RESEARCH
The liquid electrolyte in the battery of our smartphones (ionic liquids), the insulin pump used for a diabetic patient (biotherapeutics), the bacteria that reproduce in the rice from yesterday's meal (thermophilic proteins) are all common examples of condensed matter. We have made significant progress in understanding the isolated bulk behavior of these materials. However, their rational design and optimization for practical applications rely on gaining a fundamental level understanding of how these materials behave in complex environments: where environmental perturbations alter their response, the material itself perturbs its environment, and the interplay between these coupled interactions give rise to interesting behavior. This poses new questions to our understanding. Our research goal is to advance the current fundamental knowledge on the structure and dynamics of condensed matter, focusing on systems relevant to emerging problems in biotechnology and energy. We aim to do this using tools and techniques derived from statistical mechanics with the aid of computer simulations, data science, and modern numerical methods, when appropriate, combined with principles from diverse disciplines of experimental science. We ultimately aim to design optimized structures and systems for targeted applications using the fundamental level knowledge we obtain.

About Betul
Betul Uralcan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Bogazici University and a Fellow of Polymer Research Institute (PRC). She received her B.S. in chemical engineering in 2013 from Bogazici University, and her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University, USA in 2018 under the supervision of Pablo G. Debenedetti. Betul continued her postdoctoral studies at Princeton until she joined Bogazici University. In 2019, she was the recipient of the TUBITAK 2232 International Felloship for Outstanding Researchers.

News from SML!
March 2023: Our new paper entitled "Optimization of Capacitance in Supercapacitors by Constructing an Experimentally Validated Hybrid Artificial Neural Networks-Genetic Algorithm Framework" has been published in Journal of Power Sources. Congratulations!
March 2023: Our new paper entitled as "Reduced Grahene Oxide/Ionic Liquid Composites with Tunable Interlayer Spacing for Improved Charge/Discharge Kinetics in Supercapacitors" has been published in Nanotechnology. Congratulations!
December 2022: Our new paper entitled "Formation of dissipative structures in microscopic models of mixtures with species interconversion" has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Congratulations!
April 2022: Our new paper entitled "Origin of Enhanced Performance in Nanoporous Electrical Double Layer Capacitors: Insights on Micropore Structure and Electrolyte Composition from Molecular Simulations" has been published in ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. Congratulations!
February 2022: Yagiz Efe Korkmaz joined our group as MS student. Welcome!
February 2022: Duygu Kaya and Ayse Saliha Korkut started their PhDs. Congratulations!
February 2022: Duygu Kaya, Ayse Saliha Korkut and Sabri Hakan Sakallioglu successfully completed their Master's Degrees in Chemical Engineering. Congratulations!
December 2021: Dilara Saadetnejad successfully presented her PhD Proposal. Congratulations!
October 2021: Our new paper entitled "Enhancing Charge Transfer in Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production over Dye-Sensitized Pt/TiO2 by Ionic Liquid Coating" has been published in ACS Appl. Energy Mater. Congratulations!
September 2021: Hafsa Dogan joined to our lab as MS student. Welcome!
November 2020: Our new paper entitled "Stability of Protein Structure during Nanocarrier Encapsulation: Insights on Solvent Effects from Simulations and Spectroscopic Analysis" has been published in ACS Nano. Congratulations!
September 2020: Nurdan Erdem Ozkaraaslan joined to our group as MS student. Welcome!