Stefik Group · University of South Carolina
Architecture
matters.
We design materials from the inside out—to understand and advance energy storage.
Polymer self-assembly. Precision porous architectures. The chemistry of fast ion transport.
A connected research program
Control. Discover. Connect.
01 / Synthetic control
Controlling self-assembly and porous architectures
We create controlled material series that separate architectural variables and make meaningful comparisons possible.
02 / Fundamental mechanisms
Understanding defects, disorder, and diffusion
We connect atomic structure and disorder with the pathways and rates of ion transport.
03 / Functional behavior
Connecting materials structure to electrochemical behavior
We use those comparisons to establish relationships that guide materials and electrode design.
The people behind the materials
Chemistry is a
collective effort.
Our group brings together researchers with backgrounds in chemistry and materials science. Meet the people who turn synthetic ideas into materials, measurements, and understanding.
Precision as a scientific tool
Make the right series.
Ask a better question.
Changing one structural variable at a time reveals what controls a material’s behavior. We develop synthetic methods that make those comparisons possible.
Our work connects block polymer self-assembly and porous oxide synthesis with the electrochemistry of energy storage. By controlling architecture and examining atomic structure, we investigate how materials store charge and how ions move.
Ideas that shaped our work
From architecture to understanding.
2016 · Chemistry of Materials
Inventing a new template
Persistent micelle templates enable porous oxides with tunable, isomorphic architectures.
2022 · Advanced Functional Materials
Isolating intercalation
Our invited review explains how controlled architectures help disentangle the parameters governing rapid intercalation.
2026 · Advanced Energy Materials
Connecting structure & diffusion
We investigate how Wadsley defects and cation disorder enhance lithium diffusion in MoNb₁₂O₃₃.
Build. Measure. Understand.
A hands-on approach
to materials discovery.
Explore our laboratories in Horizon I, alongside open guides for instruments we have built and models we use in our research.
Open research resources
Practical tools, shared with the community.
