The Stefik group is developing new polymer derived nanomaterials for energy devices. Our novel self-assembly methods enable nuanced precision by using non-equilibrium processing. Such kinetic-control is historically difficult to reproduce, a challenge that we have addressed with switchable micelle entrapment to yield reproducible and homogeneous nanomaterial series that follow model predictions. Our approach called Persistent Micelle Templates enables seamless access from meso-to-macroporous materials with unprecedented ~2 Å precision of tuning. The resulting high-surface area materials are applicable towards numerous energy applications such as fuel cells, batteries, pseudocapacitors, photovoltaics, and solar fuels.
Our research interests and latest publications show that we have a history of work in polymer science and nanoscale energy devices.
