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.

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.

Professor Colina utilizes the fusion of materials and computational sciences to obtain solutions to problems that were previously intractable. This fusion creates the opportunity to engineer materials for applications to separations, sensors, microelectronics, drug delivery, and biomaterials. Her group uses materials theory, modeling and computer simulation, with methods ranging from molecular-based equations of state, with a rigorous statistical mechanics basis, to high-performance computer modeling. Her group also has a synergetic relationship with experimentalists, and several national and international collaborative programs, such as: The University of Manchester and Cardiff University, U.K. Professor Colina’s current areas of research fall into three areas. The first area aims for understanding the structure of nanoporous polymers (NPs) for use in applications that exploit their surface chemistry that can range from catalysis, sensors and gas storage to separations. The second area is the improvement of polymer-based processes by gaining a fundamental understanding of polymeric materials. She is developing new methodologies for predicting the effect of specific interactions (self and cross-association) of polymeric materials and their environment. The third area is certain aspects of human pathology associated with a number of diseases, such as hemophilia B and von Willebrand disease. She is studying the growth and dynamics of macromolecular aggregates when proteins dock in a highly orientated manner. Her research interests in this area span a wide range of applications, from structural biochemistry to biosensors.

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.

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.

Dr. Kimel’s research interests are twofold. On the education side, Dr. Kimel develops new and exciting laboratory curriculums to help enhance students’ classroom learning with hands-on laboratory experiences. He also develops summer camp experiences based on nanoscience and nanotechnology and materials in renewable energy to inspire high school students to choose a career path in science and engineering in general and materials science and engineering in particular and provide current middle and high school teachers the opportunity to further their professional development. Dr. Kimel’s research program focuses on the development of novel techniques for the synthesis and processing of powders in an aqueous environment from the nanometer to micrometer scales. Synthesis of nanosized particles is commonplace, but synthesis and processing of nanosized particles in water is a nontrivial task. The challenge lies in preventing aggregation of the as-synthesized particles as well as degradation of the particle surface. In some systems, the aqueous degradation process can result in total dissolution of the particle. Preventing aggregation of a nanosized particle system entails accounting for the expansive amount of surface area available for chemical reaction. Knowledge in colloidal and materials chemistry is the foundation for tackling such technical issues as the synthesis and processing of nanoparticulate materials, corrosion protection of powder systems, and recycling of waste products produced from powder processing routes.