The Materials Characterization Facility (MCF) is a core research facility of the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy). This facility provides world-class, state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation with major capabilities to support scientific advancements and new or improved sustainable energy technologies and systems. The MCF welcomes users from Notre Dame and other academic and industrial institutions. The MCF provides instrumentation and expertise for solid and liquid materials characterization by surface and thermal analysis and spectroscopic and spectrometric analytical methods; in-situ synthetic studies of complex actinide materials including transuranium elements, and developing new functional materials engineered at the nanoscale to effectively capture solar radiation, interfaced with materials that can use that energy to drive useful chemical reactions. ND Energy is a University Research Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing our world.