IN FOCUS

	Vote Today for 2017 MRS Officers & Board Members! Watch your email for unique ballot login information from "MRS Elections" Candidate bios and statements are available at www.mrs.org/elections-2016. Election will remain open until 11:59 pm (ET) on August 30.
	FREE WEBINAR—Microstructure Informatics in Materials and Process Design Wednesday, August 24  |  12:00 – 1:30 pm (ET) The presentations in this webinar will complement the articles in the August 2016 issue of MRS Bulletin. Attendance for this and all MRS OnDemand Webinars is FREE, but advance registration is required.
	Preregister and Save—MOF 2016 5th International Conference on Metal-Organic Frameworks & Open Framework Compounds September 11-15, 2016  |  Long Beach, California Preregistration Deadline—August 26, 2016

MATERIALS NEWS

Keep up with materials research news through MRS!
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Materials in Focus

Non-Newtonian fluid electrode slides through gravity-induced flow cell
	Flow batteries could mean big improvements in energy storage. “The world of battery design has historically had two limiting-cases: Stationary batteries with no moving parts, and flow batteries with actively pumped fluids,” says Yet-Ming Chiang, leader of a team of materials scientists and mechanical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “We recognized that there was a huge unexplored design space between these two extremes.”
Epitaxial misfit van der Waals heterostructures unlock new family of materials
	The engineering of materials with "properties-by-design" has spurred the creation of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures that are based on the stacking of two-dimensional (2D) materials of varying compositions. These layered structures, held together by weak vdW forces, often show optoelectronic properties that are radically different from their individual building blocks. Typical synthesis of vdW heterostructures relies on large-scale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or mechanical stacking of single 2D flakes.
NREL assesses strategies needed for light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas reduction
	The White House wants to cut U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2050, but the goal raises questions about one of the greatest sources of those pollutants, light-duty vehicles (LDVs). The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has taken a close look at what specific combination of measures national experts have determined is needed to slash LDV emissions from 1,514 million metric tons (MMTs) to 303 MMTs of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year and meet this larger emissions-reduction goal.
Proteins link up to form dynamic 2D materials
	Two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene are highly attractive due to their unique electronic and mechanical properties. However, flexible methods for bottom-up assembly of such planar structures remain to be developed. The ability to customize the chemistry or structure of 2D crystals through assembly would be very valuable, expanding the potential of these materials for practical applications.
Magnetic phenomena from the confines of a nonmagnetic material
	There have been many recent advances in the synthesis, manipulation, and study of complex atomic-scale structures and interfaces. Among these, understanding the fundamental changes in physical properties in areas of reduced dimensionality has played an important role and has led to improvements in spintronics, digital memory, and transistor technologies.
Gold nanoparticles self-assemble to make efficient broadband plasmonic absorbers
	Plasmonic absorbers are gaining significant attention for applications such as photo/thermal detectors, solar energy conversion, and infrared imaging because of their exceptional ability to concentrate electromagnetic energy and trap it into thin layers to generate hot electrons. These absorbers are a determining factor in the performance of the whole system, making their efficiency and bandwidth of absorption crucial. A research team from Nanjing University, China, has now fabricated a broadband plasmonic absorber with average measured absorbance of 99% across wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 10 µm.
3D printing enables rapidly designed patterned membranes
	Ion exchange membranes are used across industries for water desalination, energy storage, and pharmaceutical applications. Because these membranes work through ion exchange, designing membranes with low ionic resistance is a major materials engineering goal. Now, a method of three-dimensional (3D) printing of micro-patterned ion exchange polymeric membranes, as reported in a recent study, may allow for rapid design, fabrication, and easy modifications, leading to a new way to manufacture these membranes for different applications.

Femtochemistry pioneer Ahmed Zewail (1946-2016)
	Egyptian–US chemist Ahmed Zewail, the ‘father of femtochemistry’ who received the chemistry Nobel prize in 1999 for his work using ultrafast lasers to study chemical reactions, has passed away at age 70.

Industry Focus

Rio Olympics teams with Dow to leave a low-carbon legacy
Having chosen “sustainability” as a theme for this year’s games, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee hopes to promote low-carbon technologies that will cut the 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents associated with the games by 2026. Strides made in Rio will be a catalyst for further greenhouse gas reductions throughout Brazil and other parts of Latin America.

Tesla spurs demand for lithium chemicals
Tesla Motors is hiring more construction workers in a bid to move up the opening of its so-called Gigafactory outside of Sparks, Nev., where the electric vehicle maker plans to produce lithium-ion batteries beginning next year. The factory’s projected output has already tightened demand for lithium chemicals and inspired expansions at several chemical firms.

