Partnership for Research and Education in Functional Materials

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), located in the heart of the economically thriving, ethnically diverse Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex and with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students, is the second largest in the University of Texas System. UTA is designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution with 57% of the undergraduate population identifying as underrepresented minority (URM) students. The goals of the Partnership in Research and Education in Materials (PREM) for Functional Materials between UTA and the Northwestern University (NU) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) are to establish:

  • an interdisciplinary collaborative program at the cutting edge of materials research;

  • an educational pathway for URM students by providing unique research and educational opportunities, comprehensive student mentoring, and professional development programs.

The partnership also includes the participation of Grambling State University, an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and involves reciprocal faculty visits and exposure of students to the world-class research and facilities at NU. The pathway begins at the undergraduate level and progresses through graduate school, ultimately culminating in postdoc opportunities and placement into materials science and engineering careers.

The University of Texas at Arlington
Northwestern University
Northwestern MRSEC
Grambling State University
Research Thrust 2

Bioinspired Materials with Adaptive Functionality

This thrust employs a fundamental materials science approach to study stimuli-responsive smart biomaterials and cell-free bioprogrammable materials, addressing gaps in the bioinspired materials field. It integrates experimental investigations with computer simulations to probe three phase transition phenomena under different stimuli: (a) pH-triggered conformational change in polydiacetylene-peptide, (b) glutathione-stimulated morphological change in polyurethane polymer nanoparticles, and (c) AC magnetic field-activated phase transition, from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, in polymeric nanocomposites containing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Additionally, shape-morphing 3D materials with programmable morphologies and motions will be synthesized, mimicking living tissues. These advancements aim to develop novel polymeric biomaterials and bioinspired materials for applications such as drug delivery, tissue repair and regeneration, and related biomedical uses.
Thrust 1

Functional Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructures

This thrust addresses electron transport across mixed-dimensional heterostructures, where heterogeneities in dimensions (e.g., 0D, 2D, 3D) and material properties are used to precisely control charge transport. The approach allows only electrons with specific energy and momentum to participate in tunneling, effectively lowering the electron temperature to extreme values (e.g., less than 1 K) at room temperature. Key efforts include the investigation of new generations of compound semiconductors, alloys, and epitaxial heterostructures, as well as the role of chemical composition and material architecture (e.g., epitaxy) in influencing properties such as electron affinity, dielectric constant, and band alignment. The results have practical applications in energy-efficient computing, neuromorphic devices, and biological and molecular sensing.

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