IN FOCUS

	2017 MRS Spring Meeting—Preregistration is Now Open Preregistration for the 2017 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Phoenix, Arizona is now open at www.mrs.org/spring-2017-registration. Don't delay. Register today and save! Preregistration Deadline—5:00 pm (ET), March 31, 2017
	Materials Research Society Foundation Now Accepting Grassroots Grant Proposals! MRS Members are invited to visit the Materials Research Society Foundation website to learn about funding opportunities and criteria for Grassroots Project proposals. Not an MRS Member? Join today!  The Foundation only accepts proposals from MRS Members in good standing. Submission Deadline--5:00 pm (ET), February 6, 2017
	FREE WEBINAR—Material Functionalities from Molecular Ridigity Wednesday, January 25  |  12:00 – 1:30 pm (ET) SPEAKERS: Punit Boolchand, University of Cincinnati, and John Mauro, Corning Incorporated HOST: Matthieu Micoulaut, Paris Sorbonne Université—UPMC, France Attendance for this and all MRS OnDemand Webinars is FREE, but advance registration is required.

MATERIALS NEWS

Keep up with materials research news through MRS!
MRS Bulletin  |  Twitter feed

Materials in Focus

Nanostructured electrode materials boost performance of sodium-ion batteries
	The battery has two different electrodes based on Na2Ti3O7 nanotubes and VOPO4.
Partial electrical doping of semiconducting polymer films achieved by solution processing
	An organic semiconductor partially doped with polyoxometalates is used to produce a single layer solar cell with 5.9% conversion efficiency.
High pressing temperature yields record high-power output from thermoelectric material
	Improving thermoelectric material performance by increasing power output is an alternative to optimizing conversion efficiency.
Carbon nanotube adhesive gets stronger in extreme heat
	At higher temperatures, the tips of the CNT adhesive spread into web-like structures leading to an increase in van der Waals forces.
Biomorphic TiO2 cicada wings nanostructure could increase solar cell efficiency
	New fabrication method of biomorphic TiO2 shows high-performance angle-dependent antireflective properties ranging from normal to 45°.
Energy Focus: Designed imperfections in graphene maximize charge-storage potential of supercapacitors
	The researchers were able to manufacture dense graphene foams, coat current collectors with them, and package them into conventional pouch cells.

People in Focus

Susan Trolier-McKinstry leads MRS Board of Directors for 2017 Susan Trolier-McKinstry (The Pennsylvania State University) assumed the presidency of the Materials Research Society (MRS) for 2017, after serving as vice president/president-elect for 2016. She succeeded Kristi S. Anseth (University of Colorado Boulder), who now serves MRS as immediate past president.
President Susan Trolier-McKinstry The Pennsylvania State University	Immediate Past President Kristi S. Anseth University of Colorado Boulder	Vice President/President-elect Sean J. Hearne Sandia National Laboratories
Secretary Eric A. Stach Brookhaven National Laboratory	Treasurer David J. Parrillo The Dow Chemical Company	Executive Director Todd M. Osman Materials Research Society

MRS Von Hippel Award 2010 recipient L. Eric Cross of Penn State passes away
	L. Eric Cross, an Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, passed away on December 29, 2016.

Industry Focus

Quantum computers ready to leap out of the lab in 2017
Google, Microsoft, and a host of laboratories and start-ups are racing to turn scientific curiosities into working machines.

America’s first “clean coal” plant is now operational—and another is on the way
The first large-scale U.S. “clean coal” facility was declared operational in early January by the energy firm NRG Energy and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp.


OF INTEREST TO THE MATERIALS COMMUNITY


The irreversible momentum of clean energy
Science magazine’s policy forum article by Barack Obama discusses how private-sector incentives help drive decoupling of emissions and economic growth.

Is Japan embracing a solar future in the post-Fukushima era?
Development of the renewable energy market was significant after the accident, with 88% of these investments going to small-scale photovoltaic projects. However, several factors that depend on the materials themselves determine to what extent Japan can use solar energy to cover a larger fraction of its energy needs.

