NU-MRSEC researchers benefit from numerous effective and well-established collaborations with partners in academia, national labs, and industry.

Recognized experts from these sectors also serve on the NU-MRSEC External Advisory Committee, providing ad hoc support to the Center Director when needed, as well as formal feedback on progress and direction during the Annual Meeting.

The NU-MRSEC also works collaboratively with a number of NU industrial outreach programs, institutes, centers, and schools to facilitate the efficient transfer of knowledge gained at the Center to industry.

For additional information regarding direct involvement with the NU-MRSEC and its cadre of exemplary faculty members, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students, please contact Industrial Liaison, Kathleen Stair at (847) 491-7827.

Events

November 1-2, 2011: MRSEC Facilities Workshop hosted by Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN) and NU-MRSEC at Northwestern University More>

October 11-12, 2011: NU/AIC Seminar Series in Conservation Science "Synchrotron Research in Cultural Heritage Science" hosted by NU-MRSEC at Argonne and Northwestern University More>

September 2, 2011: Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) Liaison Visit to Northwestern University More>

October 28, 2010: NU/AIC Seminar Series in Conservation Science "Nanotechnology for Art Conservation" hosted by NU-MRSEC at Northwestern University.  More>

October 9, 2010: Fifth Annual Upper Midwest MRSEC Symposium "Nanostructures in Soft Matter" hosted by Univ. of Minnesota. More>

August 26, 2010: Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) Liaison Visit to Northwestern University. More>

July 13-16, 2010: The Eleventh International Conference on Surface X-ray and Neutron Scattering hosted by NU-MRSEC at Northwestern University.  More>

November 23, 2009: Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) Liaison Visit to Northwestern University.  More>

Partners

Partnership for Research and Education of Materials (PREM)  More>
University of Texas at San Antonio

Art Conservation Science  
The NU-MRSEC collaborates with the Art Institute of Chicago through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.  The NU-MRSEC pioneered the introduction of Art Preservation as part of research in centers. The NSF now funds such initiatives in other research centers. The use of scientific tools to examine materials or objects of importance to art and cultural heritage piques the interest of many students and provides them with the opportunity to think broadly about applications of their work and alternative careers in science. The projects also provide a way to educate the public at-large about the role of science in society. Results of the collaboration have been presented in various public lectures and have received general media coverage.  The NU-MRSEC has hosted several international meetings on the science of art conservation. More>

NSF-Nanoelectronics Research Initiative

In 2009, NU-MRSEC IRG4 received supplemental funding for three years under an NSF-NRI program entitled: “Generating, probing, and manipulating excitons in carbon-based nanomaterials.” This effort involves collaborations between the IRG, IBM and MRSEC-seeded start-up companies Polyera and NanoIntegris. It is overseen by representatives from Global Foundries, Texas Instruments, Micron, NIST, and Intel. The NRI funding has greatly increased interactions with IBM and other industrial participants and the IRG is exploring additional joint funding opportunities with IBM researchers. The NU-MRSEC has hosted the NRI Liasons twice since the inception of the funding.

International Research Associates (IRA)  

The NU-MRSEC encourages faculty to engage in international collaborations through the International Research Associates (IRA) program.  Associates are formally recognized as important contributors to the Center’s research efforts and provided with administrative support with visas and housing.  Candidates apply to the Center to participate as IRAs, and applications are reviewed by the Steering Committee. The inaugural IRA candidates have long-standing collaborations with NU-MRSEC.

Eugene Kotomin and Vladimir Kuzokov
Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Computer Modeling, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia

Miguel Angel Ojeda Lopez and Guillermo Ivan Guerrero-Garcia
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí

Min Sun Yeom
Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI)

Yitzhak Rabin
Bar-Ilan University

Pedro Gonzalez-Mozuelos
CINVESTAV

Cecilia Noguez
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

Patents

The following technology was developed in the NU-MRSEC and is available for licensing through the Northwestern University Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO).

Nanotechnologies

Surface Enhanced Raman Nanobiosensor
Richard Van Duyne, Matthew Glucksberg, Karen Shafer-Peltier, Christy Hayes, Joseph Walsh, Chanda Ranjit-Yonzon, Nilam Shah, Olga Lyandres, Douglas Stuart, Jonathan Yuen (NU25108)

Mesoscale Metallic Pyramids With Nanoscale Tips
Teri Odom, Joel Henzie, Eun-Soo Kwak (NU25026)

Enhanced Performance of Blue Light Emitting Polymer Diodes via Anode Modification
Qinglan Huang, He Yan and Tobin J. Marks (NU22103)

Solution-Processed High Mobility Inorganic Thin-Film Transistors with a Self-Assembled Nanoscopic Gate Dielectric
Tobin Marks, Antonio Facchetti, Paul Byrne (NU27152)

Well-Dispersed Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Nacomposites with Major Property Improvements: Fabrication by Two-Step Solid-State Shear Pulverization and Melt Processing
John Torkelson, Jun’ichi Masuda (NU28065)

Energy

Method of Making Silver Vanadium Oxide Material Useful as a Battery Cathode
Kenneth R. Poeppelmeier, Thomas Albrecht, Frederic Sauvage (NU27115/NU27058)

Electro-Optic Materials

Vapor Deposited Electro-Optic Films Self-Assembled Through Hydrogen Bonding
Peiwang Zhu and Tobin J. Marks (NU22107/NU22065)

Low-Voltage Organic Electro-Optic Modulators Using Transparent Conducting Oxides As Electrodes
Tobin Marks, Jing Ma, Guoyang Xu, Seng-Tiong Ho (NU23080)

Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly of Large Response Molecular Electro-Optic Materials by a Desilylation Strategy
Tobin J. Marks and Milko E. van der Boom (NU20010)

Coating Technologies

Novel Single-Dip Method for Producing Antibacterial and other Electrostatic Metal based Surface Coatings
Stoyan K Smoukov, Kyle Bishop, Bartlomiej Kowalczyk, Alexander Kalsin, Bartosz Grzybowski (NU27078)

Polymers and Polymer Composites

Polymer-Cellulose Composites via Solid-State Shear Pulverization
John Torkelson, Amanda Flores (NU28135)

Solid State Shear Pulverization Of Multicomponent Polymeric And Waste Materials
Klementina Khait, John Torkelson, Erin Riddick, Naomi Furgiuele (NU20068/NU20057/NU98102/NU9245)

Method of Producing An Exfoliated Polymer-Clay Nanocomposite Through Solid-State Shear Pulverization
John Torkelson, Andrew Lebovits, Kosmas Kasimatis, Klementina Khait (NU22089)

Enhanced Polymer Properties by Solid State Shear Pulverization
John Torkelson, Cynthia Pierre and Amanda Flores (NU28003)