Materials science and engineering research
Research in materials science and engineering spans a large number of topics within the MSE Graduate Faculty. Our researchers seek to improve the performance of materials in order to create innovative solutions for energy, security, and sustainability. Materials science and engineering research addresses a broad range of materials-driven challenges and benefits several industries. A complete list of MSE Graduate Faculty can be found here: https://graduateapps.asu.edu/graduate-faculty/degree/G3.
A partial list within certain research areas is given below.
Materials science and engineering faculty research interests
Catalytic materials
Peter Crozier
Peter Crozier
Professor
Graduate program chair, materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Synthesis, characterization and evolution of nanomaterials and nanostructures related to energy and the environment; atomic level characterization of materials for applications to energy production; photocatalysis for energy production.
Sandwip Dey
Sandwip Dey
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Processing science of nanoparticles, nanowires, and epitaxial/polycrystalline films of metals and ceramics by VLS, co-precipitation, sol-gel, MOCVD, and ALCVD and their integration into devices for electronics, energy, or theranostic platforms for neoplastic diseases.
Jingyue Liu
Jingyue Liu
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Nanomaterial (0D, 1D, 2D and 3D) synthesis and characterization; Catalysis by supported metal atoms and clusters; Nanostructures for energy storage and conversion; Atomic scale understanding of synthesis-structure-performance relationships by advanced electron microscopy techniques.
Christopher Muhich
Christopher Muhich
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Quantum chemistry, solid state physics, density functional theory, renewable energy, metal oxide design, redox reactions, solar energy, solar thermal water and carbon dioxide splitting, photocatalysis, organic pollutant degradation, defect engineering.
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Computational materials
James Adams
James Adams
President’s professor
Undergraduate program chair, materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Atomic-scale computer simulation to understand the structure, properties, processing and design of materials.
Kumar Ankit
Kumar Ankit
Assistant Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Computational modeling of microstructure and defects’ evolution, Structure-processing correlations, Phase transformations, Deformation-reaction-convection couplings and pattern formation in materials processing and geoprocesses.
Antia S. Botana
Antia Sanchez Botana
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Density functional theory calculations, superconductivity, topological phases of matter, 2D and quantum magnetism, thermoelectricity.
Ralph Chamberlin
Ralph Chamberlin
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Theory of small-system thermodynamics, especially using computer simulations to study the local thermal and dynamic properties inside complex materials.
David K. Ferry
David K. Ferry
Regents’ Professor Emeritus
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Quantum effects in submicron semiconductor devices and nanostructures, general development of quantum transport in open systems
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor and Deputy Director ASU Lightworks
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Yang Jiao
Yang Jiao
Assistant Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Computational materials design; microstructure and effective properties of heterogeneous materials; multifunctional composites design and modeling; granular materials; biomaterials.
Christopher Muhich
Christopher Muhich
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Quantum chemistry, solid state physics, density functional theory, renewable energy, metal oxide design, redox reactions, solar energy, solar thermal water and carbon dioxide splitting, photocatalysis, organic pollutant degradation, defect engineering.
Arunima K. Singh
Arunima K. Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Computational study of two-dimensional materials for nano-electronic and solar-energy conversion; high-throughput materials discovery through atomistic simulations; fundamental properties of materials’ interfaces; density functional theory simulations
Dragica Vasileska
Dragica Vasileska
Professor and ASU PLuS Alliance Fellow
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Computational electronics, semi-classical and quantum transport, Monte Carlo simulations, Green’s Functions, optoelectronics – photodetectors and solar cells modeling, diffusion-reaction modeling.
Houlong Zhuang
Houlong Zhuang
Assistant Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Machine learning in materials science, computational design of metal alloys, two-dimensional materials.
Electrical, optical and magnetic materials
Terry Alford
Terry Alford
Associate Director
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Materials properties for low-power electronics and novel integrated-circuit components formation and adhesion of sol-gel metal systems for biomedical applications.
Xiangfan Chen
Xiangfan Chen
Assistant Professor
The Polytechnic School
Research Interests
Advanced manufacturing (e.g. additive manufacturing); functional metamaterials/metasurfaces; optical/photonic devices; high-efficiency energy conversion systems; biomedical devices.
Sandwip Dey
Sandwip Dey
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Processing science of nanoparticles, nanowires, and epitaxial/polycrystalline films of metals and ceramics by VLS, co-precipitation, sol-gel, MOCVD, and ALCVD and their integration into devices for electronics, energy, or theranostic platforms for neoplastic diseases.
