Research Projects

At Cornell, materials research spans the gamut from theoretical physics to synthetic chemistry to the design and fabrication of new magnetic, photonic and microelectronic devices. Research projects for all interests will be offered, and students will be assisted in choosing a project that matches their interests.

Report Booklets

A pdf containing all of the final reports from the REU projects.
2005 Booklet (~10Mb).
2006 Booklet (~12Mb).
2007 Booklet (~12Mb).
2008 Booklet (~12Mb)

2009 REU Research Projects

• Environmentally Benign Iron Catalysts
• Single-Molecule Nanoparticle Catalysis and Electrocatalysis
• Study of Mixed Glass Former Phenomena in Glasses
• Defects and Transport in Orthosilicates
• Theoretical Studies of Model Phase Equilibria and Interfaces
• The Surface Chemistry of Anisotropic Silicon Etchants
• Investigating Crystallization on Curved Surfaces
• Functional Molecular Interfaces for Carbon Nanostructures
• Nanowire Barcode for Functional Nanotransistors
• Tailored Oriented Microstructures in Thin Metal Films
• Exotic Electronic States in Carbon Nanotube
• Fuel/Oxidant Development for a High-Power Fuel Cell
• 3D printable digital materials (micro LEGOs)
• Bacterial Cellulose (BC) based 'Green' Nano-composites
• Green Composites
• Linking Grain Boundaries to Deformation and Fracture Processes
• Tracking Nano-rod Fate in Drug and Gene Delivery
• Target-driven Polymerization
• Extracting photogenerated charges from nanocrystals
• Diffraction methods for measuring mechanical properties
• DNA-inspired Plasmonic Circuits
• Electronic States in Exotic Superconductors
• pH sensing nanofibers for athletic and medical applications
• Textile based power generation
• Development of Synthetic Routes to Environmentally-Friendly Plastics
• Multiferroic Oxide Thin Films by Design
• Red Blood Cell-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
• Mechanical Properties of Polymer-Reinforced Single Crystals
• Solar cells made from semiconductor nanocrystals- using chemistry to solve the integration challenge
• Nanofiber-based microfluidic biosensors for pathogen detection
• Solvent Annealing of Pentacene Films
• Extraction of Photogenerated Electrons from Semiconductor Nanocrystals
• Graphene Atomic Membranes
• Embryonically Inspired Self Assembly of Functional 3D Cardiac Neo-Organs
• Graphane from Graphene
• Preparation of Hollow Metal/Metal Oxide Nanostructures
• Controlling the Molecule - Carbon Nanotube Interface using Synthetic and Supramolecular Chemistry
• Light Collection and Charge Separation within Structurally Precise Molecular Frameworks
• The Transition to Multicellular Life in Living Matter
• SPASER: Surface Plasmon Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
• Applications in Photonics
• Photonic Effects in Partial Order Materials.