----------------------------------------------------------------------
Main Navigation
John Rogers
Lee J. Flory-Founder Chair in Engineering Innovation, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor of Chemistry
Office 3355 Beckman Institute
Telephone 217-244-4979 Fax 217-333-2736
Mail Address Department of Materials Science and Engineering
1304 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801
Our research seeks to understand and exploit interesting characteristics of 'soft' materials, such as polymers, liquid crystals and biological tissues. Our aim is to control and, in some cases, to induce novel electronic and photonic responses in these materials; we also develop new 'soft lithographic' and biomimetic approaches for nanopatterning them and guiding their growth. This work combines fundamental studies with forward-looking engineering efforts in a way that promotes positive feedback between the two. Our current research focuses on soft materials for molecular electronics, flexible 'macroelectronic' circuits, nanophotonic structures, microfluidic devices and microelectromechanical systems. These efforts are highly multidisciplinary, and combine expertise from nearly every traditional field of technical study: chemistry and chemical engineering, physics, electrical engineering, materials science and biology.
Some highlights of our work over the last two years, as described in detail in the papers and press materials listed below, include the first: (i) flexible paperlike displays, (ii) tunable microfluidic optical fiber, (iii) stamping techniques with nanometer resolution and (iv) high speed nematic liquid crystal microcell modulators built between the tips of optical fibers.