The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) addresses fundamental problems in materials science and engineering that are important to the scientific community, society and the future economic growth of the United States. Current areas of interest include the support of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality in the areas of new semiconductors for microelectronics, novel nanostructures for high speed communication devices and advanced polymeric materials. A prime driver behind the research activities of the UCSB MRSEC is to address problems of a scope and complexity requiring the advantages of scale and interdisciplinarity that can only be provided by a campus-based research center. The MRSEC has a leadership role in Educational Outreach programs and in the development of Industrial and International Collaborations on the UCSB campus. It provides undergraduate research opportunities, graduate student training, outreach to K-12 students and teachers, and community outreach. The outstanding Central Facilities program plays a fundamentally important role in the research of all MRSEC programs and additionally has a broad impact on the materials research community at UCSB, local and national companies, and government laboratories.
The MRSEC consists of the following IRGs: IRG-1: Specific, Reversible and Programmable Bonding in Supra- and Macromolecular Materials identifies new experimental and computational methods for precisely controlling the structure and properties of materials based on directed and reversible interactions.. IRG-2: Oxides as Semiconductors focuses on the theory, growth, and application of ultra-pure semiconducting oxides. IRG-3: Soft Cellular Materials seeks to use tailor made/functionalized nanoparticles and block copolymers, in association with polymer blends, to develop new soft materials with precisely controlled cellular structures. IRG-4: Nanostructured Materials by Molecular Beam Epitaxy will examine the development of all-epitaxial metal/semiconductor nanocomposite systems for potential applications in high speed and Terahertz technology.
Participants in the Center currently include 30 senior investigators, 7 postdoctoral associates, and 24 graduate students from seven departments. Professor Craig Hawker directs the MRSEC.
Widely recognized as one of the top 5 materials research facilities in the world, the MRL has served as the innovation engine for discoveries in new materials during the just completed funding period. The facility is home to a scientific and engineering community that creates new collective knowledge resulting in world-changing breakthroughs. By enabling modern technological advances, research being conducted at the MRL, and its affiliated centers, promises to have enormous societal impact, and is already shaping the future of technology, the environment, and medicine. Since its inception, the MRL has been synonymous with cutting-edge research in new materials, enabled by experts working at the interface of many scientific and engineering disciplines. The sustained success of the MRL has been a key driver in reinforcing UC Santa Barbara’s international standing as a premier center of excellence spanning the spectrum of materials science research. Amongst the successes in new materials and new material concepts where the MRL has played a key enabling role are (i) the ubiquitous porous materials that proudly bear the SBA name, (ii) bulk heterojunction photovoltaics that have made plastic solar cells a reality, and (iii) the deep understanding of the exquisite natural design principles that are enabling the unique properties and performance of marine organisms to be translated to synthetic materials. Impacting every aspect of modern life, materials discovered at the MRL are defining the future of energy-related technologies, microelectronic systems and biomedical devices. By investing in future scientific leaders and pioneering research directions, the MRL remains an innovation engine for new materials, powering US competitiveness and igniting discovery through cross-disciplinary dialog. During this grant, the MRL has produced over 500 scientific publications in high impact journals while also contributing directly to the education and training of over 250 undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral researchers. Through leveraging of administration, shared facilities and financial resources, the MRL is able to function in an efficient, highly productive manner, providing the agility to quickly respond to new initiatives and challenges. The MRL has a proud tradition of instilling and encouraging a spirit of entrepreneurship in its stakeholders. MRL faculty members, students and post doctoral scholars have been active in starting and sustaining new ventures and transforming them into success stories. The MRL takes particular pride in making available world-class laboratory and analytical facilities to start-ups in the Central Coast Region; sharing expertise, and training a world-class workforce. In addition, world-class facilities are a cornerstone of the MRL and an enabler of the core research, mentoring and educational mission. With dedicated staff, substantial annual investment and open access, the MRL facilities critically impact the academic and industrial research communities in California and beyond. A prime example of success in this area has been the recent establishment of the Materials Research Facilities Network, a national resource for efficient use of the NSF investment in world-class instrumentation. The MRL’s success is built upon a strong sense of scientific community, encompassing grade school students to senior University faculty, from academia to industry. As a result, the MRL is committed to providing an integrated educational experience by offering a portfolio of opportunities that bring research out of the lab and into the community. Our goal is to ignite curiosity through hands on demonstration, fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers. Equally important are the numerous MRL programs designed to increase the diversity of the workforce and again the MRL has been very successful, establishing long-term relationships with Jackson State University and the University of Texas, El Paso. Many of these MRL programs are enabled by an "open" laboratory concept with shared resources and spaces creating an environment where dialog can lead to discovery. By actively engaging in productive partnerships with industry, the MRL has proven to be an economic engine here and around the world. Major research collaborations have been established with Dow Chemical Company, Mitsubishi Chemical Company and through the UCSB New Ventures Competition; a host of successful start-up companies have been established. The MRL community is dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement in the United States through collaborative research and outreach to industry, there by serving as a catalyst to transform people’s lives.
