Rice University Materials Science and Nanoengineering

Rice University materials scientist Lane Martin, along with collaborators at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, recently explored the mesoscale: the overlooked range between the nano- and microscale in materials science research.

This research could inform applications in high-efficiency energy storage and conversion, next-generation electronics, lasers and sensors.

Rice, DOE labs tackle knowledge gap in materials science research Rice materials scientist Lane Martin and collaborators shed light on mesoscale structures in high-tech material with potential use in next-generation electronics, lasers and sensors.

A Rice lab has found a faster, cleaner way to extract lithium from battery waste.

Sohini Bhattacharyya and Salma Alhashim, researchers in the lab of Pulickel Ajayan, discovered an environmentally friendly method for selective lithium recovery using microwave radiation and a readily biodegradable solvent. This breakthrough method could dramatically improve the economics and environmental impact of lithium-ion battery recycling.

Rice lab finds faster, cleaner way to extract lithium from battery waste Rice researchers uncover a rapid, efficient and environmentally friendly method for selective lithium recovery using microwave radiation and a readily biodegradable solvent.

Rice engineers are part of a collaborative team led by The University of Texas at Austin that was just awarded $840 million to develop the next generation of high-performing semiconductor microsystems for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Rice researchers led by Ramamoorthy Ramesh will focus on technologies for improving computing efficiency. Congratulations to Ramesh and the other Rice engineers working on this important initiative: Lane Martin, Ashok Veeraraghavan, Pulickel Ajayan, Kaiyuan Yang, and Guha Balakrishnan.

Rice researchers advancing microelectronics manufacturing on DARPA-funded team Rice is a key partner on an $840 million project to develop the next generation of high-performing semiconductor microsystems for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Rice Engineering's Boris Yakobson has secured more than $4 million in funding for research in advanced materials.

His proposed work on 2D materials will be supported by $2,107,997 over several years from the U.S. Department of Energy. He was also awarded $2,032,614 over the next four years from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for two projects that will support civil and defense infrastructure and applications.

New Rice research projects aim to ‘transform’ future of advanced materials Rice materials scientist Boris Yakobson has won three awards from two federal agencies totaling $4,140,611 over several years to research challenging aspects of advanced materials’ production, performance and dynamics.

HEXAspec, a startup run by graduate students Chen-Yang Lin and Tianshu Zhai, uses boron nitride to cool semiconductors.

After winning top prizes from Rice's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Rice Business Plan Competition Qualifier, they are taking their startup to the next level.

Rice graduate students help chips beat the heat with boron nitride | George R. Brown School of Engineering | Rice University Researchers continue to discover unexpected and potentially useful and lucrative properties in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), a substance that has inspired two Rice graduate students to start a company and market their findings.

Rice University researchers led by Lane Martin, Robert A. Welch Professor, professor of materials science and nanoengineering; Hao Pan, postdoctoral researcher; and collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley are paving the way for more efficient electromechanical devices.

Their research—recently published in Nature Materials—shows that a class of electromechanically active materials called antiferroelectrics may hold the key to overcoming performance limitations due to clamping in miniaturized electromechanical systems. https://bit.ly/3R2ZeCB

Electromechanical material doesn’t get ‘clamped’ down A Rice-led study finds that a class of electromechanically active materials called antiferroelectrics may hold the key to overcoming performance limitations due to clamping in miniaturized electromechanical systems.

The Ken Kennedy Institute — supported by contributions from the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, Smalley-Curl Institute, and Rice Advanced Materials Institute — awarded $175,000 across seven projects through the 2024 AI, Data, and Computing Seed Funding Initiative.

Congratulations to the following Rice Engineering researchers for receiving awards for their innovative projects: Shengxi Huang, Meng Li, Oleg Igoshin, Caleb Bashor, Ankit Patel, Anastasios Kyrillidis, Vova Braverman, Arlei Lopes da Silva, Philip Bedient, Vicente Ordonez, Tirthak Patel, Hengrui Luo (along with Younghyun Cho from Santa Clara University), Ming Tang and Xia (Ben) Hu! https://bit.ly/3yj3t6G

Ken Kennedy Institute awards $175K in seed funding | Ken Kennedy Institute | Rice University The Ken Kennedy Institute awarded $175,000 across seven projects through the 2024 AI, Data, and Computing Seed Funding Initiative. This initiative aims to bridge interdisciplinary gaps, foster collaborations, and set forth new paradigms in AI, Data, and Computing by supporting innovative research gr...

