Shudipto Dishari, University of Nebraska
Shudipto Dishari is the Ross McCollum Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Dishari completed her post-doctoral training at Penn State, working at Materials Science and Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, and earned her PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the National University of Singapore. Her research centers on the design of synthetic, bio-derived and nature-inspired polymeric nanomaterials, with particular emphasis on interfacial phenomena and materials under confinement. These materials are central to advancing sustainable energy and biomedical systems. Dishari's contributions in research, teaching, and innovation have been recognized with numerous awards, including the DOE Office of Science Early Career Award (2019), NSF CAREER Award (2018), ACS Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (ACS PMSE) Young Investigator Award (2023), 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2021), ACS-CES Award for incorporating Sustainability in Chemistry Education (2026), ASEE Midwest Outstanding Teaching Award (2024), ASEE National Best Paper Award (2025), WEPAN Accelerator Award (2022), NUTech EmergingInnovator of the Year Award (2020), and Baxter.
Abstract: Interfaces That Matter: Materials Design for Sustainable Energy and Biomedical Systems
Ross McCollum Associate Professor, Dept of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Advances in energy conversion and biomedical technologies increasingly rely on a fundamental understanding and controlling of interfacial phenomena, where molecular-scale interactions dictate macroscopic performance. In electrochemical systems, such as hydrogen fuel cells, ion transport limitations at sub-micron thick ionomer-catalyst interfaces constrain the oxygen reduction reaction and overall device efficiency. Unlike bulk membrane separators, ion transport across these thin ionomer layers on electrodes are governed by confinement, hydration gradients, and interfacial chemistry, requiring new design strategies. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts to decode and engineer such interfaces through targeted ionomeric materials design. We study the interfacial behavior of advanced ionomers and solid polymer electrolytes and develop new materials platforms spanning synthetic, nature-derived, and nature-inspired systems. Using a combination of microscopy, scattering, and electrochemical methods, we map spatial variations in structure, hydration, and ion transport in ultra-thin films, enabling the identification of key parameters that control interfacial function and performance in hydrogen fuel cells. Precise control of interfacial interactions between polymers and living organisms, on the other hand, is critical for biomedical applications. By leveraging lignin, an abundant renewable biopolymer, we design multifunctional antimicrobial nanomaterials, while elucidating polymer-bacteria interfacial interactions that inform the design of next-generation infection-resistant coatings, wound care materials, and implantable devices. Together, these interface-focused materials design approaches demonstrate how rational interfacial engineering can advance energy and biomedical technologies while embedding sustainability into high-performance materials design.