Zhaoyang Fan
Zhaoyang Fan
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Thin films particularly oxides and phase-change materials for electronics and photonics such as neuromorphic devices and tunable photonic devices; Nanomaterials for renewable energy, and electrochemical energy storages including electrochemical capacitors and Li-ion batteries.
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor and Deputy Director ASU Lightworks
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Shane Johnson
Shane Johnson
Research Scientist
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Epitaxial growth of compound semiconductor materials and devices, Optoelectronic properties of semiconductors, Semiconductor device physic, III-V bismide materials for optoelectronic device applications.
Jian Li
Jian Li
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Design and synthesis of organic semiconductor materials, study of the structure and electrical and optical properties of organic and inorganic molecules.
José Menéndez
José Menéndez
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Optical, structural, and transport properties of semiconductors materials, alloys, and nanostructures.
Robert Nemanich
Robert Nemanich
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Semiconductor surfaces, interfaces, and processing, with a focus towards electronic and optoelectronic applications
Nathan Newman
Nathan Newman
Lamonte H. Lawrence Professor in Solid State Science
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Semiconductor, superconductor and dielectric materials, thin film materials synthesis, materials characterization, electronic structure.
William T. Petuskey
William T. Petuskey
Professor
School of Molecular Sciences
Director, ASU’s Advanced Materials Initiative
Research Interests
Synthesis and physical chemistry of materials; multi-scaled manipulation for advanced property and function development; optical, electrical and magnetic ceramic materials; new methodologies for solving materials research problems
Fernando A. Ponce
Fernando A. Ponce
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Semiconductor materials for applications in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and high power electronics, atomic level characterization of materials and correlation with optical and electronic properties, high-angle annular dark field imaging, cathodoluminescence, electron holography, low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy.
David Smith
David Smith
Regents’ Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Development and applications of atomic-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy; oxide / semiconductor interfaces; solar-cells and optoelectronic devices; nanostructured materials; high-power III-nitride devices.
Trevor Thornton
Trevor Thornton
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Semiconductor device fabrication and characterization; RF and high power devices; electronic materials in extreme environments.
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Yong-Hang Zhang
Yong-Hang Zhang
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Molecular beam epitaxy of semiconductor materials, quantum structures, and applications in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, photodetectors, and solar cells.
Engineering education
Stephen Krause
Stephen Krause
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Engineering education, engineering outreach to K-12, education materials characterization.
Imaging and Electron microscopy
Peter Crozier
Peter Crozier
Professor
Graduate program chair, materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Synthesis, characterization and evolution of nanomaterials and nanostructures related to energy and the environment; atomic level characterization of materials for applications to energy production; photocatalysis for energy production.
Jingyue Liu
Jingyue Liu
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Nanomaterial (0D, 1D, 2D and 3D) synthesis and characterization; Catalysis by supported metal atoms and clusters; Nanostructures for energy storage and conversion; Atomic scale understanding of synthesis-structure-performance relationships by advanced electron microscopy techniques.
Fernando A. Ponce
Fernando A. Ponce
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Semiconductor materials for applications in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and high power electronics, atomic level characterization of materials and correlation with optical and electronic properties, high-angle annular dark field imaging, cathodoluminescence, electron holography, low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy.
Jagannathan Rajagopalan
Jagannathan Rajagopalan
Associate Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Mechanics of nanoscale materials and biological systems. Understanding the synthesis-structure-property relationships of nanocrystalline metals and alloys for optimization of the microstructure of nanocrystalline materials to enhance their mechanical properties and functionality; mechanics of cells and biological systems.
Peter Rez
Peter Rez
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Radiation interaction with matter as applied to electron microscopy and spectroscopy, diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology. Biomineralization, both normal and pathological. Energy Policy.
David Smith
David Smith
Regents’ Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Development and applications of atomic-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy; oxide / semiconductor interfaces; solar-cells and optoelectronic devices; nanostructured materials; high-power III-nitride devices.
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Ionics
Candace Chan
Candace Chan
Associate Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors; electrochemical energy storage, solar-to-fuel photoelectrochemistry, nanomaterial synthesis.
Peter Crozier
Peter Crozier
Professor
Graduate program chair, materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Synthesis, characterization and evolution of nanomaterials and nanostructures related to energy and the environment; atomic level characterization of materials for applications to energy production; photocatalysis for energy production.
Zhaoyang Fan
Zhaoyang Fan
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Thin films particularly oxides and phase-change materials for electronics and photonics such as neuromorphic devices and tunable photonic devices; Nanomaterials for renewable energy, and electrochemical energy storages including electrochemical capacitors and Li-ion batteries.
