TMI Newsletter | January 2025
Featured News
Dr. Yurim Jeon and Dr. Deji Akinwande's recent study highlights the potential of In2Se3, a unique electronic material, to advance artificial intelligence by mimicking brain synaptic connectivity. Their discovery, published in Advanced Materials, could lead to more efficient AI hardware, improving processing speed, energy efficiency, and accuracy.
A study by Dr. Yuanyue Liu and his team discovered a previously overlooked catalytic site in M–N–C materials, crucial for energy conversion reactions like oxygen reduction, located at the edges or pores of the graphene sheet. This site, exhibiting similar activity to the known pyridinic site, could lead to improved catalytic performance in energy reactions and opens opportunities for site engineering in M–N–C catalysts.
Dr. Yuebing Zheng has been elected a Fellow of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field. As part of this honor, he will receive an acrylic trophy, a Fellow lapel pin, and his name and photo will be featured on SPIE.org alongside the 2025 Fellows.
Kent Zheng, assistant professor at The McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science for his work on sustainable, lithium-free batteries. His research focuses on developing rechargeable batteries with zinc, aluminum, and eco-friendly materials. Zheng has co-authored over 70 papers and received the 2021 Early Career Award from the Electrochemical Society.
Dr. David Mitlin, Dr. Donald Siegel, and their team from the MUSIC Energy Frontier Research Center discussed the challenges and potential of anode-free solid-state batteries, focusing on lithium interactions at solid-solid interfaces. They highlighted strategies such as optimizing current collectors and controlling lithium stripping dynamics to improve battery performance and stability.
Fall 2025 Recruitment: February 5-8
Dr. Deji Akinwande Delivers Distinguished Kavli Plenary Lecture at MRS Fall 2024
Dr. Deji Akinwande delivered the Kavli Plenary Lecture at the Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall 2024 Meeting, highlighting the potential of 2D nanomaterials for both scientific research and practical engineering applications. He discussed the impact of defects on the performance of these materials and explored advancements in single-atom monolayer devices for nonvolatile memory and 5G/6G switches. Additionally, Dr. Akinwande highlighted innovations in fuel cell membranes for electric vehicles and the development of wearable tattoo sensors using graphene, which offer sensitive health monitoring capabilities. His lecture emphasized how atomic materials are set to revolutionize electronics, sustainable energy, and personalized healthcare. Read more here.
Spring 2025 MSE 397 Seminar Series
Dr. Cynthia Hipwell, Texas A&M University
Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Cynthia Hipwell has over 25 years of experience in technology development based on nanoscale phenomena, with a background in mechanical engineering from Rice University and UC Berkeley. Currently, she is a professor at Texas A&M University, leading research in nano and microscale phenomena for haptics and dexterous robotics, while also developing curricula for innovation and product development.
Dr. Sokrates Pantelides, Vanderbilt University
Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Pantelides earned a PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois in 1973 and spent 20 years at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, where he held leadership roles in semiconductor research. Currently, he is a University Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt and a Visiting Professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with research focused on the properties of complex nanostructures.
Dr. Younan Xia, Georgia Tech University
Wednesday, February 05, 2025, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Xia is the Brock Family Chair and Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his B.S. degree in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1987, M.S. degree in chemistry from University of Pennsylvania (with Alan G. MacDiarmid) in 1993, and Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from Harvard University (with George M. Whitesides) in 1996. His group invented numerous nanomaterials with well-controlled properties for use in applications related to plasmonics, electronics, display, catalysis, energy conversion, controlled release, drug delivery, nanomedicine, and regenerative medicine.
Manthiram Receives Faraday Medal Award and Delivers Award Lecture at SAEST, India
Professor Arumugam Manthiram received the Faraday Medal from Award from the Society for Advancement of Electrochemical Science and Technology (SAEST), India, and deliverd a keynote lecture.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Graduate School January Events
- Resume Lab for Graduate Students & Postdocs: January 27, 10 to 11 am - FAC 2.134
- Talking to Humans: Networking for Grad Students and Postdocs: January 27, 5:15 to 6:15 pm - (VIRTUAL)
- First-Gen Coffee & Community Weekly Grad Student Breakfast: January 29, 9 to 10:30 am- FAC 2.138
Fall 2025 Academic Dates
- Last day to add/drop class: January 29
- Tuition deadline: January 29
