Functional Interfaces
Material interfaces play a crucial role in such fundamental phenomena as adhesion, friction, separation, 
light scattering, and heterogeneous molecular interactions. Therefore, a wide-ranging control over the interfacial material properties would catalyze implementation of a vast range of innovations spanning multiple disciplines such as sensing and recognition, heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, polymer science, material separation and filtration, nano-scale manufacturing, molecular electronics and others. Chemical engineers at the University of Rochester advance fundamental molecular engineering at interfaces, especially as applied to novel molecular and thin-film coating, nano-scale fabrication, processing of soft materials, and interfacial molecular interactions and transport. The Chemical Engineering Department and the University of Rochester provide researchers with access to a broad range of preparation and characterization equipment, and to excellent computational tools.
Active Faculty / Research Area
A. M. Müller: Solid-State Electrocatalysis; Pulsed Laser in Liquids Synthesis of Controlled Nanomaterials; Nanocatalyst Property–Functionality Relationships; Selective CO2 Reduction Catalysis
A. Shestopalov: Monomolecular Interfaces; Nano-Scale Contact Patterning; Electronic Properties of Monomolecular Films; Multicomponent Anisotropic Colloids
W. Tenhaeff: Electrochemical Energy Storage; Solid State Lithium Batteries and Solid Electrolytes; Polymer Thin Films, Interfaces and Thin Film Synthesis & Characterization; Vacuum Deposition Techniques
A. White: Modeling Peptide Self-Assembly; Data-Driven Molecular Simulation; Molecular Modeling Methods Development; Materials Design; Deep Learning; Artificial Intelligence in Chemical Engineering
M. Z. Yates: Thin Films; Membranes; Coatings; Small Particles; Crystallization; Microencapsulation; Electrolytic Surface Coatings and Electrochemical Surface Modification