Materials Science and Engineering | A Department of the School of Engineering and Applied Science

The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) is the intellectual focal point of materials research at the University of Pennsylvania

Christopher Murray Elected 2024 NAI Fellow

Christopher B. Murray, Richard Perry University Professor in Materials Science and Engineering and in Chemistry, has been elected to the 2024 class of National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed upon academic inventors. Read more.

Mapping molecular arrangements to pave the way for better catalytic systems

The Stach Group in Penn Engineering led a collaborative team identifying how chemical catalysts drive the creation of liquid fuels from sunlight, paving the way for more efficient removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Read more.

Toward carbon-negative architecture

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Weitzman and Penn Engineering are working to develop a new building system that would reduce carbon in all aspects of concrete construction. Read more.

An idea rooted in ‘twistronics’ yields an electrifying, ‘dizzying’ outcome

In a study published in Nature Magazine, Penn Engineering and Penn Arts & Sciences, Professors Ritesh Agarwal, Penn Materials Science and Engineering. and Eugene Mele, Physics and Astronomy, investigated spirally stacked tungsten disulfide (WS₂) crystals and discovered that, by twisting these layers, light could be used to manipulate electrons. The result is analogous to the Coriolis force, which curves the paths of objects in a rotating frame, like how wind and ocean currents behave on Earth. Read more.

Battery Innovation: Extending Lifespan and Capacity Through Self-Healing Materials

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Associate Professor Eric Detsi is tackling one of the biggest challenges in addressing climate change by developing effective energy storage solutions for renewable sources like wind and solar, as current battery technology is insufficient to meet the projected sixfold increase in global capacity needed by 2030. Read more.

Scientists observe composite superstructure growth from nanocrystals in real time

A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, led by Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Christopher B. Murray, has observed for the first time composite superstructure growth from nanocrystals in real time. The discovery could enable engineers to more reliably manufacture next-generation materials by combining different nanocrystals. Read more.

MSE News

Christopher Murray Named 2024 NAI Fellow

12.11.2024 | Read More

Mapping Molecular Arrangements to Pave the Way for Better Catalytic Systems

12.11.2024 | Read More

Shu Yang and Collaborators Receive NSF Grant for Multidisciplinary Graduate Program across Engineering and Architecture

12.03.2024 | Read More

MSE Events

MSE Grace Hopper Lecture: “Bioelectronics to Probe Brain-Body Physiology” (Polina Anikeeva – Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

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Announcement

Liang Feng Receives Experimental Physics Investigator Award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Liang Feng has been awarded $1.25M from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Initiative to explore new frontiers in quantum optics, driving advances in photonic communication and more.

Atomic Engineer and Research Guide, Dawn Bonnell Elected to American Philosophical Society

Senior Vice Provost for Research at Penn, Dawn Bonnell, Henry Robinson Towne Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, was elected to The American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States.

Penn Among Education Partners in Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) to Advance Clean Energy

The University of Pennsylvania will serve as an education partner in support of workforce development efforts with the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2), a partnership that will receive up to $750 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding through the historic Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The program, announced by the DOE on October 13, 2023, is awarding up to $7 billion in grants.

Shu Yang, Among Six From Penn Elected 2024 AAAS Fellows

Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, Wharton School, School of Nursing, and Annenberg School for Communication join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.

What is Materials Science?

Understanding the behavior of materials has given rise to countless innovations and breakthroughs ranging from stone tools, which led to the discovery of fire in the prehistoric period, to silicon chips and silicon solar cells in our modern era. In a broad sense, materials science involves studying the synthesis, processing, structure, properties and performance of materials.

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