Advanced Functional Materials

Ultralow Concentration Sensing of Bio-matter with Perovskite Nickelate Devices and Arrays

A compact, highly sensitive biosensor detects ultralow concentrations of biomolecules simultaneously, enabling easy integration into wearable and implantable devices for enhanced monitoring.

Bag Holder for Attaching to Bins and Other Objects

An inexpensive, no-maintenance aluminum ring system secures recycling bags to existing trash receptacles, providing a space-saving and cost-effective waste disposal solution for large events.

Smart Windows and Tunable Optical Elements Incorporating Phase Changing Oxide Quantum Materials

A highly efficient, multi-layer electrochromic material enables smart windows with sub-second switch rates for reduced energy and lighting costs in buildings and vehicles.

Semiconducting Polymer Blends for High Temperature Organic Electronics

A new class of organic materials can withstand extensive heat, enabling reliable operation of organic electronics under high temperatures.

Lithium Protection and Dendrite Suppression

A multifunctional membrane separator enhances the efficiency, safety, and lifespan of next-generation metal batteries by suppressing lithium dendrite formation and selectively regulating ion flow.

Ultra-Sensitive naval electric field sensor using advanced materials

A novel, highly sensitive, silent, and non-corroding quantum material sensor detects minute electric fields in saltwater, enabling cost-effective monitoring of marine life and vessel movements for military and commercial applications.

Tertiary Dry Solid Lubricant on Steel Surfaces Reduces Significant Friction and Wear under High Load Conditions

A novel solid-state, graphene-zinc oxide composite lubricant film significantly reduces friction and wear under extreme conditions, offering greater stability than traditional oil-based lubricants for high-temperature or high-load applications.

Method for Achieving Corrosion Resistance of Solids in Molten Salts

Chemically-tailored solid materials provide cost-effective, high-performance corrosion resistance in extreme high-temperature molten salt systems, extending device and system life.

Rapid Conversion of Polyethylene into Carbon via Hydrothermal Processing

A rapid, low-cost hydrothermal process converts inexpensive polyethylene plastic into carbon sheets for components like battery electrodes, outperforming current production methods.

CarboNa - Stable Sodium Powders

A new pre-sodiation technique using sodium powder significantly enhances the efficiency, capacity, and energy density of sodium-ion batteries with minimal changes to existing manufacturing processes.

Method and Materials for Corrosion Resistance in High-Temperature, High-Pressure Energy and Chemical Systems

Novel solid and fluid materials dramatically lower oxidation rates, endowing metals and ceramics with enhanced corrosion resistance for use in high-temperature, high-pressure industrial environments.

Method for Fabricating Robust Ceramics and Ceramic Composites for High-Temperature Device Applications

A novel reaction-based method converts easily-shaped preforms into complex, high-performance ceramic composites that offer superior high-temperature stiffness, fracture, and corrosion resistance for critical system components.

Polymer Blends with High Charge Mobilities and Enhanced Solution-Processability

A new binary polymer blending approach uses conjugated tie chains to achieve high-mobility electronic materials with enhanced solution-processability for future organic electronics and optoelectronics.

Ink with a Time-Dependent Erasable Nature and Corresponding Delivery Device

A new ink formulation offers a temporary erase window (15 minutes to 2 hours) before curing permanently, providing a drop-in replacement for common marking instruments in high-value testing and other applications.

TiN/(Al,Sc)N Metal/Dielectric Superlattices for Metamaterial Applications in the Visible Range

A new metal/dielectric superlattice system, fabricated using standard silicon techniques, acts as a hyperbolic metamaterial in the visible range to enhance light harvesting and imaging performance.

Mechanically Activated Metal Fuels for Energetic Material Applications

A novel manufacturing process combines metal and treated fluorocarbon particles to create solid propellants with increased reactivity, more stored energy, and enhanced ignition options for applications like rocketry, pyrotechnics, and explosives.

Direct, Large-Scale Production of Bulk Forms of Metal Alloys by Machining-Based Processes

A new hybrid, single-stage machining process radically reduces the cost, energy consumption, and emissions associated with producing lightweight alloy foil sheets, improving the workability of materials like Ti and Mg alloys.

