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The inorganic compounds found in nature are the basis for new materials made by modifying molecular composition (such as purifying silicon and doping it with selected impurities) and structure (such as control of pore and grain size). These materials have electronic, mechanical, and optical properties that support a variety of novel technologies. Other materials are applied as coatings - thin films that create a functional surface. Still other materials have biological applications, such as diagnostic sensors that are compatible with living tissue, barriers that control the release of pharmaceutical molecules, and scaffolds for tissue repair. A new generation of biomaterials is being derived from biological molecules. Research in materials is wide-ranging and highly interdisciplinary, both fundamental and applied.

In the Department, you will find expertise in plasma etching, thin-film chemical vapor deposition, crystal growth, nano-crystalline structure, molecular simulation, scaffolds for bone and soft tissue regeneration, biocompatible polymers, and many other areas of materials engineering. View the pages of individual faculty members to learn about recent and ongoing research.

Karen K. Gleason Professor 617.253.5066
kkgleasn@mit.edu		 chemical vapor deposition, nuclear magnetic resonance
Paula T. Hammond Professor 617.258.7577
hammond@mit.edu		 macromolecular design and synthesis, directed assembly using surface templates, block copolymers, asymmetric morphologies, liquid crystalline polymeric materials, nanoscale assembly and fabrication
Klavs F. Jensen Professor,
Department Head 		617.253.4589
kfjensen@mit.edu		 processing of materials, chemical vapor deposition, microfabrication, surface and gas-phase reaction kinetics, reaction engineering, mathematical modeling
Robert S. Langer Institute Professor 617.253.3107
rlanger@mit.edu		 drug delivery, biotechnology, immobilized enzymes, biomedical engineering, biomaterials, tissue engineering
J. Christopher Love Assistant Professor 617.324-2300
clove@mit.edu
 micro/nanofabrication and surface chemistries, cellular immunology and infectious diseases, immunotherapy/vaccines, clinical diagnostics
Herbert H. Sawin Professor 617.253.4570
hhsawin@mit.edu		 directional plasma etching, dry wafer cleaning, kinetics, surface science, process modeling