Michael N. Kozicki
Michael Kozicki
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Digital and analog devices based on mass transport in electrolytes, integrated solid-state ionic memory devices, dendritic/fractal structures.
Low-dimensional materials
Sefaattin Tongay
Sefaattin Tongay
Assistant Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Nanoscience, quantum materials, and nanotechnology. Nanomaterial design and synthesis, bulk crystal growth, novel quantum materials, epitaxial growth, 2D atomic layered materials, catalytic applications, atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy, optical and Raman spectroscopy, electronic and optical materials, …read more
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Materials for energy and environmental applications
Mariana Bertoni
Mariana Bertoni
Assistant Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Materials for energy conversion, Performance limiting defects: kinetics of formation and degradation, Advanced X-ray characterization across dimensions and scales, Correlative characterization approaches and big data analytics.
Candace Chan
Candace Chan
Associate Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors; electrochemical energy storage, solar-to-fuel photoelectrochemistry, nanomaterial synthesis.
Xiangfan Chen
Xiangfan Chen
Assistant Professor
The Polytechnic School
Research Interests
Advanced manufacturing (e.g. additive manufacturing); functional metamaterials/metasurfaces; optical/photonic devices; high-efficiency energy conversion systems; biomedical devices.
Peter Crozier
Peter Crozier
Professor
Graduate program chair, materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Synthesis, characterization and evolution of nanomaterials and nanostructures related to energy and the environment; atomic level characterization of materials for applications to energy production; photocatalysis for energy production.
Zhaoyang Fan
Zhaoyang Fan
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Thin films particularly oxides and phase-change materials for electronics and photonics such as neuromorphic devices and tunable photonic devices; Nanomaterials for renewable energy, and electrochemical energy storages including electrochemical capacitors and Li-ion batteries.
Cody Friesen
Cody Friesen
Associate Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Integrated storage devices (batteries); electrochemical energy storage; surface science.
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor and Deputy Director ASU Lightworks
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Zachary Holman
Zachary Holman
Trustee Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Fabrication, characterization, and modeling of silicon, CdTe, perovskite, and silicon-based tandem solar cells; plasma synthesis and characterization of functional optical and electronic nanomaterials; vacuum deposition of thin films, including nanoparticulate films, and their use in solar, semiconductor, and glass applications.
Christopher Muhich
Christopher Muhich
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Quantum chemistry, solid state physics, density functional theory, renewable energy, metal oxide design, redox reactions, solar energy, solar thermal water and carbon dioxide splitting, photocatalysis, organic pollutant degradation, defect engineering.
Alexandra Navrotsky
Alexandra Navrotsky
Regents Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Solid state chemistry, thermodynamics and structure of materials. Energy materials (fuel cells, batteries and water splitting), nuclear energy materials, hybrid inorganic/organic materials, zeolites, material stability on Earth and other planets
Fernando A. Ponce
Fernando A. Ponce
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Semiconductor materials for applications in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and high power electronics, atomic level characterization of materials and correlation with optical and electronic properties, high-angle annular dark field imaging, cathodoluminescence, electron holography, low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy.
Sridhar Seetharaman
Sridhar Setharaman
Professor
Chief Science Officer
Research Interests
His research and teaching interests lie in Metals and Ceramics for Clean Energy Processes and Materials Processing through Clean Energy. He is also engaged in developing materials for harsh conditions.
Karl Sieradzki
Karl Sieradzki
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Mechanical properties and characterization of materials; electrochemistry and alloy corrosion; nanoporous materials; surface science.
David Smith
David Smith
Regents’ Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Development and applications of atomic-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy; oxide / semiconductor interfaces; solar-cells and optoelectronic devices; nanostructured materials; high-power III-nitride devices.
Meng Tao
Meng Tao
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Sustainable solar photovoltaics; New photovoltaic systems and applications; Electrochemical refining of silicon; Recycling of solar cells and modules; Substitution of silver in solar cells with aluminum.
Robert Wang
Robert Wang
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Thermal energy conversion, storage, and transport in nanostructured materials; thermoelectric power generation; thermal storage media; heat transfer, and phonon optics. Custom-design of colloidal nanoparticles, chemical precursors
Yong-Hang Zhang
Yong-Hang Zhang
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Molecular beam epitaxy of semiconductor materials, quantum structures, and applications in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, photodetectors, and solar cells.
