Research on surface chemistry and physics is the foundation for discovery of surface-engineered materials that have applications in the fields of separations, sensing, and semiconductors. Faculty in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department at UCLA work in the areas of macromolecular and nano-surface engineering to develop more efficient and selective membranes and sorption resins, design new molecular chemical sensors, synthesize biocompatible surfaces, and manipulate heterogeneous surface processes at the atomic scale.<br><br>Molecular modeling and experimental investigations are geared towards understanding the structure of silylated and graft-polymerized surfaces (e.g., topology, conformation and distribution) and devising physical and chemical methods (e.g., graft polymerization and self-assembly) to control surface properties. Recent major accomplishments in this area are patented ceramic-polymer composite membranes (Cohen Group). This membrane, with a nano-structured separation layer, has proven effective in protein ultrafiltration and pervaporation separation of organic-organic and organic-aqueous mixtures.