Xavier-UChicago Materials and Interfaces Center for High Energy Storage and Sensing (MICHESS)

The Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) is a partnership between the Materials and Interfaces Center for High Energy Storage and Sensing (MICHESS) at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) and the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Chicago.

The broader goal of the XULA-UChicago PREM partnership is to increase outreach to underrepresented minority students through research and education programs that forefront materials science and engineering. Our outreach and education endeavors include targeted recruiting efforts to high school and undergraduate students, year-around research fellowships for undergraduate students that include financial support, and a summer bridge-to-undergraduate program.

With the long-term goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minority students in research-based STEM careers, this partnership is working to increase access to meaningful research opportunities for students that have been historically underrepresented in materials science and engineering careers. 

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Award #2122058

2021 - 2025
Xavier University of Louisiana
University of Chicago
IRG-1

Energy Storage

Abdulahad: We develop, synthesize, and characterize new materials for lithium metal batteries, small analyte sensing, and carbon dioxide capture technologies. Currently, our primary research thrust is on (1) the synthesis and characterization of solid polymer electrolytes for use in lithium metal batteries and (2) the development of flexible and microporous polymers for carbon dioxide adsorption. Meda: Synthesis and characterization as well as interfacial studies of materials that will lead to improvement in all-solid-state batteries. Our primary focus is on (1) synthesis of high-energy cathode materials for electric vehicles, including conversion-type cathodes with high gravimetric energy density (500+ Wh/kg), and (2) understanding cathode and composite polymer solid-solid interactions.
Group
Asem Abdulahad, Lamartine Meda
IRG-2

Ionic Gel/Solid Interface

Dutta: interested in the interaction of dissolved gases with ionic liquids and their behavior at interfaces. His broad goal is to use his training in organic synthesis, linear vibrational spectroscopy, two-dimensional vibration spectroscopy, nanowire plasmonic, chemical imaging, fluorescence imaging, and other skills to support the MICHESS mission for sensors. Riley: Computational studies on interactions between ionic liquid cation/anion pairs and between cations and solutes. Studies involving small molecular adsorption on graphene and boron nitride systems.
Group
Samrat Dutta, Kevin Riley

People