University of California Irvine

Center for Complex and Active Materials

Welcome to CCAM

CCAM is an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). We focus on developing foundational knowledge for new materials with unique functionalities and superior performance. By attracting junior scientists from across the nation, we train future leaders at all academic and professional levels to address critical societal and technological challenges.

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News & Updates

I-Hsin Lin receives the NSF Travel Award for FNANO 2025!

I-Hsin Lin receives the NSF Travel Award for FNANO 2025!

Jun 20, 2025

We’re proud to share that our graduate student I-Hsin Lin has been selected to receive the NSF Student and Postdoc Travel Award to attend the 22nd Annual Conference of Foundations of Nanoscience (FNANO) in 2025. This prestigious award supports outstanding early-career...

Congratulations to Penghui Cao on the Samueli Excellence Award!

Congratulations to Penghui Cao on the Samueli Excellence Award!

Jun 18, 2025

Penghui has received the Samueli School of Engineering’s Annual Award for Research Excellence in the Mid-Career category. This prestigious award honors faculty who have conducted exceptional fundamental or applied research or made a unique contribution to engineering...

Congratulations to Elizabeth Lee on Receiving the NSF CAREER Award!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Lee on Receiving the NSF CAREER Award!

Jun 17, 2025

Elizabeth M. Y. Lee, who is part of IRG-1 and SEED of CCAM, has received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award, one of the most prestigious honors for early-career faculty. The NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program supports early-career faculty with...

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Research

Our research focuses on two key areas: advancing interface science in complex concentrated metals and ceramics by establishing structure-property relationships to guide the design of innovative materials, and developing self-assembly strategies to study fundamental charge-matter interactions in supramolecular “living” materials.
Together, these efforts lay the foundation for designing novel materials with enhanced functionalities and bioinspired properties for a wide range of applications.

Research Highlights

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Education & Outreach

CCAM is committed to fostering engagement, skill development, and long-term participation in STEM across all educational levels. Through hands-on modules, we introduce K-8 students to scientific concepts and career possibilities, while high school and college programs provide advanced training in materials science, including instrumentation, computational methods, and data analysis. Over the past four years, CCAM has engaged more than 1,000 students, inspiring future STEM leaders.
Our Junior Research Fellows, postdocs, and graduate students receive technical and professional development training to prepare for careers in both academia and industry. CCAM’s faculty and researchers have earned prestigious national awards and independent research funding, reflecting our dedication to advancing STEM education and career development.

Education Programs

Materials Bootcamp

Materials-SPIRE

Materials REU

Junior Research Fellows (JRF) Program

Materials Innovation Slam

Future Materials (K-12)

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Facilities

IMRI’s world-class materials characterization facilities are central to interdisciplinary research at UCI and play a vital role in CCAM’s success. These state-of-the-art facilities operate 24/7 with support from dedicated technical staff and are accessible to UCI researchers as well as external academic and industrial partners. UCI’s leadership remains committed to expanding IMRI’s capabilities through new equipment acquisitions and technical upgrades. Recent additions include a Cryo-TEM (TFS Glacios) for soft material characterization, a pixelated direct electron detector on the Nion UltraSTEM 200 for enhanced imaging and spectroscopy of electron beam-sensitive samples, and a liquid-phase TEM holder for simultaneous heating and electrochemistry testing. Additionally, a customized double-tilt electro-cryo vacuum transfer holder has been introduced to improve imaging of soft and air-sensitive specimens, further advancing CCAM’s research capabilities.