Method for Producing Particulate Reinforced Composites Using Acoustic Vibrations

Applying acoustic vibrations to an in situ metal composite method improves strength, hardness, and wear resistance by yielding smaller, spherical reaction products and encouraging chemical cooling.

Radiation-Absorbing Materials and Surfaces Based on Metamaterials with Hyperbolic Dispersion

A novel, potentially inexpensive technology dramatically reduces radiation reflectivity through enhanced light scattering into hyperbolic metamaterials, offering a broadband, non-magnetic solution for applications like stealth and optoelectronics.

Broadband Omnidirectional Light Absorber and Concentrator

An omnidirectional electromagnetic "black hole" provides highly efficient, broad-bandwidth energy absorption at all angles, eliminating the need for solar panel reorientation and improving various optical technologies.

Non-Magnetic Planar Magnifying Hyperlens for Subwavelength Imaging

An innovative planar metamaterial device enables enhanced-resolution imaging and subsurface sensing by overcoming common resolution limitations.

METHODS TO MAKE ALUMINUM ALLOY COATING ULTRA-STRONG AND HIGHLY THERMALLY STABLE

A novel ultra-strong aluminum alloy offers superior thermal stability, significantly raising operational temperature limits and yield strength for aerospace and automotive applications.

Methods of Making Ceramics Ductile

Flash sintering and high-temperature pre-loading methods create ductile ceramics at low temperatures, significantly expanding industrial application possibilities for components like thermal barrier coatings and fuel cells.

Surface Mechanical Grinding Treatment Setup and Tools for Processing Bulk Metallic Materials

A cost-efficient surface grinding technique doubles metal mechanical strength while maintaining material ductility for critical applications in automotive and oil and gas industries.

Elastic Structures with Controllable Edge-propagating Acoustic Modes

A versatile material has been developed that uses tunable inversion symmetry lattices to precisely control and isolate acoustic waves for improved noise and vibration management, energy harvesting, and advanced device design.

System for Printing High-Deformation Sensors into Fabric Substrates

A novel single-step manufacturing process, similar to 3D printing, allows for the inexpensive, rapid, and durable integration of multi-material electronic sensors directly into fabric substrates, enabling the next generation of resilient wearable technology.

Electrical Steel Strip Processing Method and Product Therefrom

A new, efficient single-step deformation process produces thin, continuous silicon iron strips for electrical steel applications without the need for additional thermal processing.

Composite Hydrogels for Use as Internal Curing Agents in Cementitious Materials

A new composite hydrogel internal curing agent integrates pozzolanic particles into its polymer network, offering easier handling and leading to stronger, more durable concrete with refined microstructure and reduced porosity.

Laser Processing of Printed Transparent Conductor Made of Metal Oxide and Silver Nanowires Film

A novel laser heating process creates superior, cost-effective transparent conducting films from silver nanowire composites on flexible substrates for displays and touch screens.

Copper-Based Alloys Containing Carbon

New, intrinsically low-cost, nontoxic copper-manganese alloys containing carbon offer high castability and controlled machinability for manufacturing plumbing components.

A Hybrid Metamaterial Sound Barrier

A novel, lightweight, actively controllable metamaterial provides superior sound attenuation and redirects angled sound waves, making it ideal for applications like automobile soundproofing.

Laser Induced Controllable Forming of Nanowires

A fast, scalable laser shock pressure method allows for tunable shaping of large quantities of nanowires, enabling customized electrical and optical properties for next-generation miniature devices and flexible electronics.

A Process to Create High Optical Transparent 2D Electronic Conducting System

A new fabrication process creates highly transparent, electrically conductive films using silver nanowires bonded to a polycrystalline graphene sheet for improved performance in transparent electronics.

Method of Growing Graphene Directly on a Quartz Substrate

A fast, single-step laser-growth method forms graphene sheets directly on insulating material, streamlining electronics manufacturing by eliminating the transfer process and associated contamination risk.

Enhanced Laser Shock and Ablation by Active Liquid Confinements

A new method for Laser Shock Peening utilizes a liquid confinement barrier to significantly improve material properties, increasing efficiency on aluminum alloys by 150% and ablation rate on zinc by 300%.

