Materials science

Massive trove of battery and molecule data released

06/16/16 Berkeley Lab — The Materials Project, a Google-like database directed by materials science and engineering professor and Berkeley Lab scientist Kristin Persson, recently released a huge amount of scientific data to the public as a tool to assist engineers working on fuel cells, especially battery technology.

Carlo Séquin, Anca Dragan and Paul Alivisatos

A college of arts AND sciences

05/11/16 — UC Berkeley is rich in both celebrated and hidden artistic talent, including a trio of engineering professors: computer scientist and geometric sculptor Carlo Séquin, roboticist and Lindy hop dancer Anca Dragan, and research vice chancellor and photographer Paul Alivisatos.

Cool composites

05/01/16 — The metallic alloy CrMnFeCoNi is being researched to study the mechanisms that make it one of the toughest at any temperature. The future applications to understanding how it works? Cryogenics and the potential to design even stronger reinforcing metallic materials.

Photoluminescence of MoS2 monolayer: before (left) and after superacid treatment

Making monolayers work

05/01/16 — Berkeley engineers have found a simple way to fix the defects of monolayer semiconductors, leading to a dramatic 100-fold increase in the material's photoluminescence quantum yield.

Thermoelectrics: An old, new tech

05/01/16 — Alphabet Energy is betting on a resurgence of thermoelectrics with new technology to convert energy lost as heat into clean, recycled power.

Defining the original smart material

03/15/16 — Sonia Travaglini, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering, studies the properties of fungus to discover the composite materials of the future.

Sutardja Center Fellow David Law with Imprint Energy Co-founder and CEO Christine Ho

Imprint Energy challenges students to build a better battery

02/25/16 Sutardja Center — Imprint CEO Christine Ho (B.S'05, M.S'07, Ph.D'10 MSE) returned to campus as part of the Sutardja Center's Collider program, which challenges students to work on cutting-edge research projects with industry.

Enlargement shows weak points in a thin polycrystalline graphene sheet

Graphene is strong, but is it tough?

02/09/16 Berkeley Lab — Berkeley Lab scientists led by Robert Ritchie, professor of materials science and mechanical engineering, have determined that superstrong polycrystalline graphene is not very resistant to fracture, which could limit its usefulness.

Fiona Doyle, Shmuel Oren and David Sedlak

New members elected to the National Academy of Engineering

02/08/16 — The National Academy of Engineering elected five Berkeley engineers, including three current faculty, in this year's class of new members.

Outgoing Berkeley Lab director to take research helm at UC Berkeley

01/21/16 — Paul Alivisatos, a professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering who has run the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the past seven years, has been tapped as UC Berkeley's next vice chancellor for research.

Chenming Hu, Paul Alivisatos and the national medals of technology and science

White House to honor Hu, Alivisatos with National Medals of Technology, Science

12/22/15 — Chenming Hu, EECS professor emeritus, and Paul Alivisatos, Berkeley Lab director and a professor of chemistry and materials science, have been selected to receive the nation's top honors in science and technology, the White House announced.

Microscopic images of conventional and bidirectional freeze-casting

The artificial materials that came in from the cold

12/15/15 Berkeley Lab — Researchers led by Robert Ritchie, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering, have developed a freeze-casting technique that enables them to design and create strong, tough and lightweight materials comparable to bones, teeth, shells and wood.

Schematic of a laser beam energizing a monolayer semiconductor

Coming to a monitor near you: a defect-free, molecule-thick film

11/30/15 — A team of research engineers at UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab, led by EECS professor Ali Javey, has discovered a simple way to fix defects in atomically thin monolayer semiconductors using an organic superacid, opening the door to transparent LED displays, nanoscale transistors and more.

Microscopic models of the human heart

11/01/15 — Bioengineering professor Kevin Healy and his team have developed a “heart on a chip” and “heart on a dot,” potentially opening more accurate and efficient drug screening methods.

Birgeneau honored for public service

10/19/15 IGS — Chancellor emeritus Robert Birgeneau, professor of physics and materials science and engineering, has been named the 2015 winner of the Darius and Sarah Anderson Distinguished Service Award by the Institute of Governmental Studies for "advancing the spirit of good government and improving the quality of public affairs."

Peidong Yang receives MacArthur ‘genius award’

09/29/15 — Peidong Yang, a UC Berkeley chemist and materials scientist who is trying to capture carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into a sustainable transportation fuel, has been named a MacArthur Fellow.

Thermoelectric PowerCard from Alphabet Energy

Why not convert waste heat into power?

08/26/15 NPR — What if there were a way to take the waste heat that spews from car tailpipes or power plant chimneys and turn it into electricity? Matt Scullin (M.S.'07, Ph.D.'09 MSE) thinks there is, and he founded Alphabet Energy to turn that idea into a reality.

The skinny on skin

05/04/15 Inside Science — A study co-authored by materials science and engineering professor Robert Ritchie has shown, for the first time, that collagen explains the great durability of skin. The finding could help scientists develop better synthetic skin and improve the strength of man-made materials.

The graphene switch

05/01/15 — New research holds promise for controlling graphene's properties, potentially opening new applications for its use.

Synthetic coatings: Super surfaces

03/26/15 Nature — Characteristics adapted from lizards, ivy and other natural materials could help to engineer everyday objects with remarkable properties. Professor Phillip Messersmith, a Berkeley materials scientist and bioengineer, is studying mussel adhesive, which is ideal for securing objects underwater.