UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
The University of Minnesota's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (UMN MRSEC) is an innovative program
that fosters a creative, interdisciplinary approach to materials research, interlocking faculty and students from seven departments in a
pursuit that addresses the meticulous control of composition, structure, and properties in advanced materials.
The UMN MRSEC was launched in 1998 from the strong tradition of collaboration among the science and engineering
departments of the University's Institute of Technology.
Through a combination of National Science Foundation, University, and industrial funding, the Center supports
research in three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), a Proto-IRG, and various Seed Groups.
The UMN MRSEC encourages partnerships with industry, including collaborative hands-on research. In addition, the Center operates an ambitious
Education and Human Resources (E & HR) effort.
Highlights
IRG-2 Research Highlight: Printed Organic FETs on Plastic
Industrial Collaborator: Mike Renn, Optomec, Inc. Lodge and Frisbie have developed a novel printable, high capacitance gate insulator material that facilitates low voltage operation of OFETs on plastic substrates. The insulator is a so-called ion gel composed of an ionic liquid and a gelating triblock copolymer, polystyrene-polyethyleneoxide-polystyrene. This material may be dissolved in solvents and printed. Read More
Seed Research Highlight Biorenewable Thermoplastic Elastomers
Carolyn Wanamaker, a graduate student working with Prof. Marc Hillmyer and Prof. William Tolman, has developed a new approach for the preparation of all-biorenewable thermoplastic elastomers from ABA triblock copolymers with polylactide hard -A- segments and polymenthide -B- soft segments. Polymenthide is derived from the widely available terpene menthol and can be readily prepared using simple catalysts. Wanamaker successfully prepared a range of ABA triblocks using a difunctional initiator approach by first preparing dihydroxy polymenthide of controlled molecular weight. Read More
Allen Goldman -IRG-2,3- elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences today announced the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 12 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The election was held this morning during the business session of the 144th annual meeting of the Academy. Read More
Last
modified on April 3, 2008