Microdroplets, macro results: Beckman researchers pursue Energy Earthshots

Researchers at the Beckman Institute will conduct electrochemical reactions in microdroplets to produce clean hydrogen, sequester carbon dioxide, and store renewable energies like wind and solar inexpensively and sustainably. Their project, called DROPLETS, received $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science through its Energy Earthshots Initiative.

Neutrons look inside working solid-state battery to discover its key to success

Researchers used neutrons to peer inside a working solid-state battery and discovered that its excellent performance results from an extremely thin layer, across which charged lithium atoms quickly flow as they move from anode to cathode and blend into a solid electrolyte.

Capturing Carbon With Inspiration From Battery Chemistry

The need for negative emissions technologies to address our climate crisis has become increasingly clear. At the rate that our planet is emitting carbon dioxide – adding about 50 gigatons every year – we will have to remove carbon dioxide at the gigaton scale by 2050 in order to achieve “net zero” emissions.

Using Hundred-Year-Old Chemistry to Capture Carbon Directly From Air

Scientists at Berkeley Lab are working on new approaches to achieve direct air capture of carbon dioxide. Andrew Haddad, a researcher in Berkeley Lab’s Energy Technologies Area with a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry, talks about how a Nobel Prize-winning chemistry concept from more than a century ago inspired his idea for efficiently capturing CO2.

Tracking Pileups on Battery Charging Route to Drive Performance

An understanding of this mechanism could help scientists increase the total amount of energy stored by next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Editors’ Choice—Quantification of the Impact of Chemo-Mechanical Degradation on the Performance and Cycling Stability of NCM-Based Cathodes in Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries

The use of solid electrolytes in lithium batteries promises to increase their power and energy density, but several challenges still need to be overcome. One critical issue is capacity-fading, commonly ascribed to various degradation reactions in the composite cathode. Chemical,…

Krishnakanth Sada, Derrick Butler, Wesley Chang, and Sathish Rajendran Receive 2021 ECS Summer Fellowships

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) announces the awarding of the 2021 ECS Summer Fellowships. Krishnakanth Sada received the Edward G. Weston Fellowship; Derrick Butler received the Joseph W. Richards Fellowship; Wesley Chang received the F. M. Becket Fellowship; and Sathish Rajendran received the H. H. Uhlig Fellowship. These fellowship awards assist students in the months of June through August pursue work of interest to the Society. The recipients must be enrolled in a college or university and be a member of ECS. At the end of the award period, the recipients are required to submit a brief resume or abstract suitable for publication in The Electrochemical Society Interface concerning the work performed during the fellowship period.

The Electrochemical Society Awards 2021 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship to Ali Othman

Ali Othman, PhD, Research Associate in Clarkson University’s Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Science, received The Electrochemical Society’s prestigious 2021 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship. The fellowship provides financial assistance for Othman’s research in the months of June through August. His work focuses nanomaterials and the interface chemistry of materials and their bio(sensing) and environmental applications.

Perspective—A Robotic Actuation System Made of Artificial Cells and Gels

This paper introduces recent research on liposome deformation techniques and 3D hydrogel printing. The photo-responsive molecules and the molecular insertion into lipid bilayers induces liposome deformation. The 3D hydrogel printing enables us to freely fabricate the hydrogel objects. It is…

DOE Benchmark Study Seeks Input on Future of International Scientific Research at 239th ECS Meeting

A special livestream event at the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 features representatives of a subcommittee of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Science Advisory Committee (BESAC) reporting on research and requesting input on the future of international scientific research. “Benchmarking Innovation: The Future of International Scientific Research” takes place on June 1, from 1400-1500h EDT, after which the content will be available through June 26, 2021.

Distinguished Electrochemist Marc Koper Receives the ECS Allen J. Bard Award in Electrochemical Science

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) honored Marc Koper, Professor of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis at Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands, with the 2021 ECS Allen J. Bard Award in Electrochemical Science. He will deliver his Award Address, “Electrochemistry of Platinum: New Views on an Old Problem,” at the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18. The address can be seen live online at 0900h EDT, Thursday, June 3, after which it will be available through June 26, 2021. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

Electronics Pioneer Hiroshi Iwai Receives ECS Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science & Technology

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) honored Hiroshi Iwai, Vice Dean and Distinguished Chair Professor at the International College of Semiconductor Technology, Taiwan, and Professor Emeritus of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, with the 2021 ECS Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science & Technology. He delivers his Award Address, “Impact of Micro-/Nano-Electronics, Miniaturization Limit, and Technology Development for the Next 10 Years and After,” at the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18. The address can be seen live online at 2100h EDT, Thursday, June 3, after which it will be available through June 26, 2021. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

