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Materials Physical Chemistry

Materials physical chemistry is a very strong program at UCLA, and it spans a wide range of research areas, including nano-, organic, inorganic, and bio- materials. We produce and study nanoscale architectures for applications in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, nanomagnitics, and even as novel mechanical materials. Our work in nanostructured materials takes advantage of strong collaborations with the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). This work includes: self-organized nanoscale materials (Tolbert), control of surfaces and interfaces (Gimzewski), sol-gel derived materials (Zink), and lithographically produced nano-materials (Baugh). Work in the area of organic and polymeric materials is also quite varied and spans the field from electronic polymers to polymer emulsions. Some specific areas of expertise include work on the photophysics of semiconducting polymers (Schwartz), semiconducting polymer based solar-cells (Schwartz and Tolbert), nanoscale emulsions (Mason), and the theory of biopolymer materials (Levine).  Finally, the materials effort interfaces with our strength in bio-physical chemistry in the use of nanoscale materials as optical probes (Weiss).

The materials emphasis in physical chemistry is complemented by the strength in synthetic materials throughout the department. This includes expertise in organic electronics (Wudl), polymer nanowires (Kaner), nanoporous frameworks (Yaghi), and biopolymers (Maynard). These research groups are highly collaborative and offer a diverse range of opportunities to combine materials physical chemistry, materials processing, materials physics, and materials synthesis.

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Page updated 10/6/2005