The Nuzzo Group is concerned broadly with the chemistry of materials. Our research interests are frequently use-inspired, leading us to examine systems-level applications for both common and new materials that strenuously test them in technologically important ways. These efforts exploit state-of-the-art tools as well as lead us to develop new means to fabricate high performance devices that integrate functional materials in new and empowering ways. Our work is providing an increasingly powerful set of capabilities for fabricating devices that embed challenging 2D and 3D nano scale design rules. We also explore in fundamental behaviors in materials in contexts where new understandings might engender useful forms of progress and new capabilities. These include: processes occurring at surfaces and interfaces; the properties of complex forms of matter; materials dynamics; catalytic transformations; mechanics and transport; and adhesion as specific examples. We extensively use of state-of-the-art methods of spectroscopic analysis, physical characterization, and instrumentation for imaging to understand complex chemical and materials systems. These provide what are unquestionably the most powerful methods currently available for characterizing important forms of nanoscale materials (especially catalysts) at atomic resolution.