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Assistant Professor Yuecheng "Peter" Zhou earned funding from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) to study asphaltene electrodeposition, a low-energy technique for separating asphaltenes that clump together during oil production. Using a new electrochemical imaging platform, Zhou's team will map how solvents, flow and electric fields shape early-stage deposition, with the goal of scaling the method up for industrial use.

Each summer, educators gather at Illinois for the ASM Materials for Teachers Camp, spending a week performing hands-on experiments in ceramics, composites, metals and polymers, with the goal of bringing back an enthusiasm for materials science to their classrooms. Veteran attendees describe the 2026 camp as a way to spark student curiosity and show kids they belong in a STEM setting.

New research from Professor Qian Chen's group, published in Nature Synthesis, reveals that atomic-scale edges on gold nanoparticles are the hidden key to creating an unprecedented variety of surface polymer patterns — bringing synthetic nanoparticles closer than ever to the surface complexity of proteins. Co-first authors Dr. Xiaoying Lin and Chansong Kim led the work, with collaborators at the University of Michigan and Argonne National Laboratory. 

Beckman researchers have developed a novel approach to making thermoset polymers — materials essential to aerospace, electronics and infrastructure — both high-performing and recyclable by leveraging polymer entanglement and strategically limited, reversible crosslinking. The breakthrough, which preserves material properties including strength and stiffness across multiple recycling generations, lays the groundwork for rethinking the lifecycle of thermosets and opens the door to "generational material systems" whose properties can be intentionally reprogrammed over time.

Professor Paul Braun will be the next head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering has announced. Braun is taking over the leadership role on Aug. 15, 2026, after serving as director of the Materials Research Laboratory.