Print the Future – Deadline: February 15, 2017
To advance the state of the art in additive manufacturing in space, the Print the Future competition from Enterprise in Space invites university through postgraduate student teams to design projects that will further humanity’s presence in space. The winning team will be able to 3D print its design aboard the International Space Station.


MEETINGS UPDATE

Critical Meeting Deadlines

PUBLICATIONS UPDATE

Critical Publications Deadlines

JUST PUBLISHED

	Glassy materials with enhanced thermal stability
	P. Boolchand and B. Goodman, MRS Bulletin
	Material functionalities from molecular rigidity: Maxwell’s modern legacy
	Matthieu Micoulaut and Yuanzheng Yue, MRS Bulletin
	Structure property relationships in gallium oxide thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition
	Lauren M. Garten, Andriy Zakutayev, John D. Perkins, Brian P. Gorman, Paul F. Ndione and David S. Ginley, MRS Communications
	Study of SIMFUEL corrosion under hyper-alkaline conditions in the presence of silicate and calcium
	Alexandra Espriu-Gascon, David W. Shoesmith, Javier Giménez, Ignasi Casas and Joan de Pablo, MRS Advances
	The Suitability of 3-D Printed Eutectic Gallium-Indium Alloy as a Heating Element for Thermally Active Hydrogels
	Charles Hamilton, Gursel Alici, Geoff Spinks and Marc in het Panhuis, MRS Advances
	Thermoelectric and thermal transport properties of complex oxide thin films, heterostructures and superlattices
	Jayakanth Ravichandran, Journal of Materials Research
	Topological engineering of glasses using temperature-dependent constraints
	Morten M. Smedskjaer, Christian Hermansen, and Randall E. Youngman, MRS Bulletin
	Tuning the physical properties of amorphous In–Zn–Sn–O thin films using combinatorial sputtering
	P.F. Ndione, A. Zakutayev, M. Kumar, C.E. Packard, J.J. Berry, J.D. Perkins and D.S. Ginley, MRS Communications

Energy Focus

	Tuning the interlayer of transition metal oxides for electrochemical energy storage
	Veronica Augustyn, Journal of Materials Research

Nano Focus

	Direct measurement of quasi-zero grain boundary energies in ceramics
	Nazia Nafsin and Ricardo H.R. Castro, Journal of Materials Research
	Increased Dielectric Breakdown Strength of Polyolefin Nanocomposites via Nanofiller Alignment
	Bo Li and Evangelos Manias, MRS Advances
	Nanostructured cerium oxide: preparation, characterization, and application in energy and environmental catalysis
	Wen-Xiang Tang and Pu-Xian Gao, MRS Communications

SCIENCE AS ART

The Heart of a Volcano Yinghong Hu, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen SEM cross-section of a multi-layered perovskite solar cell assembled via spin-coating in which a dust particle resulted in the protrusion A Second Place Winner from the Science as Art competition at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting. Copyright for all Science as Art images belongs to the Materials Research Society. To request permission to re-use the images, please contact Anita Miller.

EDITOR'S CHOICE VIDEO

NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS

Cost Effective Equipment for Advanced Surface Preparation
	Atotech announced the launch of ST-Line®, state-of-the-art equipment designed for the requirements of soldermask and dry film pretreatment processes in the manufacturing of PCB. ST-Line®, combined with Atotech's CupraEtch® product range, forms a multipurpose microetch system for the pretreatment and adhesion promotion of primary imaging resists and soldermasks. Read more>>
New Vacuum Storage Solutions for EM Samples
	EM Resolutions announces the EM-Storr vacuum sample storage container which has been specifically developed to protect EM samples under vacuum during storage and transportation. EM-Storr has a modern space saving design and superior construction using high vacuum compatible materials to reduce outgassing and to hold vacuum for extended periods. Learn more>>

To suggest items for inclusion in Industry News and New Products Focus,
please contact Mary Kaufold at 724-779-2755.

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