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MRS Election Results!
MRS is pleased to announce Susan E. Trolier-McKinstry, The Pennsylvania State University, as the 2016 MRS Vice President/President Elect. The election also brings five new members to the MRS Board of Directors, who will each serve three-year terms beginning January 1, 2016. They are: Matt Copel, Paul S. Drzaic, Yury Gogotsi, Young-Chang Joo, and Magaly Spector. In addition, David J. Parrillo has accepted a one-year appointment as MRS Treasurer. Read more. |
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Call for Papers—2016 MRS Spring Meeting
The abstract submission period for the 2016 MRS Spring Meeting is now open. Visit www.mrs.org/spring-2016-technical-sessions today for details.
Abstract Deadline: October 15, 2015 |
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FREE Webinar on Functional Nanocomposites
Wednesday, September 23 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm (ET)
The presentations in this Webinar will expand the topics explored in the September issue of MRS Bulletin—nanoscale composites, with an emphasis on approaches to the design and control of the functionalities of nanocomposite materials through controlled synthesis and advanced characterization in concert with simulation and modeling.
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!
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Materials in Focus
Extremely elastic conductive fibers made for stretchable electronics and artificial muscles |
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By cleverly wrapping a thin rubber core with carbon nanotubes, researchers have made sheath-core fibers that can be repeatedly bent, twisted, and even stretched to 15 times their length without losing their conductivity. Such elastic conductors could be used to make stretchable charging cords, electronic sensors that wrap around aircraft and drones, smart textiles, and artificial muscles for robots and prosthetic limbs. |
X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals shape changer of nanoparticles |
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A recent study shows how high-powered x-ray absorption spectroscopy in a synchrotron along with density functional theory modeling illuminates the effects of surface-adsorbed halides on the shape of nanocrystals containing both silver and gold. |
Semiliquid ferrocene-lithium battery achieves supercapacitor power density levels |
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Lithium-ion batteries dominate the discussion for high-efficiency batteries; however, they are expensive to produce. Aqueous redox batteries are a cheaper alternate but suffer from low efficiencies due to low power and energy densities. In order to make a redox battery a legitimate contender, researchers at the University of Texas–Austin have created a device that combines the power of a capacitor and a battery. The semiliquid battery is made of both lithium metal and an iron-containing organometallic compound ferrocene (C10H10Fe) that creates a fast, reliable storage device. |
Stacked clay sheets form large arrays of nanofluidic channels |
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Nanopatterned materials with exotic properties need not have exotic origins. A team of scientists at Northwestern University has developed a new material, derived from the clay mineral vermiculite, filled with two-dimensional proton channels just a few nanometers thick. These new materials make possible a range of new nanofluidic devices and lower the barrier to entry for studying confined ionic transport. |
Perovskites: Is there a reason for concern? |
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Perovskites have recently taken the photovoltaic research world by storm. The materials promise solar cells that deliver highest possible efficiencies at lowest possible cost. In the three years leading to 2015, confirmed efficiency claims have passed 20%, with more room for improvement. With this increasing use comes a concern for safety. Most commonly used perovskites contain the well-known toxin lead; methylammonium lead iodide is the material of choice for solar cells. Yet, peer-reviewed literature on the potential toxicity of perovskites and their behavior in biological systems or the environment is rare. |
Drug-infused hydrogels enhance cancer-fighting photothermal nanoshells |
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In recent years, nanoparticles have become powerful tools in the laboratory to diagnose and treat various types of cancers. One nanoparticle-based cancer therapy currently being investigated in clinical trials involves gold-silica nanoshells that produce cancer-destroying heat after absorbing near-infrared (NIR) light. |
People in Focus
Interview with Nader Engheta (University of Pennsylvania) |
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Nader Engheta: I am very interested in light-matter interaction, and in my group we explore different methods in manipulating and tailoring interaction of waves with material structures, both in the optical as well as microwave domains. |
Interviews conducted by Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa em Materiais (Brazil-MRS).
Industry Focus
Scientists have found a way to make eco-friendly plastic out of corn syrup and bacteria
The fate of the world’s oceans may rest inside a stainless steel tank not quite the size of a small beer keg. Inside, genetically modified bacteria turn corn syrup into a churning mass of polymers that can be used to produce a wide variety of common plastics.
Intel wants to spend $50 million to develop quantum computing tech
Chip giant Intel Corp. revealed that it is joining the race—in partnership with Dutch institute QuTech—to develop quantum computers joining the ranks of IBM, Google and Lockheed Martin. QuTech lead scientist Lieven Vandersypen said that there are many materials that are still too complex for the ordinary computer to shed light on their properties.
Turkey’s innovation champions compete in global markets
There is a growing number of Turkish companies that can boast unique know-how, enabling them to compete in global markets, including the areas of advanced materials and nanotechnology.
Policy Focus
Next-generation x-ray source fires up
Electrons have begun circulating in a synchrotron in Lund, Sweden, in what researchers hope marks the start of a new era for x-ray science.
Russia to ramp up spending on military science
The Russian government plans to invest on the development of military science and defense research and development. Part of these plans is the establishment of five consolidated research institutes in different parts of the country, to be overseen by Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s First Deputy Minister of Defense. Each of the newly established institutions will specialize in a particular research area, such as aviation, biotechnology, laser technology and surveying and navigation software.