Laser Crystallization of Thin Films on Various Substrates at Low Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure

A novel, low-cost, atmospheric-pressure thin film crystallization process operates at low temperatures, enabling broader applications in thin film electronics, solar cells, and LEDs.

Copper-Based Casting Alloys and Process for Producing the Same

Low-cost, lead-free copper-manganese alloys with high castability and machinability offer a superior alternative for plumbing component manufacturing.

Confined Pulsed Laser Deposition: a fast and low cost method for depositing metastable thin film

Confined Pulsed Laser Deposition (CPLD) is a new, cost-effective method for creating materials like diamond thin films, significantly reducing manufacturing costs by enabling synthesis at room temperature and pressure.

Single Magnetic Bias Magnetostatic Wave Ladder Filter

A compact, wafer-scale magnetostatic filter platform offers wide tunability and low loss for high-frequency 5G and 6G communication systems.

Plasma Etching Oxide from Nb/Hf (C103) Refractory Alloys for AM Powder Recycling

A proprietary plasma etching process efficiently removes surface oxides from refractory metal powders, enabling cost-saving reuse in additive manufacturing and sustainable material reclamation.

Rock-a-Bye Chair

A wall-mountable and foldable nursery rocking chair, "Rock-a-Bye," offers a space-saving, safe, and convenient furniture solution with minimal-effort rocking components.

Development of Industrial Hemp based Biodegradable Superabsorbent

A sustainable, hemp-derived superabsorbent substitute offers high-capacity absorption and adjustable properties for applications ranging from hygiene products to eco-friendly food packaging, drastically reducing global polymer waste.

DFTB Parameterization Method to Faithfully Reproduce Various Observables

An electronic model reliably predicts the tunable piezoelectric activity of stacked two-dimensional materials for use in nanoelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems.

Precision Structured Surface Functionalization of Hydrogels Below the Length Scale of Hydrogel Structural Heterogeity

A new method creates highly-structured hydrogel surfaces that ensure predictable interaction with biomolecules, improving performance for DNA chromatography, cell culture supports, and regenerative medicine implants.

Sterilizable Potentiometric Sensors for Single-Use Applications

A flexible, cost-efficient, and easily integrated thin-film potentiometric sensor offers a sterilizable pH sensing solution for single-use biomanufacturing equipment.

Partial to Full Esterification of Tannic Acid to Produce Fire Retardant Epoxy Formulations

A new esterification process uses tannic acid to create a non-toxic, renewable, and cost-effective fire retardant that exceeds the performance of highly toxic halogenated alternatives.

Transparent Alumina by Hotpressing Platelets into an Aligned Grain Microstructure

A cost-effective technique uses hot-pressing of platelet alumina crystals to create highly transparent, high-density polycrystalline alumina for use in armored windows, rocket nose cones, and protective shields across a broad spectral range.

Team 29 Folding Sofa Design 1

A novel furniture manufacturing approach delivers light-weight, durable, pre-assembled, self-folding sofas that compact for easy storage, movability, and replacement in various corporate and retail settings.

Multichannel Elliptical Ion Lens for Merging Multiple Hyperthermal Ion Beams

A novel device uses a multichannel electrostatic elliptical lens to simultaneously merge and focus up to 20 ion beams, enabling high-flux deposition of materials for next-generation manufacturing and research applications.

Integrated Thermoelectric Film Based Woven Power Generator

A thin, woven, thermoelectric flexible fabric offers a reliable, comfortable, and scalable power generation solution for wearable and IoT devices by recovering ambient heat.

Multilayer Piezoelectric/resistive Hybrid Composite Systems for Structural Health Monitoring and Energy Harvesting

A flexible, self-powered, and reusable polymer-based sensor, manufacturable with a simple roll-to-roll process, offers a cost-effective solution for monitoring the structural health of civil infrastructure and large equipment.

Flexible and Transparent Piezoelectric Loudspeakers Based on Vertically Aligned PZT and Graphene Nanoplatelets

Flexible, transparent, and cost-effective loudspeakers combine PZT and graphene nanoplatelets in a polymer matrix for integration into automotive, aerospace, military, and display applications.

