Materials Science

Materials science and engineering is grounded in an understanding of why materials behave the way they do. Researchers study ways to make materials - how they can be made light yet very strong, such as high-strength aluminum alloys for jet aircraft, for instance. Mechanical strength, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties, to name a few, are the bases of many new potential products. Research is conducted on ceramics, polymers, and semiconductors, as well as old standbys, metals and glasses. Areas that benefit from advances in materials research are biomedical engineering, computing, the auto and aircraft industries, and biotechnology.

Modern research in chemistry, physics, materials science, and biology is increasingly focused on nanoscale systems and nanotechnology. Basically, this is the study of systems, materials and phenomena where the important length scale is conveniently measured in nanometers (nm). Much of modern chemistry is performed on the nanoscale and nearly all of molecular biology and biochemistry, as well as a lot of materials science.

Faculty Experts:

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Richard Axelbaum Professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering Axelbaum Download Axelbaum is the Director of the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization. He also heads the Laboratory for Advanced Combustion and Energy Research and has directed the Engineering section of the NASA Missouri Space Grant Consortium at Washington University in St. Louis since 1997. He served as the associate ... Expertise: Clean coal, nanoparticles, nanotechnology, materials, synthesis, flames Direct contact: (314) 935-7560 / rla@wustl.edu

Gayle J. Fritz Associate Professor of Archeaology in Arts and Sciences Expertise: human-plant interrelationship, plant remains, subsistence continuity, agricultural systems, paleoenthnobotany, develpment of agricultural systems, plant domestication, … Direct contact: (314) 935-8588 / gjfritz@wustl.edu

Pratim Biswas Chariman of the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering; the Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor Biswas Download Biswas received his Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology, has published extensively in his field and served on many international organizations and conferences. His research interests include aerosol science and engineering, nanoparticle technology, air quality engineering, combustion, materials ... Expertise: aerosol science, nanoparticle technology, air quality engineering, combustion, material processing for environmental technologies, environmentally benign processing, environmental nanotechnology, … Direct contact: (314) 935-5482 / pratim.biswas@seas.wustl.edu

Joseph O'Sullivan Samuel C. Sachs Professor of Electrical Engineering, Dean of UMSL/WUSTL Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program O'Sullivan Download O'Sullivan received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame. He has published dozens of peer reviewed articles and is active in many international conferences and professional organizations. He conducts research in a wide range of science and technology for security applications, including ... Expertise: electrical engineering, encryption, sensors, automatic target recognition, cybersecurity Direct contact: (314) 935-4173 / jao@wustl.edu

William Buhro Professor of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences William Buhro Download William H. Buhro, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and associate director of the Center for Materials Innovation, specializes in nanotechnology. He and his group are engaged in synthesis on the nanometer-scale. They design reactions and mechanisms for the growth of inorganic crystals having dimensions ... Expertise: nanomaterials, materials, inorganic chemistry, nanotubes, nanowires Direct contact: (314) 935-4269 / buhro@wustl.edu

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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A tiny cage of gold responds to light, opening to empty its contents An exquisite container Nov. 3, 2009 -- A tiny cage of gold covered with a smart polymer responds to light, opening to empty its contents and resealing when the light is turned off. The smart nanocages could be used to deliver drugs directly to target sites, thus avoiding systemic side effects.

Europium discovery New element found to be a superconductor May 18, 2009 -- Inside of the diamond cell Download Of the 92 naturally occurring elements, add another to the list of those that are superconductors. James S. Schilling, Ph.D., professor of physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and Mathew Debessai, Ph.D., — Schilling's doctoral student at the time — discovered that europium becomes superconducting at 1.8 K (-456 °F) and 80 GPa (790,000 atmospheres) of pressure, making it the 53rd known elemental superconductor and the 23rd at high pressure.

Going platinum New catalyst could boost cleaner fuel use May 14, 2009 -- Younan Xia Download Material scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a technique for a bimetallic fuel cell catalyst that is efficient, robust and two-to-five times more effective than commercial catalysts. The novel technique eventually will enable a cost effective fuel cell technology, which has been waiting in the wings for decades and should give a boost for cleaner use of fuels worldwide.

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More News:

Chemists make first boron nanowhiskers; 'Little shavers' could prove key in nanoelectronics
June 2002 - They're cute little shavers, and they could play a key role in the "small" revolution about us. Chemistry graduate student Heng Yu and William E. Buhro, Ph.D., professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences, examine nanowire specimens in an inert-atmosphere glove box, which stores moisture- and oxygen-sensitive chemicals. The glove box allows manipulation of sensitive reagents and nanostructured materials in a continuously scrubbed nitrogen atmosphere.They're boron nanowhiskers, the world's first such crystalline nanowires, made by chemists at Washington University in St. Louis.

A leader in a small revolution
Advances in nanotechnology by William E. Buhro, Ph.D., impact realms from sports to electronics
Nov. 9, 2001 - William E. Buhro, Ph.D., professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences, sweats the small stuff. In his world, it's all small stuff. That's because Buhro and his group are immersed in the Lilliputian world of nanoparticles and nanowires, which are invisible to the naked eye and hold promise in making stronger and tougher materials for a wide range of products and applications, and for enabling advances in nanoelectronics.