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TMI's core faculty lead cutting-edge research by running their grants through the institute, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
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Our Materials Science and Engineering program is one of the best in the nation, and our graduates go on to be leaders in their fields.
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Research
TMI supports interdisciplinary research at UT Austin, with over 100 faculty focusing on clean energy, nanotechnology, and advanced materials using our state-of-the-art facilities.
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A Path to Safer, High-Energy Electric Vehicle Batteries
Nickel’s role in the future of electric vehicle batteries is clear: It’s more abundant and easier to obtain than widely used cobalt, and its higher energy density means longer driving distances between charges.

Graphene Double Moiré System Revolutionizes Quantum Materials Research
An international research team, led by scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, has unveiled a groundbreaking double moiré system made of four graphene layers. In this innovative structure, the top and bottom pairs form small-twist-angle bilayer graphene, while the middle interface is characterized by a large rotational mismatch. Fabricated using opto-thermoplasmonic nanolithography, this system introduces a new platform for exploring independently tunable flat bands in twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) structures.

Dr. Deji Akinwande Publishes in Nature Electronics
Dr. Deji Akinwande, Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, has made a notable contribution to the field of semiconductor physics with his latest publication, “The quantum limits of contact resistance and ballistic transport in 2D transistors” in Nature Electronics.

Fast-charging Lithium-ion Batteries: Advanced 3D Analysis of Electrode-electrolyte Interfaces with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
Chen Liu, Andrei Dolocan, Zehao Cui, and Arumugam Manthiram have made significant progress in improving the fast-charging capabilities of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are crucial for devices like smartphones and electric vehicles. Their work, published in The Journal of the American Chemical Society, focuses on how the chemistry of the interface between the battery electrodes and electrolyte can be optimized to make charging faster and more efficient.
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Texas Materials Seminar Series
The Texas Materials Seminar Series features MSE 397 Seminars, TMI Distinguished Lectureships, and TMI Special Seminars, where leading faculty and professionals from around the world share cutting-edge innovations and advancements in materials engineering with our students.
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News
Prince Alvin Fofanah Recognized in the 2025 Cockrell School of Engineering Student Leadership Awards

The Texas Materials Institute is proud to announce that Prince Alvin Fofanah has been named one of eight undergraduate recipients of the prestigious 2025 Cockrell School of Engineering Student Leadership Award.
Cockrell Ranks Among Top Graduate Programs Yet Again

The Cockrell School of Engineering is once again among the top 10 engineering programs in the nation, finishing No. 7 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 graduate engineering program rankings, released today. In addition, two programs are ranked in the top five, seven in the top 10 and all programs finished in the top 20.
Smoothing Over Rough Edges in Batteries

Texas Engineers have discovered a new phenomenon in modern batteries, one that could be used to improve their life cycles.
Battery performance suffers over time, like when a phone needs to be charged more frequently after years of use. A thin film that forms on the metal anode when the battery is charging and discharging plays a part in that issue. This film has benefits, but its roughness gradually wears the battery down.
Hand-paintable electrodes to study the brain

Measuring brain waves could become easier with electrodes and wires that researchers can paint on the scalp through parted hair using a paintbrush. Made with a conductive polymer ink, the micrometer-thin painted films stick strongly to the skin for up to 3 days, and then peel off, leaving hair intact.
Jin Yang Wins NSF CAREER Award to Study Viscoelastic Materials

Jin Yang, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, was selected to receive a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award for 2025.
$12M+
In Grant Funding
20+
Research Patents
10K+