Research

The interdisciplinary Center for Structural and Functional Materials Research and Innovation at the University of Texas at El Paso forms a bridge of knowledge between basic sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and engineering disciplines (Metallurgy, Mechanical, Electrical) with research areas encompassing structural and functional materials. The structural materials include the four basic classes of materials – metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and the functional materials include electronic, magnetic, photonic, and biomaterials. The materials related activity at the University of Texas at El Paso is very diverse and distinctive, with a strong potential to impact a wide spectrum of sectors including heavy engineering, mechanical and agriculture sector, transportation, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sciences. Selected focus research areas are:

• Phase-reversion Induced Nanostructured Materials: Deformation and Fracture
  
  
• Quenched-Partitioned Silicon-Bearing High Strength Steels
  
  
• Grain Structure Mediated Protein Adsorption at Biointerfaces with Multi-scale Dimensionality
  
  
• Tunable Quantum Dot Bioconjugates for Targeting and Imaging of Cells
  
  
• Electrical Stimulation of Neural Cells in Patterned Cellular Network: Neural Interfaces
  
  
• Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanostructured Materials
  
  
• Carbon Dots-based Biosensors
  
  
• Nanoengineered Functional Devices
  
  
• 3D Printing of Polymer Blends
  
  
• Turbine Materials
  
  
• Materials in Extreme Environments
  
  
• Tissue Engineering
  
  
• Biodegradable Composites