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Materials Science and
Engineering

Core Faculty
TMI's core faculty lead cutting-edge research by running their grants through the institute, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
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Graduate Program
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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$12M+
In Grant Funding
20+
Research Patents
10K+
Sq. Ft. of Research Labs
News
Tushar Telmasre Receives Two Awards From 248th ECS Meeting
Tushar Telmasre, a Materials Science & Engineering graduate student, received two awards for his work and presentations during this fall's 248th Electrochemical Society Meeting, held in Chicago, Illinois in October.
Kent Zheng receives MRS Science and Technology Award for Renewable Energy
Assistant Professor Kent Zheng has received Materials Research Society’s (MRS) Nelson “Buck” Robinson Science and Technology Award for Renewable Energy, which recognizes young professionals for their ‘development of novel sustainable solutions for the realization of renewable sources of energy.’
Published by the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering
Materials Science Student Leads Article on Gas & Safer Sodium-Ion Batteries
Materials Science & Engineering (MS&E) graduate student Chen Liu, along with former MS&E graduate student Dr. Zehao Cui, and their supervisor, Dr. Arumugam Manthiram, has published a paper that digs into the gasses released during Sodium-Ion Battery (SIB) use. Exploring a variety of possible causes and solutions, the researchers studied when and why gas forms inside SIBs.
Dr. Bahadur Publishes on New Approach for Faster Desalination Process
Dr. Vaibhav Bahadur, a professor in Mechanical Engineering (ME) and an affiliate member of TMI, and ME graduate student Shanthanu Katakam, have developed a new method for designing and predicting performance of an emerging desalination technology: Osmotically Assisted Reserve Osmosis (OARO). OARO is an advanced version of well-known reverse osmosis (RO) technology, which uses membranes to separate fresh water from saline water.
Korgel Research Group Makes Glowing Nanocrystals in Record Time
Researchers from Dr. Brian Korgel's research group, including Chemical Engineering graduate student Shea Sanvordenker, have managed to create tiny, brightly glowing crystals at room temperature, in normal air, in just two minutes. Perovskite materials are notoriously unstable and often quickly degrade when exposed to air or moisture, but these crystals keep their structure and brightness for over six months, making them very stable.