Focus On Materials

Features:

Collaborations Are the Key to New Electronic Materials

Putting nanowires to work for sensors, solar cells, and chip-based devices

The Far-Ranging Vision of Harry Allcock

A class of polymers discovered by this Penn State scientist is ready for the real world.

Optimism Returns in the Quest for a Clean, Green Fuel

In the labs of Serguei Lvov and his colleagues, the tantalizing promise of a hydrogen-based economy is making some encouraging advances.

A Smart Materials Company Closes the Gap Between Laboratory & Marketplace

Two Penn State materials Ph.D.s are building a successful company not far from the place where they earned their degrees.

Director's Message

In this issue of Focus on Materials you will read about exciting new work in nanoelectronics that could have implications for advanced solar cell technology, as well as for chip-based chemical and biological sensing.

Fuel Cell Research Goes Private

Joel Anstrom, director of the Hybrid and Hydrogen Vehicle Research Lab in the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute at Penn State, was one of those skeptics who had serious doubts about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Materials Day 2008 - Exploring Materials for Energy Technologies

Penn State's premier materials showcase was all about energy.

Three Recieve the Rustum & Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award

Graduate students David Asay and Omkar Parajuli, and Shunli Shang from Materials Science and Engineering were all presented awards at Materials Day 2008 Conference.