Category: Research Highlights

Impact of Entropy Stabilization on Electrical Conductivity Entropy-stabilized oxide (ESO) research has primarily focused on discovering unprecedented structures, chemistries, and properties in the single-phase state. However, few studies discuss the impacts of entropy stabilization and secondary phases on functionality and in particular, electrical conductivity.  The IRG 1 collaborative work between Bowman (Hasti Vahidi), Schoenung (Justin Cortez and Alex Dupuy)…Continue Reading Impact of Entropy Stabilization on Electrical Conductivity

Observing the Dynamics of an Electrochemically Driven Active Material with Liquid Electron Microscopy The IRG-2 team led by Assistant Professor Joe Patterson (Department of Chemistry) and his student Wyeth Gibson, have pioneered the observation of molecular active materials using liquid electron microscopy. This technique, primarily applied to inorganic materials, is now being used to explore the self-assembly dynamics…Continue Reading Observing the Dynamics of an Electrochemically Driven Active Material with Liquid Electron Microscopys

Exceptional Electronic Transport & Quantum Oscillations in Thin Bismuth Crystals Grown Inside vdW Materials The seed team, led by Assistant Professor Javier D. Sanchez-Yamagishi, has developed an innovative approach to thin crystal synthesis by growing bismuth within a nanoscale mold composed of van der Waals (vdW) materials. This atomically-flat vdW mold templates the bismuth crystals, resulting…Continue Reading Exceptional Electronic Transport & Quantum Oscillations in Thin Bismuth Crystals Grown Inside vdW Materials

Sensitive Thermochromic Behavior of InSeI Optical thermometry measures temperature using the optical properties of materials, such as luminescence, absorbance, or fluorescence. In a study published in Advanced Materials, the seed team led by Assistant Prof. Maxx Q. Arguilla of Chemistry, along with co-workers Dmitri Leo Mesoza Cordova, Yinong Zhou, Griffin M. Milligan, Leo Cheng, Tyler Kerr, Joseph Ziller, and Prof. Ruqian Wu,…Continue Reading Sensitive Thermochromic Behavior of InSeI

Neural Network Kinetics Method Predicts Atomic Diffusion in Complex Materials IRG-1 researchers, Assistant Professor Penghui Cao of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and his student Bin Xing, have developed a groundbreaking Neural Network Kinetics (NNK) method to model and predict atomic diffusion in compositionally complex materials. This innovative framework leverages artificial neural networks to simulate the chemical and structural…Continue Reading Neural Network Kinetics Method Predicts Atomic Diffusion in Complex Materials

A New Class of Solid Electrolytes Discovered Compositionally complex ceramics (CCCs), including high-entropy ceramics, provide a vast compositional space for new materials discovery beyond the classical doping strategy in stoichiometric compounds. Recently, researchers from UC San Diego and UC Irvine in the Center for Complex and Active Materials (CCAM) discovered a new class of compositionally…Continue Reading A New Class of Solid Electrolytes Discovered

UCI and UCSD Scientists Unravel an Atomic-scale Origin of the Low Grain-boundary Resistance in Perovskite Solid Electrolyte Lithium-ion batteries are considered promising energy storage solutions as they have already penetrated our daily life, but there still lies the safety concern especially with flammable liquid electrolyte. Despite high anticipation towards all-solid-state battery (ASSB) that uses chemically…Continue Reading Atomic-scale Origin of the Low Grain-boundary Resistance in Perovskite Solid Electrolyte

UC Irvine Researchers Create E. Coli-based Water Monitoring Technology Bacterium used as a live sensor to detect heavy metal contamination People often associate Escherichia coli with contaminated food, but E. coli has long been a workhorse in biotechnology. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated that the bacterium has further value as part of a system to…Continue Reading UC Irvine Researchers Create E. Coli-based Water Monitoring Technology

UCI scientists observe effects of heat in materials with atomic resolution Research will benefit design of future electronic and thermoelectric technologies As electronic, thermoelectric and computer technologies have been miniaturized to nanometer scale, engineers have faced a challenge studying fundamental properties of the materials involved; in many cases, targets are too small to be observed…Continue Reading UCI scientists observe effects of heat in materials with atomic resolution

UCI scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults Breakthrough research made possible by advanced microscopic techniques Citation: Nature volume 589, pages 65–69 (2021) Often admired for their flawless appearance to the naked eye, crystals can have defects at the nanometer scale, and these imperfections may affect the thermal and heat transport properties of crystalline materials used…Continue Reading UCI scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults