Materials Science & Engineering at Illinois Grainger Engineering

06/18/2026

New research from Professor Qian Chen's group, published in Nature Synthesis, reveals that atomic-scale edges on gold nanoparticles are the hidden key to creating an unprecedented variety of surface polymer patterns — bringing synthetic nanoparticles closer than ever to the surface complexity of proteins.

Co-first authors Dr. Xiaoying Lin and Chansong Kim led the work, with collaborators at the University of Michigan and Argonne National Laboratory and support from COMPASS: Center for Complex Particle Systems. A remarkable advance for nanoscience!

EXPLORE THE RESEARCH: https://bit.ly/4uM9Vuv

06/17/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Professor and Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering Paul Braun has been named the next head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, effective Aug. 16, 2026.

Braun has been an integral part of the department for decades and has served as director of the Materials Research Laboratory. His move will mean a search for new leadership at MRL.

Professor Paul Braun will be the next head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering has announced. Braun is taking over the leadership role on Aug. 15, 2026, after serving as director of the Materials Research Laboratory.

06/15/2026

Honeybees are critical pollinators. Gut bacteria may hold the key to protecting them.

Professor Cecilia Leal's lab has shown these bacteria produce tiny membrane vesicles packed with RNA and DNA, forming a natural system that delivers genetic material directly to the bee host. Published in Nature Communications, the work opens a path to RNA-based treatments against bee parasites and pathogens.

The implications reach beyond the hive, with potential applications for microbial delivery in animals and humans.

Professor Cecilia Leal's lab  has discovered that beneficial bacteria living in the honeybee gut naturally produce membrane-bound vesicles enriched with genetic material, revealing a molecular pathway through which gut symbionts communicate with their host. Using a novel cryogenic electron microsco...

06/12/2026

Morgan Scott, a master's student in materials science and engineering, was beyond thrilled to attend the 2026 Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) conference in Seattle, where she soaked up expertise from professionals across various materials research interests.

The trip was funded by a Master's Student Conference Travel Award, and a gift from Robert and Sandra Sherman. Scott thanked the family for the educational and networking opportunities the experience provided.

Master's student Morgan Scott was thrilled to attend the 2026 Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) Conference in Seattle, with the trip funded through a Master's Student Conference Travel Award from Robert and Sandra Sherman. Scott has interned with Boeing for a nu...

06/10/2026

Hello from the 2026 ASM Materials Camp for Teachers, where educators experienced an up-close tour of the high-end research equipment available in the Illinois Materials Research Laboratory on Wednesday.

This camp helps provide teachers with the tools they need to build an even better STEM education experience in their classrooms.

06/09/2026

You've met Marie Charpagne the researcher. But what about Marie Charpagne the pianist?

Marie's award-winning artistic talents are on full display at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2026, she showcased her skills in events at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Assistant Professor Marie Charpagne is a passionate person, both as a materials scientist and as a musician. She enjoys playing piano in her spare time as part of events at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at Illinois, allowing her to share a skill that has earned her significant awards i...

06/03/2026

Meet Yana Kapoor, a Formula 4 racing champion and underclassman student In the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She is pursuing two dreams — one athletic and one academic — while a fiery passion to compete drives her forward.

Yana Kapoor, a freshman in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, could best be described as a champion. She  is winning races on the Formula 4 circuit while thriving in the classroom and hopes to either continue racing or pursue a career in industry after completing her education. 

06/01/2026

Could sodium-ion batteries be a viable energy alternative to the plateauing energy density of lithium-ion?

Research from Professors Rosa M. Espinosa Marzal and Cecilia Leal, published in Science Advances (Science), found introducing trace amounts of water into sodium-ion battery electrolytes disrupts ion clustering — improving conductivity and unlocking a promising path toward next-generation energy storage.

This research involved contributions from Zac Goodwin at the University of Oxford.

Professors Rosa Espinosa Marzal and Cecilia Leal have discovered introducing trace amounts of water into salt-in-ionic liquid electrolytes disrupts ion clustering at the molecular level, significantly improving ionic conductivity and battery performance. Their findings, published in Science Advances...

05/29/2026

Ivan Racheff Professor Rosa M. Espinosa-Marzal, working with students Ming Jun Lee (PhD candidate) and Isha Bordawekar (2026 B.S. graduate), published research in Materials Horizons explaining how charged hydrogels can achieve ultra-low friction even against oppositely charged surfaces — a key step toward better cartilage replacement materials and a surprising challenge to assumptions underlying hydrogel adhesive design.

Rosa Espinosa Marzal and her team discovered that positively charged hydrogels can achieve dramatically low friction against oppositely charged surfaces under hydrated conditions — the opposite of what basic electrostatics would predict — because tightly bound water layers at the material's su...

05/27/2026

Associate Professor Qing Cao and team achieved a critical advancement toward realizing the potential of three-dimensional chips through the sequential stacking of high-performance silicon circuits. The breakthrough was published Wednesday in Nature.

Researchers led by Qing Cao have demonstrated a scalable way to directly and sequentially stack high-performance silicon circuits. This advance marks a critical step toward realizing the full potential of three-dimensional chips that could carry computing beyond the limits of traditional scaling.