Membranes and separations
Matthew Green
Matthew Green
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Polymer design and synthesis, Ion-containing block copolymers, water purification and desalination, Ion and water transport through polymer membranes. drug and gene delivery, polymer-based immunostimulatory cancer therapeutics
Jerry Lin
Jerry Lin
Regents’ Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Inorganic membranes; membrane and separation processes, carbon dioxide capture; adsorption and energy storage
Nanomaterials synthesis and characterization
Zhaoyang Fan
Zhaoyang Fan
Professor
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Thin films particularly oxides and phase-change materials for electronics and photonics such as neuromorphic devices and tunable photonic devices; Nanomaterials for renewable energy, and electrochemical energy storages including electrochemical capacitors and Li-ion batteries.
Sefaattin Tongay
Sefaattin Tongay
Assistant Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Nanoscience, quantum materials, and nanotechnology. Nanomaterial design and synthesis, bulk crystal growth, novel quantum materials, epitaxial growth, 2D atomic layered materials, catalytic applications, atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy, optical and Raman spectroscopy, electronic and optical materials, …read more
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Soft and biomaterials
Lenore Dai
Lenore Dai
School Director
Professor, Chemical engineering
Vice Dean of Faculty Administration, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Research Interests
Surface, interfacial, and colloidal science with emphases on functionalizing nanoparticles and liquid-liquid interfaces; environmentally responsive (“smart”) materials; novel polymers and polymer composites; rheology
Heather Emady
Heather Emady
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Particulate process and product design, particle technology, granulation, granular flow, granular heat transfer, particle characterization, multiscale modeling
Matthew Green
Matthew Green
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering
Research Interests
Polymer design and synthesis, Ion-containing block copolymers, water purification and desalination, Ion and water transport through polymer membranes. drug and gene delivery, polymer-based immunostimulatory cancer therapeutics
Peter Rez
Peter Rez
Professor
Department of Physics
Research Interests
Radiation interaction with matter as applied to electron microscopy and spectroscopy, diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology. Biomineralization, both normal and pathological. Energy Policy.
Structural Materials: Mechanical behavior and microstructure of materials
Yongming Liu
Yongming Liu
Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures, probabilistic computational mechanics, risk assessment and management, multi-physics damage modeling and structural durability…read more
Pedro Peralta
Pedro Peralta
Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Mechanics of materials, fatigue and fracture of metallic alloys, dynamic and shock loading of metallic and intermetallic materials with emphasis on effects of anisotropy and grain boundaries on mechanical behavior and failure.
Jagannathan Rajagopalan
Jagannathan Rajagopalan
Associate Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Mechanics of nanoscale materials and biological systems. Understanding the synthesis-structure-property relationships of nanocrystalline metals and alloys for optimization of the microstructure of nanocrystalline materials to enhance their mechanical properties and functionality; mechanics of cells and biological systems.
Sridhar Seetharaman
Sridhar Setharaman
Professor
Chief Science Officer
Research Interests
His research and teaching interests lie in Metals and Ceramics for Clean Energy Processes and Materials Processing through Clean Energy. He is also engaged in developing materials for harsh conditions.
Karl Sieradzki
Karl Sieradzki
Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Mechanical properties and characterization of materials; electrochemistry and alloy corrosion; nanoporous materials; surface science.
Kiran Solanki
Kiran Solanki
Associate Professor
Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Research Interests
Multiscale modeling (First principles, molecular mechanics/dynamics, crystal plasticity, continuum scale), grain boundary engineering, uncertainty analysis, fatigue and fracture, high strain rate deformation, optimization, and stress analysis.
Sui Yang
Sui Yang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Sui Yang is an assistant professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research centers on materials and optics, with a focus on artificial quantum and meta-materials as well as light-matter interactions at extreme aspects and quantum level. He has received Microsystems and Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award and Elsevier Reaxys Ph.D. Prize.
Other research areas
Xiangfan Chen
Xiangfan Chen
Assistant Professor
The Polytechnic School
Research Interests
Advanced manufacturing (e.g. additive manufacturing); functional metamaterials/metasurfaces; optical/photonic devices; high-efficiency energy conversion systems; biomedical devices.
Alexandra Navrotsky
Alexandra Navrotsky
Regents Professor
Materials science and engineering
Research Interests
Solid state chemistry, thermodynamics and structure of materials. Energy materials (fuel cells, batteries and water splitting), nuclear energy materials, hybrid inorganic/organic materials, zeolites, material stability on Earth and other planets
Narayanan Neithalath
Narayanan Neithalath
Professor
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
Research Interests
Cement and concrete materials, microstructure and durability, infrastructure sustainability and resilience, 3D printing of cementitious materials, microstructure-guided modeling for performance prediction.
Kenan Song
Kenan Song
Assistant Professor
The Polytechnic School
Research Interests
Textile engineering for robust and functional fibers; coating technology for smart behaviors; 3D printing and its application in composite engineering, drug design, and plastics recycling.