Phase Transforming Cellular Materials

A novel phase transforming cellular material (PXCM) is engineered with bistable configurations to improve the performance and prevent deformation of structural components, especially in the transportation industry.

Using Yttrium Oxide as a Pressureless Sintering Aid for Boron Carbide

A unique B4C densification technique using a new sintering aid produces components with increased hardness and higher relative density for applications like ballistic armor and wear-resistant bearings.

Continuous Roll-to-Roll Fabrication of Transparent Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC) Coatings with Controlled Anisotropy

A low-cost, continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing process applies high-transparency cellulose nanocrystal coatings onto flexible substrates, offering enhanced gas barrier and scratch resistance for polymer films and flexible electronics.

Directional Wetting via Nanoscale Striped Amphiphilic Monolayers from Polymerizable Phospholipids

A novel surface chemistry method uses sub-nanometer polymerizable phospholipid films to precisely control wetting and patterning of ultrathin material architectures for nanoscale electronics and organic optoelectronics, compatible with scalable solution-processing techniques like spray coating.

Skin-Mounted Sweat Sensor

An accurate, inexpensive, and user-friendly colorimetric dermal patch uses sweat measurement to precisely monitor human hydration levels.

Accelerated Chemical Reactions and Organic Synthesis in Leidenfrost Droplets

A novel reaction acceleration method utilizes the Leidenfrost effect to speed up various organic reactions by up to 50 times, offering a scalable solution with neutral, larger droplets.

Use of a Cloth of Cellulose (Cotton) Fibers as a Base for Growth of Graphene (Carbon) Nanopetals

A low-cost, high-surface-area conductive electrode material is generated by growing carbon nanopetals on carbonized cellulose cloth using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition.

Phosphorylation of Natural Products for Flame Retardant Applications

A safe and environmentally responsible method transforms renewable carbon-containing materials into enhanced, non-halogenated flame retardants compatible with various polymer systems.

A Sewing-enabled Stitch-and-Transfer Method for Robust, Ultra-stretchable, Conductive Interconnects

A novel, low-cost sew and transfer method enables the rapid fabrication of extremely stretchable and robust electrical interconnects for next-generation flexible electronics, including wearable and implantable devices.

User-Defined Patterning by a Humidity-Sensitive Hydrogel-Spore Composite

A novel micro-scale dispensing system enables controlled, on-demand creation of efficient and customized functionalized surfaces for micro/nano sensors.

Pulsed-Continuous Dual-Beam Selective Laser Melting of Ceramics

A novel dual-beam laser method significantly improves ceramic additive manufacturing, producing high-density, low-roughness parts with minimal cracking for aerospace and medical applications.

Prediction of Swelling and Pasting Behavior of Starch Suspensions

A mathematical model has been developed to predict and optimize starch properties, enabling the precise fine-tuning of textures in food products and non-food applications like paper coatings and paint.

Laser-based Fabrication of Metal Nanocomposites on Flexible Substrates

A new laser-based process creates durable carbon nanotube–metal composite thin films on flexible substrates, eliminating the need for expensive masks or vacuum fabrication, and enhancing the reliability of flexible electronic devices.

Method and Process to Fabricate Hydrophobic Microchannels

A new fabrication technique creates hydrophobic surfaces on polymers and metals for microfluidic channels with structural controls, allowing for precise flow rate management without costly chemical treatments or complex external devices.

Amine-Boranes Bearing Borane-Intolerant Functionalities

A novel, open-air synthesis using water and baking soda enables the safe, inexpensive production of previously inaccessible, functionalized amine-boranes for use in medicine, energy storage, and materials development.

cMorph: Scientific Software for the Large Chemomechanical Deformation and Microstructure Evolution of Battery Materials

Software simulates metallic anode microstructures under mechanical load to predict dendrite formation, enabling the design of customized battery architectures for dendrite suppression.

Transient Liquid Phase Bonding: High Temperature Stability through Thermodynamic Liquid Phase Design

Novel, nontoxic bismuth-based alloys enable rapid, high-temperature transient liquid phase bonding (TLPB) to create strong joints, offering a viable replacement for lead solders in high-temperature electronics and automotive applications.

