Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at UC Riverside focuses on the design, synthesis, and processing of nanostructured materials to enable next-generation technologies. Research in this area spans the development of thin-film zeolites, carbon nanotubes, single atom/cluster/nanoparticle catalytic materials, surface engineered support materials, and nanowires/nanotubes of metals and semiconductors, with applications in heterogeneous catalysis, energy, electronics, and environmental applications.

Current Research Interests:

• Interfacial processes in electrochemical energy storage systems including lithium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries and multivalent metal batteries; Lithium-ion battery recycling technologies.

• Materials Design – Leveraging computational and experimental approaches to predict, engineer, and optimize materials with tailored properties for energy, environmental, and electronic applications.

• New Concept Heterogeneous Catalysts – Design and mechanistic understanding of single atom/cluster/nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts for emission control, hydrogen-related reactions, greenhouse gas abatement or utilization, and sustainable chemical transformations. Research integrates catalyst synthesis, advanced characterizations, reaction kinetics, and structure-activity relationships to guide rational catalyst design for real-world clean energy source conversion and environmental applications.

• Heterogeneous catalysis and functional materials for environmental and energy applications, with a focus on catalyst design, advanced characterizations, reaction mechanisms, industrial scalability, and emission control, greenhouse gas, and sustainable chemical transformation-related catalytic systems.

• Surface Forces and Colloidal Interactions – Measuring and modeling intermolecular interactions using the Surface Forces Apparatus to advance understanding of adhesion, lubrication, and mineral–water interfaces.

• Nanoconfinement Science – Elucidating how nanoscale confinement alters dynamics, rheology, and interactions of ionic liquids, geocolloids, and complex fluids for energy and environmental applications.

• Antifouling and Antimicrobial Surfaces – Developing bio-inspired superhydrophobic coatings and nanostructured materials to reduce bacterial adhesion and contamination in food processing and healthcare environments

Meet Our Faculty