Congratulations to Ramamoorthy Ramesh for being elected to the National Academy of Sciences. https://bit.ly/4dgXBuC

“His tireless efforts in advancing materials science and engineering is shaping the landscape of renewable energy and microelectronics research and development worldwide." —Luay Nakhleh, William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering

Congratulations to Antonios Mikos, Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of chemistry and materials science and nanoengineering and director of the Biomaterials Lab, for being inducted to the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Galicia yesterday!

Congratulations to professors Pedro Alvarez and Antonios Mikos for being elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the nation’s foremost society of scholars.

Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice and director of the recently launched WaTER Institute, dedicated to advancing research and innovation to shape the future of sustainable water treatment.

Mikos is Rice’s Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of chemistry and materials science and nanoengineering and director of the Biomaterials Lab, dedicated to improving patient health and overcoming medical challenges through the development and support of biomaterials research, education and entrepreneurship.

Two Rice faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Rice professors Pedro Alvarez and Antonios Mikos have been elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest learned societies in the nation.

Don't forget to join us this Monday, April 22, to hear a lecture by Tobin J. Marks. He will share insights on mechanically agile electronics in this Adams-Hauge Fund Smalley Lectures in Materials Science and NanoEngineering. https://bit.ly/3J56V70

Congratulations to all recipients of the Rice Faculty and Staff Engineering Awards at yesterday's award celebration!

Faculty awardees include Haotian Wang (ChBE, MSNE); Hanyu Zhu, (MSNE); Bezawit Getachew (CEE) and NSF NEWT Center; Todd Treangen (CS); Geoff Wehmeyer (MECH); Laura Schaefer (MECH), Ross Thyer (ChBE); and Jeffrey Tabor (BIOE and Biosciences). The Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Award was given to Sohini Bhattacharyya.

Staff award recipients include Chan Pham, Shalaina Mullen and Aurora Zarate.

School of Engineering honors faculty and staff | George R. Brown School of Engineering | Rice University The George R. Brown School of Engineering honored outstanding faculty and staff at its annual Engineering Awards reception on April 16 in the Ralph S. O'Connor Building for Engineering and Science.

Join us next Monday, April 22, to hear a lecture by 's Tobin J. Marks on mechanically agile electronics. This lecture is part of the Adams-Hauge Fund Smalley Lectures in Materials Science and NanoEngineering. https://bit.ly/3J56V70

There's still time to make your gift to the Materials Science and NanoEngineering Department Excellence Fund and be counted in the 24-Hour Challenge! Donate by midnight to support the future of new materials. https://bit.ly/3J6fwGo

The 24-Hour Challenge is TODAY! Now is the time to support Rice materials scientists and nanoengineers. Help us reach 250 donors to unlock a $100K gift from the Engineering Advisory Board for the Dean's Fund for Engineering Excellence! https://bit.ly/3J6fwGo

Tomorrow is the day of the 24-Hour Challenge! Join the Rice Engineering community in supporting our outstanding materials science and nanoengineering faculty and students as we are solving for smarter technology for a modern world. https://bit.ly/3J6fwGo

Applications now open for the Future Faculty Fellows 2024-25 cohort!

Rice Engineering Ph.D. Students and postdocs, if you are planning to apply to faculty positions next fall, the Future Faculty Fellows program is designed for you.

Fellows participate in tailored events, mentoring opportunities, and receive a travel stipend to support their faculty position application process. https://bit.ly/3PTyGmU

The next talk in the Adams-Hauge Fund Smalley Lectures in Materials Science and NanoEngineering is coming up on April 22. Join us at 3pm to hear insights in mechanically agile electronics, opto–electronics, and iontronics from Tobin J. Marks.

