Department of Materials Science and Engineering News

Ammonia is an essential ingredient in many fertilizers for food production, but its primary production method is energy and fuel intensive. UCF researchers are working to change this by increasing the efficiency of a more sustainable method.

The technology replaces the volatile and highly flammable organic solvents found in electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries with saltwater to create a safer and more efficient battery.

A new report ranked UCF No. 27 among public universities in the nation in 2021 and No. 60 worldwide for producing patents, placing the university ahead of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M University and Pennsylvania State University.

The device could be used to monitor heat stress in firefighters as well as in law enforcement, agricultural workers, astronauts, military personnel and even people working outside in hot climates such as Florida’s.

Using a technique that models drug and target protein interactions using natural language, researchers achieved up to 97% accuracy in identifying promising drug candidates.

The material science and engineering and medical faculty members experimented with a material that has antiviral properties that are activated by white light, such as sunlight or LED lights.

Seven UCF graduate students will receive tuition scholarships, living stipends and paid internships funded through a national program.

The device could lead to advanced artificial intelligence that can instantly recognize what it sees and has applications in self-driving vehicles and robotics.

The lightweight, supercapacitor-battery hybrid composite material provides power and is as strong as steel.