New Traffic Rules in Graphene City
Materials Research Institute
Our integrated research laboratories turn concepts into prototypes
The inability to alter intrinsic piezoelectric behavior in organic polymers hampers their application in flexible, wearable and biocompatible devices, according to researchers at Penn State and North Carolina State University, but now a molecular approach can improve those piezoelectric properties.
New insight into how a certain class of photovoltaic materials allows efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity could position these materials to replace traditional silicon solar cells. A study by researchers at Penn State reveals the unique properties of these inexpensive and quick-to-produce halide perovskites, information that will guide the development of next generation solar cells. The study appears September 27 in the journal Chem.
There is a scrapyard in Accra, Ghana, known as "Agbogbloshie," where e-waste goes to die — at least, that is the way it has been misrepresented and misunderstood by those on the outside. Penn State faculty members DK Osseo-Asare and Yasmine Abbas have spent years working with urban miners — scrap dealers and grassroots makers in and around Agbogbloshie — to tell a more complete story and co-develop strategies for interweaving design innovation into the circular economy of West Africa.
Due primarily to a fantastically diverse audience, (thank YOU) the Millennium Café has become a weekly interdisciplinary cup-o-goodness. Over the past 6+ years Café participants have been treated to >600 different talks spanning science, engineering, art, agriculture, ethics, live music, etc… In the spirit of keeping the Café fresh, engaging, and relevant we’ll take a few minutes to get your real time feedback on three questions – bring your device.
“How to Participate in the MRSEC Renewal Competition”
The Center for Nanoscale Science, Penn State’s NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, will compete for renewal in 2018, with the preproposal due at NSF in June. NSF expects – and we intend to deliver – substantial change in the focus and composition of the Interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) that will comprise the renewal proposal.
This talk will describe (1) the internal down select competition to become one of the IRGs in the renewal proposal, (2) the events, people, and resources that will be available throughout the winter and early spring to help teams in generating compelling IRG white papers, and (3) the key measures of a successful IRG proposal.
Alignment to the NSF Big Ideas is important: these include (among others) Rules of Life, Harnessing the Data Revolution, Quantum Leap, Convergence, and Multiumessenger Astrophysics. Sustainability is another important theme. In the last cycle, 54 external reviews were secured on 9 internal IRG white papers, to identify 5 for inclusion in the renewal.
If you are interested but unable to attend the Cafe, an additional similar event will be held in early January (time/place TBA), and the MRSEC Director (vhc2@psu.edu) is available anytime for discussion.
Penn State’s investment in its interdisciplinary research institutes, including the Materials Research Institute (MRI), has created a culture of strong collaborations across disciplines. At Penn State, many researchers have the support of both their academic departments and the university-wide institutes, such as MRI. By encouraging crosscutting research, MRI and its sister institutes open up traditional silos of knowledge to the stimulus of other viewpoints and new ideas. This mingling of disciplines, often called “convergence,” brings together the physical and life sciences with engineering and computation to solve the most complex problems facing society today and in the future.
In the latest issue of Focus on Materials, the boundaries between materials science, engineering, and the life sciences are blurring. We offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of “convergence,” where the future of healthcare lies.
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