Marks is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, and the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University. This lecture is implemented in partnership with the Smalley Curl Institute.
https://bit.ly/3J56V70

Early giving starts today for the 24-Hour Challenge! Your gift to the MSNE Department Excellence Fund supports MSNE student awards, academics, research and programs so we can educate leaders and tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. https://bit.ly/3J6fwGo

Mark your calendars for April 11 to make a positive impact through Rice University’s 24-Hour Challenge! When the university reaches 4,000 donations, Walt Greenberg ’78 will donate $300,000 to the university.

And this year, when 250 donors give to ANY engineering fund, it will unlock an additional $100,000 gift from the Engineering Advisory Board for the Dean’s Fund for Engineering Excellence. Stay tuned for 24-Hour Challenge giving opportunities!

Rice engineers are leading us into a new era of sustainable 3D-printed wood construction.

Researchers in the lab of Muhammad Rahman have developed 3D-printed wood from its own natural components. This sustainable method offers a greener alternative to traditional manufacturing methods. https://bit.ly/3TqI1mY

Rice researchers develop 3D-printed wood from its own natural components Researchers at Rice University have unlocked the potential to use 3D printing to make sustainable wood structures, offering a greener alternative to traditional manufacturing methods.

Join us March 28 for a lecture featuring Jieun Kim, from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will present research on pushing the frontiers in the thin film epitaxy of functional oxides. https://bit.ly/3TRPMDS

Rice materials scientists Jun Lou and Ming Tang have developed a custom-built miniaturized chemical v***r deposition system that records 2D crystal synthesis in real time.

Their approach could have significant implications in next-generation technology: faster electronics, more sensitive sensors, and more efficient devices.

What a view: Rice scientists develop a new system to record 2D crystal synthesis in real time A research team at Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering tackled this challenge by developing a custom-built miniaturized chemical v***r deposition (CVD) system capable of observing and recording the growth of 2D molybdenum disulfide crystals in real time.

School of Engineering PhD students and Postdocs, don't forget to RSVP for the Future Faculty Fellows virtual application Q&A!

This program offers tailored events and mentoring opportunities to support you in your faculty position career search, so if you are preparing for a career in academia, you won't want want to miss this Q&A to learn more about the application for this program. RSVP by March 18 for the March 20 event. https://bit.ly/3wyXkCn

Rice professors are advancing the field of materials science. Recently, Hanyu Zhu, assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering, and Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry, shared their perspective on chirality in 2D materials in Nature Materials.

Advancing materials science, Rice professors examine chirality in nearly 2D Hanyu Zhu and Boris Yakobson shared their perspective on chirality in 2D materials in Nature Materials.

Join us February 15 at 3 pm for a talk by Paul Voyles, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Harvey D. Spangler Professor of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will give an introduction to the thermodynamics, kinetics, and structures common to the glassy state of materials, and then present highlights of recent glass research in the Voyles group and the Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. https://bit.ly/42AXs0h

Rice Engineering is accepting nominations for the 2024 Alumni Awards, which honor alumni for their achievements in the engineering profession.

Know an alum who deserves to be honored? Now is the time to make your nomination. https://bit.ly/3SdgkgY

School of Engineering PhD students and postdocs—if you are considering a career in academia, don't miss the Future Faculty Fellows seminar on writing a successful cover letter on February 8, 3 pm. RSVP to attend. https://bit.ly/3HzUqj5

In our professional master of Material Sciences and NanoEngineering program at Rice, students are steeped in research activities with renowned faculty as well as real-world projects with outcomes that can be leveraged into industry careers.

Learn more:

MMSNE students equally prepared for industry and PhD programs | Engineering Professional Masters Program | Rice University Students in Rice University’s professional master of Material Sciences and NanoEngineering (MMSNE) program are steeped in research activities with renowned faculty members as well as real world projects with tools and outcomes that can be leveraged into industry careers.

We are saddened by the loss of Ahmad Kabbani, an esteemed lecturer in our department. Described as a “kind and helping person,” Ahmad died in September. https://bit.ly/49Ui9HV

Rice Engineering remembers Ahmad Kabbani | George R. Brown School of Engineering | Rice University Ahmad Kabbani, a lecturer in materials science and nanoengineering (MSNE) at Rice and a “kind and helping person,” died in September.