A New Approach to Developing Antifouling Surfaces by Preventing Adhesion

An environmentally-safe antifouling agent significantly reduces marine organism adhesion on surfaces, cutting maintenance and increasing efficiency for vessels and other applications by 30 to 60 percent.

FETRAM- A Novel Organic Ferroelectric Based Random Access Memory

FETRAM is a CMOS-compatible nonvolatile memory technology that offers greater storage capacity, enhanced endurance, and faster writing capabilities than existing solutions, enabling lower-cost fabrication for high-speed computer applications.

Shell-Activated Sintering of Core-Shell Particles

A new low-temperature sintering interconnect technology replaces traditional solders to improve semiconductor die-to-substrate attachment characteristics and minimize the risk of tin whisker short circuits.

Laser Assisted Machining Method and Device Using Multiple Laser Beams

An advanced laser manufacturing solution for turning operations enhances tool longevity and reduces per-part cutting time while enabling multi-material processing on a single machine.

Integrated Laser-Processing Cell

This advanced laser manufacturing process simultaneously constructs precise material properties and dimensions during substrate generation, enabling the creation of complex freeform parts with varying compositions and internal geometries.

Support Structure of a Chair

This innovative single-seat chair design offers both structural integrity and contemporary style, providing a unique combination of comfort and modern aesthetics protected by a US Design patent.

Efficient Persistent Memory

Dumb Persistent Memory (DPM) is a lower-cost, high-performance data storage system that treats persistent memory as passive storage, allowing for remote access and significant reductions in both operational and capital expenditures for datacenters.

Lean Minimal Chair

The lean minimal chair is a tiny, lightweight, foldable furniture product that significantly reduces material waste and shipping volume, allowing it to be shipped flat and quickly assembled.

Spin-Orbit Torque Induced Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity

This technology uses a heavy metal/ferromagnetic structure to enable more energy-efficient and reliable online learning by separating signal transmission and programming currents.

MEANDER - A Heuristic for Visualization of Exploratory Paths through High Dimensional Space

The MEANDER algorithm converts complex high-dimensional path data into simplified two-dimensional visual representations, allowing for easier analysis and comprehension of patterns across diverse data sets.

Crack Mitigation Strategies for a High Strength Al Alloy Al92Ti2Fe2Co2Ni2 Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing

Compliant LPBF scaffolding relieves residual stress to print fully dense, crack-free high-strength aluminum parts.

Achieving Room Temperature Plasticity in Brittle Ceramics Through High Temperature Preloading

High-temperature preloading introduces defects, enabling plasticity in normally brittle ceramics.

Additively Manufactured Piezoelectric Pickup for Acoustic Guitar and Other Sound Sources

Conformable, frequency-tuned piezo pickup customizable to instrument geometry for improved sound capture.

Additive-Manufactured Electrospun PVdF with Printed Ag Electrodes for Stretchable Pressure & Temperature Sensing

Fully additively manufactured sensor with embedded Ag electrodes that bends, stretches, and scales to large-area or 3D applications.

Assembly of 3D Metal-dielectric Nanoarrays with Arbitrary Materials and Structures for Surface Plasmon Applications

Wet-condition method for defect-free, repeatable nanoarray fabrication for plasmonic devices.

Formulation of a Catechol-Containing Adhesive Polymer for Practical Applications

Practical catechol-based formulation bonds strongly underwater, is easy to handle, and outperforms marketed “wet” adhesives on many substrates.

A method for measuring high thermal conductance across deeply buried interfaces in advanced semiconductor packaging

Non-destructive laser-optical sensing measures deeply buried thermal interface resistance in advanced semiconductor packaging with low cost and no prep.

A Laser Based Method for Anisotropic Thermal Property Measurement

Laser-based method simultaneously measures 2D in-plane thermal conductivity of anisotropic sheets with wide conductivity/anisotropy ranges.

Piezoelectricity of 2D Heterobilayer Systems

Fast error detection method for additive manufacturing process monitoring using structured light three dimensional imaging

Fast structured-light imaging detecting additive manufacturing errors in real time with high accuracy.