Chemical Engineering Research: Materials

With help from nature's molecules, chemical engineers have found ways to create new materials that can do everything from bone regrowth to powering cell phones.

The inorganic compounds found in nature are the basis for new materials made by modifying molecular composition and structure. These materials have electronic, mechanical, and optical properties that support a variety of novel technologies. Other materials are applied as thin films that create a functional surface. Still other materials have biological applications, and a new generation of biomaterials is being derived from biological molecules.