Recent research in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology is shedding light on how materials behave under some of the most extreme environmental conditions.

Dr. Ritesh Sachan, an associate professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, led efforts to classify a new category of ceramic materials.

Sachan’s prowess in this field resulted in a research paper that is featured on the cover of the latest edition of ACS Nano, one of the world’s leading journals in nanoscience and technology with an impact factor of 16.4. An impact factor refers to the average number of citations received by the articles published in the journal in the past two years.

“This is a very impactful moment for our research,” Sachan said. “Publishing in a high-impact journal is always meaningful, but being featured on the cover highlights the importance of what we’re doing and the direction we’re heading.”

This paper covers the fundamental challenge of understanding how radiation alters materials at the atomic, or microscopic, level.

Sachan’s team studied high-entropy oxides, non-traditional ceramic materials composed of multiple elements. At the atomic level, these materials form by incorporating the atoms of a variety of elements into a single structure site.

Possessing an increased level of complexity, Sachan’s team used this as an advantage.

“Because of the diversity of elements, the material becomes more resistant to external disturbances like radiation or temperature changes,” Sachan said.

Their discoveries show that the structural complexity significantly reduce radiation-induced damage, including reducing damage by nearly half in some instances.

The team used advanced electron microscopy, allowing them to record how radiation disrupts atomic arrangements, which creates defects and alters material properties.

The team collaborated with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee to develop machine-learning methods to extract the most quantitative atomic-level information from microscopy data. This allowed for precise measurements of the atomic arrangements and radiation damage.

One major focus of this paper was high-energy ions, such as those encountered in space. These ions create “tracks” of damage, showing a trail of how deep into the material the ion penetrated.

“For applications like spacecraft or advanced electronics, maintaining structural integrity is critical,” Sachan said. “You need materials that can withstand those extreme conditions without losing performance.”

High-entropy materials were first discovered in 2004, but have gained more research interest in the past decade. Sachan’s team is at the forefront of understanding how radiation affects these materials.

“We’re among the first to study how these materials respond to heavy-ion radiation at this level,” Sachan said.

With this phase of the research now complete, Sachan’s team is already looking to the horizon. Future studies will focus on systematically studying how factors such as atomic charge influence radiation resistance, along with exploring additional material systems, with the ultimate goal of designing materials tailored to perform reliably in extreme conditions.

“This kind of work shows that we are moving in the right direction,” Sachan said. “It’s not just about publishing — it’s about advancing knowledge that can have a real impact across industries.”

As CEAT deepens its research footprint, this type of research highlights the potential for OSU to help solve some of engineering’s most complex challenges.