
  • H. Yang, S. Huang, X. Huang, F.F. Fan, W.T. Liang, X.H. Liu, L.Q. Chen, J.Y. Huang, J. Li, T. Zhu, and S.L. Zhang, Orientation-Dependent Interfacial Mobility Governs the Anisotropic Swelling in Lithiated Silicon Nanowires. Nano Letters, 2012. 12(4): p. 1953-1958.
  • J. M. Hu, Z. Li, L. Q. Chen, and C. W. Nan, High-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature , Nature Communications, 2011. 2:Art. No. 553
  • T. W. Heo, S. Bhattacharyya, and L.Q. Chen, A phase field study of strain energy effects on solute-grain boundary interactions. Acta Materialia, 2011. 59(20): p. 7800-7815.
  • C. T. Nelson, B. Winchester, Y. Zhang, S.J. Kim, A. Melville, C. Adamo, C.M. Folkman, S.H. Baek, C.B. Eom, D.G. Schlom, L.Q. Chen, and X.Q. Pan, Spontaneous Vortex Nanodomain Arrays at Ferroelectric Heterointerfaces. Nano Letters, 2011. 11(2): p. 828-834.
  • S.H. Baek, H.W. Jang, C.M. Folkman, Y.L. Li, B. Winchester, J.X. Zhang, Q. He, Y.H. Chu, C.T. Nelson, M.S. Rzchowski, X.Q. Pan, R. Ramesh, L.Q. Chen, and C.B. Eom, Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices. Nature Materials, 2010. 9(4): p. 309-314.
  • R. J. Zeches, M.D. Rossell, J.X. Zhang, A.J. Hatt, Q. He, C.H. Yang, A. Kumar, C.H. Wang, A. Melville, C. Adamo, G. Sheng, Y.H. Chu, J.F. Ihlefeld, R. Erni, C. Ederer, V. Gopalan, L.Q. Chen, D.G. Schlom, N.A. Spaldin, L.W. Martin, and R. Ramesh, A Strain-Driven Morphotropic Phase Boundary in BiFeO3. Science, 2009. 326(5955): p. 977-980.
  • L. Q. Chen, Phase-field method of phase transitions/domain structures in ferroelectric thin films: A review. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2008. 91(6): p. 1835-1844.
  • D. G. Schlom, L.Q. Chen, C.B. Eom, K.M. Rabe, S.K. Streiffer, and J.M. Triscone, Strain tuning of ferroelectric thin films. Annual Review of Materials Research, 2007. 37: p. 589-626.
  • V. Vaithyanathan, C. Wolverton, and L.Q. Chen, Multiscale modeling of precipitate microstructure evolution. Physical Review Letters, 2002. 88(12).
  • L. Q. Chen, Phase-field models for microstructure evolution. Annual Review of Materials Research, 2002. 32: p. 113-140.

 

Chen

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301 Steidle at 11am
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301 Steidle at 10am
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301 Steidle at 9am