We discover, design, and characterize
the advanced materials humanity needs.
At UC San Diego, we leverage our cross-disciplinary expertise to discover, design, and characterize advanced materials needed to address global societal challenges. Our materials work is relevant for developing zero- and low-carbon energy and transportation systems; cost-effective healthcare advances; solutions for natural-resource sustainability; and next-generation information technologies.
This work is grounded in our ability to control materials at the level of atoms and electrons.
Equally important, we are world-leaders in characterizing the structure and function of materials at the nanoscale level using a suite of cutting-edge analytical and theoretical tools, many of which we have developed here at UC San Diego.
Learn more on the "About" page.
Download the IMDD brochure.
About
At the UC San Diego Institute for Materials Discovery and Design (IMDD)
we discover, design, and characterize the advanced materials humanity needs.
Learn more about IMDD here.
In July 2020, we celebrated our first big IMDD win: we landed an $18 million NSR MRSEC grant.
Recent News
Researchers determine optimum pressure to improve the performance of lithium metal batteries October 18, 2021
A team of materials scientists and chemists has determined the proper stack pressure that lithium metal batteries, or LMBs, need to be subjected to during battery operation in order to produce optimal performance. The team, which includes researchers from the University of California San Diego, Michigan State University, Idaho National Laboratory and the General Motors Research and Development Center, presents their findings in the Oct. 18 issue of Nature Energy. Full Story
DOE awards UC San Diego nanoengineers $1.25M to improve batteries for EVsSeptember 27, 2021
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $1.25 million to nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego to improve the electrolytes that carry ions in lithium-sulfur batteries. The researchers will partner with General Motors and Ampcera Inc, a solid-state battery materials and technology company. Full Story
A new solid-state battery surprises the researchers who created itSeptember 23, 2021
Engineers created a new type of battery that weaves two promising battery sub-fields into a single battery. The battery uses both a solid state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode, making it a silicon all-solid-state battery. The initial rounds of tests show that the new battery is safe, long lasting, and energy dense. It holds promise for a wide range of applications from grid storage to electric vehicles. Full Story