Partnership for Research and Education of Materials (PREM)

A strong collaborative partnership between the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Northwestern University (NU) will be established to enhance the materials science research and education under the Partnership for Research and Education (PREM) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The goal of this proposal is to create a permanent relationship between these institutions to broaden and foster collaborative research and education in materials science. This joint effort entails three principal components: 1) collaborative research in nanomaterials and their applications in various fields, 2) education and training for undergraduate and graduate students, especially, women and other underrepresented minority students, and 3) outreach programs for K-12 students and teachers.

The research participants will be involved in six thrust areas: 1) Rare Earth-based Dual Purpose Biosensor, 2) Medical Applications of Nanoparticles, 3) Novel Nanomaterials and their Applications in Biology, 4) Using Metal Nanoparticles in Neuroscience, 5) Terahertz Characterization of Nanomaterials for Biological Imaging Applications, and 6) Functionalization of Fibers Employing Low Temperature Pulsed Laser Deposition and Atomic Layer Deposition. The researchers, along with their students, will form a highly cohesive team that will be able to investigate fundamental scientific questions with the goal of achieving significant technological advances.

The robust partnership between UTSA participants and MRSEC members at NU will enrich our graduate and undergraduate programs in materials science. The NU-MRSEC will play a critical role in establishing and guiding the PREM program at UTSA. In addition, the NU Materials Research laboratories will provide the infrastructure and support staff to allow UTSA undergraduate and graduate students to visit and work there for summer months over the entire duration of the PREM grant cycle.

Research Highlights:

1. Chemical and Morphological Variations of a Model Heterogeneous Catalyst: WO_x/α-Fe₂O₃ Nanopowder More>

2. Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Monodisperse γ-Nd:Y₂O₃ Nano Building Blocks with Tunable Fractal Dimension More>

3. Ab initio DFT study of the adsorption of thiol molecules on Au nanoparticles More>

Above: MRSEC director Monica Olvera de la Cruz (left) and PREM student Hector
Barronescobar (right) who worked with Prof. Miguel Jose Yacaman for his PREM project.