Where next for solar-powered flight?
The Swiss project of Solar Impulse set out to achieve a number of goals, demonstrating that the moment for clean technologies is here and now. Does that mean we are about to board solar-powered planes to go on holiday? No, it does not. However, we can see where some of this technology is heading.

Israeli startup Innoviz promises $100 solid-state automotive lidar by 2018
Israel-based startup Innoviz Technologies announced a $9 million Series A round to fund the development of a high performance, low cost, solid-state lidar to enable fully autonomous driving. Lidar is recognized by most (but not all) groups developing autonomous vehicles as a necessary sensor, because it provides high resolution and long range three-dimensional data that are independent of lighting conditions and most weather.


Policy Focus

The Materials Genome Initiative: The first five years
The White House hosted an event recognizing the fifth anniversary of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI). Over the past five years, Federal agencies have invested more than $500 million in resources and infrastructure in support of this initiative.

Nigerian government sets up plan to generate electricity from uranium
The federal government recently disclosed that it was already making efforts to generate electricity from nuclear materials, particularly through the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of uranium.

Physics lab aims to bridge political divides in Middle East
An experiment in science diplomacy is on the threshold of success. Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), an $80 million synchrotron lab in Allan, Jordan, announced its first call for research that will be conducted on two beamlines expected to switch on this autumn. Research should start in earnest early next year. 

Brexit pondered at European science conference
Amid lofty talk about innovation and science policy at last month’s EuroScience Open Forum in Manchester, England, scientists and industrialists called for action to blunt the impact of Britain’s planned exit from the European Union. The so-called Brexit is expected to be implemented in about two years.

Meet Europe's new science advice brigade
Too many cooks spoil the broth, goes the saying. Could too many advisers spoil the advice?
On the contrary, say the seven scientists who front the European Commission's new Scientific Advice Mechanism, and who collectively replaced the single-headed role of chief scientific adviser last year. Their “200 years of combined experience" is a strength.

For more science policy news, follow @MaterialsSciPol

CORPORATE PARTNER NEWS

American Elements serves as suppliers to the aerospace industry
American Elements scientists and engineers have decades of experience supplying major global manufacturers including NASA, Boeing, Airbus, Northrop Grumman, JPL, SpaceX, and Lockheed Martin. Their advanced, high-performance materials meet OEM and MRO standards for aerospace and are suitable for all coating techniques including thin film deposition (ALD, PVD, CVD, PECVD, MOCVD), thermal spray coating, sputtering, conversion coatings, and other cutting-edge technologies.  Products include:

• ultra-high purity oxide powders including gallium oxide and gallium-doped zinc oxide
• metal and alloy powders
• refractory ceramics (carbides, tungstates, molybdates)
  
• chemicals and organometallic precursors such as cerium citrate
  
• specialty pigments
  
• carbon fibers and composite materials
  
• graphene and carbon nanotubes
  
• custom alloys  

Email the American Elements aerospace coatings division at [email protected] to gain the responsiveness, high quality, and low cost that comes with having American Elements on your supplier team!

The Corporate Partner Program supports the Materials Research Society Foundation®.


OF INTEREST TO THE MATERIALS COMMUNITY

Why do swimmers wear two caps? There’s a science behind this Olympics secret
“The outer silicone cap better maintains the shape and does not wrinkle as much, thereby causing less drag,” Dave Salo, former assistant coach to the US women’s swimming team, told Yahoo Sports. The inner cap is often latex. The latex vs. silicone debate is a common one.

Seeing the unseen: New exhibition “Wonder Materials” explores how graphene could change our world
A new exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester uses photography, poetry, interactive displays, and an installation from Random International (creators of the Barbican’s “Rain Room”) to help explain graphene’s potential impact on the world and highlight the importance of Geim and Novoselov’s discovery.

Nobel laureate’s death highlights struggles at Egyptian science hub
Questions are swirling over the future of Egypt’s first science city, after the death of the Nobel laureate who made the project his legacy, Egyptian-born US chemist Ahmed Zewail. Those affiliated with the Zewail City of Science and Technology in Cairo say they are hopeful that it will survive—not least because it has the verbal backing of Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

A hybrid route to renewable power
India aspires to achieve an ambitious target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022. Mixing solar thermal with biomass can help India achieve its renewable energy targets in a more sustainable way.