For more science policy news, follow @MaterialsSciPol
OF INTEREST TO THE MATERIALS COMMUNITY
You’re so hip, darling: Materials researchers do stand-up comedy
“I was once asked what kind of music stem cells would like best. Classical, I decided, because they're cultured.” This was just one in a string of tales materials researcher Laura McNamara unraveled at the debut Glasgow Bright Club a few years ago, where science meets humor. More.
MEETINGS UPDATE
Critical Meeting Deadlines
2015 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit
November 29 - December 4, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts
exhibit opportunities available |
PREREGISTRATION OPENS SOON
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2016 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit
March 28-April 1, 2016
Phoenix, Arizona
exhibit opportunities available |
CALL FOR PAPERS
Abstract Submission Deadline
October 15
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74th Device Research Conference
(DRC 2016)
June 19-22, 2016
Newark, Delaware
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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58th Electronic Materials Conference
(58th EMC)
June 22-24, 2016
Newark, Delaware
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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American Conference on Neutron Scattering
(ACNS 2016)
July 10-14, 2016
Long Beach, California
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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18th International Conference on Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy
(ICMOVPE-XVIII)
July 10-15, 2016
San Diego, California
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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5th International Conference on Metal-Organic Frameworks & Open Framework Compounds
(MOF 2016)
September 11-15, 2016
Long Beach, California
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors
(IWN 2016)
October 2-7, 2016
Orlando, Florida
exhibit opportunities available |
SAVE THE DATE
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PUBLICATIONS UPDATE
Critical Publications Deadlines
Advertise in JMR.
JUST PUBLISHED
MRS Communications
September 2015, Volume 5, Issue 3 |
 
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Composites represent a class of materials that combine two or more constituents into a form suitable for technological applications. This issue of MRS Bulletin focuses on nanoscale composites, with an emphasis on approaches to the design and control of the functionalities of nanocomposite materials.
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Obtaining ultimate functionalities in nanocomposites: Design, control, and fabrication
Ce-Wen Nan and Quanxi Jia, Guest Editors
Multiferroic magnetoelectric nanostructures for novel device applications
Jia-Mian Hu, Tianxiang Nan, Nian X. Sun, and Long-Qing Chen
Multifunctional, self-assembled oxide nanocomposite thin films and devices
Wenrui Zhang, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Judith L. MacManus-Driscoll, and Haiyan Wang
Nanocomposites for thermoelectrics and thermal engineering
Bolin Liao and Gang Chen
MRS Bulletin will present a free webinar on functional nanocomposites on Wednesday, September 23.
Advertise in MRS Bulletin.
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From Volume 1693, 2014 MRS Spring Meeting, Symposium DD – Silicon Carbide‒Materials, Processing and Devices
Revealing the electronic band structure of quasi-free trilayer graphene on SiC(0001)
C. Coletti, S. Forti, A. Principi, K.V. Emtsev, A.A. Zakharov, K.M. Daniels, B.K. Daas, M.V.S. Chandrashekhar, A.H. MacDonald, M. Polini and U. Starke
Novel SiC detector based on optical signal instead of electrical signal
Geunsik Lim, Tariq Manzur and Aravinda Kar
From Volume 1697, 2014 MRS Spring Meeting, Symposium HH – Phase-Change Materials for Memory, Reconfigurable Electronics and Cognitive Applications
Theoretical and Experimental Understanding of Charge-Injection GeTe/Sb2 Te3Superlattice Phase Change Memory
Norikatsu Takaura
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SCIENCE AS ART
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Life in Nature
by Wen-I Liang, National Chiao Tung University
Where there is life, there is root, growth and development; no matter if it is as big as a cherry tree or as small as nano-dendrites. This picture honors the beauty of life and fractal pattern in nature. It consists of 1,870 pictures captured during iron oxide dendritic growth in solution by in-situ liquid TEM.
A finalist in the Science as Art competition at the 2015 MRS Spring 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
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Ainissa Ramirez and the Importance of STEM Education
Ainissa Ramirez is a nationally-recognized advocate and communicator for science education. This video was prepared upon her receipt of the American Institute of Physics' 2015 Andrew Gemant Award for public outreach. |
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
| Cooled Thermal Cameras for Scientific Research |
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FLIR Systems has launched three new science-grade thermal cameras—the A6200sc NIR, A8300sc HD MWIR, and A6700sc LWIR. Designed for demanding science and research applications including electronics development, university research, and non-destructive testing, these new cooled cameras deliver exceptional image quality, standardized interfaces and MATLAB integration making them powerful, efficient tools for gathering thermal data.
[Contact: research@flir.com or 32-3665-5100] |
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| New Ultrafast-Scanning Atomic Force Microscope |
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Keysight Technologies, Inc. recently announced the availability of the ultrafast-scanning 9500 atomic force microscope. The Keysight 9500 AFM system seamlessly integrates new software, a new high-bandwidth digital controller, and a state-of-the-art mechanical design to provide unrivaled scan rates of up to 2 sec/frame (256x256 pixels). Engineered with scientific and industrial R&D users in mind, the 9500 is the ideal system for an expansive range of advanced AFM applications associated with materials science, life science, polymer science and electrical characterization.
[Contact: usa_orders@keysight.com or 800 829-4444] |
To suggest items for inclusion in Industry News and New Products Focus, please contact Mary Kaufold at 724-779-2755.
ABOUT MATERIALS360®
Materials360 is edited by Judy Meiksin, News Editor, and produced by Kirby Morris, Electronic Communications Assistant, Materials Research Society.
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