MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/05/2025) — Materials scientists at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have discovered a groundbreaking method to create and manipulate tiny “flaws” within ultra-thin materials. Known as extended defects, these internal features could endow next-generation nanomaterials with entirely new properties, potentially revolutionizing the field of nanotechnology.
The study, recently published in Nature Communications, revealed that patterned regions of these materials could achieve a density of extended defects—atomic-scale disruptions in the crystal lattice—up to 1,000 times higher than in unpatterned areas. This discovery is poised to open new avenues for technological advancements.
“These extended defects are exciting because they span the entire material but occupy a very small volume,” explained Andre Mkhoyan, a professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the study’s senior author. “By carefully controlling these tiny features, we can leverage the properties of both the defect and the surrounding material.”
Breakthrough in Material Design
This level of control allows researchers to design materials with sections that have dramatically different defect densities and types, potentially leading to innovative functionalities. By concentrating a high density of defects along the material’s thickness, scientists can create new films where nanometer-sized patterns are dominated by these defects, resulting in revolutionary material properties.
Supriya Ghosh, a graduate student in the Mkhoyan Lab and the paper’s first author, highlighted the novelty of their approach: “We figured out a new way to design materials by making tiny, defect-inducing patterns on the substrate surface before growing thin film on it.”
Potential Applications and Future Research
This breakthrough offers a promising method for controlling tiny internal features in materials. Although the study focused on perovskite oxides, researchers believe the method could be applicable to a variety of thin materials. The ultimate goal is to enable electronic devices to exploit these defects for enhanced performance.
The research team, which includes Jay Shah, Silu Guo, Mayank Tanwar, Donghwan Kim, Sreejith Nair, Matthew Neurock, Turan Birol, and Bharat Jalan from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, as well as Fengdeng Liu from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is optimistic about the broader implications of their findings.
Funding and Support
The study received funding from the National Science Foundation, with additional support from the University of Minnesota’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Department of Energy. This financial backing underscores the importance and potential impact of the research.
Implications for Nanotechnology
The discovery of controlled extended defects in nanomaterials could lead to significant advancements in various fields, including electronics, photonics, and energy storage. By manipulating these defects, scientists can tailor materials for specific applications, potentially leading to more efficient and powerful technologies.
As the research progresses, the team at the University of Minnesota plans to explore the application of their method to other material systems. The ability to engineer materials at such a fundamental level holds promise for a future where nanotechnology plays an even more integral role in daily life.
In conclusion, this innovative approach to material design not only challenges traditional methods but also paves the way for a new era of nanomaterial development. As researchers continue to refine their techniques, the potential for groundbreaking applications becomes increasingly tangible.