MEETINGS UPDATE

Critical Meeting Deadlines

PUBLICATIONS UPDATE

Critical Publications Deadlines

JUST PUBLISHED

	Density functional theory investigation of the electronic structure and defect chemistry of Sr1−x K x FeO3
	Andrew M. Ritzmann, Johannes M. Dieterich and Emily A. Carter, MRS Communications
	Growth and characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on sp2-bonded BN by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition
	Qing Paduano, Michael Snure, Gene Siegel, Darren Thomson and David Look, Journal of Materials Research
	Microstructural informatics for accelerating the discovery of processing–microstructure–property relationships
	Olga Wodo, Scott Broderick, and Krishna Rajan, MRS Bulletin
	Role of materials data science and informatics in accelerated materials innovation
	Surya R. Kalidindi, David B. Brough, Shengyen Li, Ahmet Cecen, Aleksandr L. Blekh, Faical Yannick P. Congo, and Carelyn Campbell, MRS Bulletin
	The need for microstructure informatics in process–structure–property relations
	David L. McDowell and Richard A. LeSar, MRS Bulletin

Bio Focus

	Super-Hydrophilic, Bio-compatible Anti-Fog Coating for Lenses in Closed Body Cavity Surgery: VitreOxTM—Scientific Model, In Vitro Experiments and In Vivo Animal Trials
	Nicole Herbots, Clarizza F. Watson, Eric J. Culbertson, Ajjya J. Acharya, Pierre R. Thilmany, Steven Marsh, Raymond T. Marsh, Igor P.O. Martins, Gabriel P.K. Watson, A.M. Mascareno, Saloni Sinha, Mayuri Gupta, Nehal Gupta and Abijith Krishnan, MRS Advances

Energy Focus

	Facile Hydrothermal Synthesis of Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) as Advanced Electrodes for Super Capacitors Applications
	H. Adhikari, C. Ranaweera, R. Gupta and S. R. Mishra, MRS Advances
	Implications of sustainability for the United States light-duty transportation sector
	Chris Gearhart, MRS Energy & Sustainability—A Review Journal
	The ultimate efficiency of organolead halide perovskite solar cells limited by Auger processes
	Ibraheem Almansouri, Martin A. Green, and Anita Ho-Baillie, Journal of Materials Research

Nano Focus

	Ferromagnetic oxide heterostructures on silicon
	Srinivasa Rao Singamaneni, J.T. Prater, Fan Wu and J. Narayan, MRS Communications
	Mapping viscoelastic and plastic properties of polymers and polymer-nanotube composites using instrumented indentation
	Andrew J. Gayle and Robert F. Cook, Journal of Materials Research
	Non-Linear Density Dependent Upconversion Luminescence Enhancement of β-NaYF4: Yb3+: Er3+ Nanoparticles on Random Ag Nanowire Aggregates
	Amy Hor, Quoc Anh N. Luu, P. Stanley May, Mary Berry and Steve Smith, MRS Advances
	Non-linearity variation of single junctions and its analysis using nano-prober within fine-grained ZnO-based multilayer varistors
	Eiichi Koga and Yoshiko Higashi, MRS Communications

SCIENCE AS ART

Sea Monster and the Sub-NanoLeague Submarine Brian T Sneed Oak Ridge National Laboratory A STEM secondary electron image of Fe3O4 grown on a Tb-doped lanthanum phosphate microrod is depicted here as an octopus enveloping a submarine vessel (Adobe Photoshop Elements), much like the cover of the 1977 Moby Books illustrated edition of the Jules Verne classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (inset with original image). The magnetic iron oxide allows controlled delivery of the phosphor materials for use as biomarkers. A Second Place Winner in the Science as Art competition at the 2016 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

NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS

New Quick Volume Adjustment Manual Pipette
	INTEGRA announces the launch of the EVOLVE manual pipette range. Unlike traditional pipettes which utilize a single rotating plunger to set volumes, the EVOLVE features three adjustable dials for setting each individual volume digit. Simply depress and twist the plunger to unlock the volume dials. Once unlocked, freely adjust the three dials to rapidly set the desired volume. This revolutionary approach allows users to set volumes more than ten times faster. Contact: [email protected] or 603-578-5800
Surface Tracker “Flattens” Wafers
	Silicon wafers are supposed to be ‘flat’ when they are being scanned by an acoustic micro imaging tool for defect detection or measurement. But suppose the wafer is warped which means that some die are partly or entirely out of focus and defects can be entirely missed. Sonoscan has solved this problem in its C-SAM® systems with its new Quantitative Dynamic Z™ (Q-DZ) surface tracking feature for scanning warped wafers. The tool acquires data from the scans that not only reveal the features inside the wafer but also measures the warpage. The warpage information is used during the scan to instantly adjust the height of the transducer above the wafer surface and maintain the critical focus inside the wafer over its entire area. Contact: [email protected] or 847-437-6400, ext, 237

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

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