The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded Penn State's Two-Dimensional Crystal Consortium (2DCC) $4.6 million over four years to support its transition toward long-term sustainability while the national user facility continues providing researchers across the country with access to specialized materials, equipment and expertise. These users conduct cutting-edge research to develop faster, more energy-efficient electronics, photonics, quantum technologies and computing systems.
Part of Penn State's Materials Research Institute (MRI) and housed in the Millennium Science Complex, the 2DCC was established in 2016 as one of only two of NSF's inaugural Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP). The two inaugural facilities were designed to focus on complex, transdisciplinary research and offer open, public access to lab instruments, as well as shared data and collaborative training. MIPs combine materials synthesis, characterization, theory, simulation and data capabilities around a targeted research area, while sharing those resources with a national community of users to accelerate materials discovery.
"Many of tomorrow's technologies will depend on new materials that haven't even been discovered yet," said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. "That's why federal investment in facilities like Penn State's 2D Crystal Consortium is so important. By supporting fundamental research, we're building the knowledge base that drives innovation across industries. Universities play a vital role in that process, serving as places where long-term discovery and national priorities come together."
The new funding differs from the five-year MIP renewal that NSF awarded the consortium in 2021. During the four-year transition period, NSF will support activities aimed at long-term sustainability including intellectual property development, technology translation, community data infrastructure and hands-on training to prepare the next generation of materials synthesis scientists and instrumentation engineers. The consortium will continue operating as a MIP and national user facility, supporting researchers from universities, national laboratories and industry.
"The NSF's sustained investment in the 2DCC has created benefits far beyond a single facility or institution," said Joshua Robinson, director of MRI and professor of materials science and engineering. "It has enabled discoveries, broadened access to advanced research capabilities and provided hands-on training to scientists from institutions across the country. We are deeply grateful for NSF's continued confidence and for the opportunity to build on that foundation as the 2DCC moves toward long-term sustainability."
Stephanie Law, associate professor of materials science and engineering and associate director of 2DCC, said the consortium is deeply appreciative of NSF's "continued and ongoing support." That investment has allowed Penn State to develop a rare combination of advanced equipment and scientific expertise and make those capabilities available to researchers who do not have them at their home institutions.
"There are not very many open, accessible 2D material facilities, not just in the U.S. but in the world itself," Law said. "We are one of the few in North America that's available for people to come and make 2D materials."
The two-dimensional materials produced by the 2DCC are crystals that are only one or a few atoms thick. At that scale, they exhibit electrical, optical and magnetic properties not found in conventional bulk materials. Researchers are exploring these materials for next-generation electronics, photonics, quantum technologies and new computing approaches.
"These materials are of interest for next-generation computing," Law said. "If you want to go beyond silicon, the material used to create computer chips, we need to look at these new materials, and 2D materials are one of the top candidates. In addition to applications, they have led to breakthroughs in fundamental physics and quantum science, which is the foundation for many future technologies."
The facility's open-user model is central to its impact. Researchers may come to Penn State to work with 2DCC scientists and equipment or collaborate with facility staff who grow materials and provide data for studies conducted elsewhere. Law said this access is especially valuable for researchers at primarily undergraduate institutions and many non-R1 institutions, which may not have comparable materials-growth and characterization tools.
One example is Kenyon College, which has collaborated with the 2DCC since 2018 to involve undergraduate students in studies of thin-film growth and electronic structure. About 90% of one faculty's projects are conducted with the facility, and the work has led to publications, national conference presentations and new research opportunities for students.
The 2DCC also supplies consistent, high-quality materials that allow users to pursue experiments that would otherwise be difficult to conduct. Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania have used 2DCC-grown materials to study layered structures with potential applications in photonics and quantum technologies. His collaboration with the facility has produced multiple publications and training opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers.
Education and training are another core part of the consortium's mission. Its Resident Scholar Visitor Program
