Materials Science and Engineering

New research by engineers at MIT and elsewhere could lead to batteries that can pack more power per pound and last longer.

New electrode design may lead to more powerful batteries

An MIT team has devised a lithium metal anode that could improve the longevity and energy density of future batteries.

February 3, 2020

MIT researchers have discovered a method to predict and control the length of tunnels in solid germanium by laterally growing it over silicon oxide strips (shown in yellow) on top of silicon (green), depicted from left to right. Germanium, shown in purple, smoothly covers the silicon but forms voids and tunnels (lighter shade of purple) where germanium and silicon oxide meet. The voids and tunnels...

A new facet for germanium

MIT researchers grow perfectly shaped germanium tunnels on silicon oxide with controllable length.

January 31, 2020

This 8-inch wafer contains phase-change pixels that can be controlled to modulate light. Researchers are studying the properties and behaviors of the pixels to inform the creation of future devices that use phase-change materials.

Researchers discover a new way to control infrared light

The new method could impact devices used in imaging, machine learning, and more.

January 30, 2020

MathWorks fellows with Anantha Chandrakasan (back row, center), dean of the MIT School of Engineering. Not pictured: Fellows Pasquale Antonante, Alireza Fallah, and Kate Reidy.

Accelerating the pace of engineering

The 2019-20 School of Engineering MathWorks Fellows are using MATLAB and Simulink to advance discovery and innovation across disciplines.

January 28, 2020

Left to right: Anna Frebel, Wesley Harris, and Harry Tuller are recognized as MIT faculty “Committed to Caring.”

Communicating respect for graduate students

Anna Frebel, Wesley Harris, and Harry Tuller honored by graduate students as “Committed to Caring.”

January 27, 2020

Currently, 90 percent of the world’s solar panels are made from crystalline silicon, and the industry continues to grow at a rate of about 30 percent per year.

For cheaper solar cells, thinner really is better

Solar panel costs have dropped lately, but slimming down silicon wafers could lead to even lower costs and faster industry expansion.

January 26, 2020

Left to right: MARC committee members and MIT graduate students Navid Abedzadeh, Mayuran Saravanapavanantham, Haozhe Wang, Elaine McVay, Qingyun Xie, Jatin Patil, Jessica Boles, Rachel Yang, and Rishabh Mittal.

MIT graduate students lead conference on microsystems and nanotechnology

Student committee puts together research showcase while balancing coursework, qualifying exams, and extracurriculars.

January 22, 2020

Julia Ortony is the Finmeccanica Career Development Assistant Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Julia Ortony: Concocting nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications

The MIT assistant professor is entranced by the beauty she finds pursuing chemistry.

January 9, 2020

A smart window developed by Professor Nicholas Fang includes thermochromic material that turns frosty when exposed to temperatures of 32 C or higher, such as when a researcher touches the window with her hand.

Preventing energy loss in windows

Mechanical engineers are developing technologies that could prevent heat from entering or escaping windows, potentially preventing a massive loss of energy.

January 6, 2020

Professor Emeritus Ali Argon, Quentin Berg Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1930-2019)

Professor Emeritus Ali Argon, pioneer in the mechanics of materials, dies at 89

Longtime MIT professor was a world leader in inelastic deformation and fracture of engineering materials.

January 3, 2020

Jeffrey Grossman, the Morton and Claire Goulder and Family Professor in Environmental Systems and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, has been appointed the new head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Jeffrey Grossman named head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Materials engineering and energy expert to succeed Chris Schuh.

December 26, 2019

Inspired by tissue that keep mussels attached to rocks underwater, MIT graduate student Seth Cazzell (pictured) and Associate Professor Niels Holten-Andersen found that controlling pH enables reversible hydrogel formation.

Widening metal tolerance for hydrogels

MIT graduate student Seth Cazzell shows controlling pH enables reversible hydrogel formation in wider range of metal concentrations.

December 23, 2019

$Attendees joined a group photo at the 2019 MIT Alloy Design Workshop, which focused on bridging scale gaps, enabling complex alloy design through the understanding of fundamental nanoscale mechanisms of plasticity and fracture mechanics.$

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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