Expert in Carbon Materials Kicks off 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 Plenary Session

The ECS Lecture at the Plenary Session of the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 will be delivered by Dr. Rodney Ruoff, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science, and the School of Energy Science and Chemical Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, and Director of the Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM). The Plenary Session is from 2100-2200h EST on Monday, May 31, after which the content will be available through June 26, 2021. The 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 takes place in a digital format. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

ECS Announces Search for New ECS Journal Editor-in-Chief

Pennington, NJ – The Electrochemical Society (ECS) seeks nominations for the founding Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of ECS Sensors Plus, a new journal being launched in 2021. The EIC, together with the Editorial Board, ensures the smooth operation and success of the Journal. Nomination submissions are accepted as of May 18, 2021, via the EIC Sensors Plus Nominations Form (available as of May 18) and must be received by June 17, 2021.

Editors’ Choice—Dealloying-Driven Cerium Precipitation on Intermetallic Particles in Aerospace Aluminium Alloys

Cerium-based compounds have been studied for decades as non-toxic candidates for the protection of aerospace aluminium alloys (AAs) like AA2024-T3. However, the complex heterogeneous microstructure of these alloys has hindered a thorough understanding of the subsequent stages of corrosion protection…

Mapping Performance Variations to See How Lithium-Metal Batteries Fail

Scientists have identified the primary cause of failure in a state-of-the-art lithium-metal battery, of interest for long-range electric vehicles: electrolyte depletion.

Free the Science Week Takes Down ECS Research Paywall

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) celebrates its fifth annual Free the Science Week from April 5-11, 2021, by taking down the paywall to the ECS Digital Library. Throughout the week, the Society’s online collection of published research is freely accessible to everyone. The ECS Digital Library is hosted on IOPscience and includes over 160,000 scientific journal and magazine articles and meeting abstracts, and the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, the oldest peer-reviewed journal in its field.

Leading Lights of Electrochemistry Assemble at October 240th ECS Meeting

ECS is proud to announce that the 240th ECS Meeting will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, from October 10-14, 2021. The Electrochemistry in Space Symposium is a highlight of the meeting, among other events. Learn more!

ECS Celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The Electrochemical Society fosters full and equal access to, and participation in, science for women and girls. To mark February 11—designated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by the United Nations—the Society salutes women’s critical role in advancing electrochemistry and solid state science and related technologies—and the Society.

ECS Congratulates Members Awarded 2021 Queen Elizabeth Medal

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) is proud to congratulate the 2021 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering winners, Isamu Akasaki, Shuji Nakamura, Nick Holonyak, Jr., M. George Craford, and Russell Dupuis. The 2021 prize acknowledges their contributions from the initial creation and development of LED lighting its applications.

World’s Leading Electrochemists to Convene at 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS

The joint international 239th ECS Meeting and 18th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors (IMCS) is now accepting abstract submissions. The Electrochemical Society (ECS) is the established global leader in electrochemical and solid state science and technology and allied subjects. The Society’s meetings are the premier venue for presenting, sharing, exchanging, and learning about the latest, most innovative, and relevant research and scientific and technical developments in these fields.

Coping with Chaos

For our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Alice Suroviec describes pandemic-related challenges—and benefits—of being a mother, professor, scientist, researcher, administrator, homeschooler, and crisis manager. Alice is Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry and Dean of the College of Medical and Natural Sciences at Berry College, Georgia, U.

Science’s Time to Shine

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Greg Jackson reflects on changing perceptions of science and difficulties meeting goals in the shadow of COVID-19. Greg is professor of mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). His research group focuses on solar energy storage in solid-oxide electrochemical systems.

Dr. Chris Beasley – Science Will Prevail

In ECS series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Chris Beasley shares he is upbeat about the future while recognizing the challenges of the present. He is Marketing Manager in Electrochemistry at Gamry Instruments where he has worked for 10 years. Gamry Instruments designs and builds precision electrochemical instrumentation and accessories. Chris received his BS magna cum laude in Chemistry from Kutztown University in 2000.

Follow the ECS series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, here: https://www.electrochem.org/ecs-blog/tag/ecs-adapts-and-advances/

Dr. Marca Doeff – Focusing on the Bright Side

In ECS series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Dr. Marca Doeff describes San Francisco traffic and her commute to work – which to her surprise, she misses! – developing coping skills, and new research funding opportunities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Follow the ECS series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, here: https://www.electrochem.org/ecs-blog/tag/ecs-adapts-and-advances/

Thriving, Not Just Surviving

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Alex Peroff spoke to us from his home office. Whereas travel used to be the largest part of his job, now he focuses on developing content and meaningful communication. Alex joined Pine Research Instrumentation, Inc. as an Electroanalytical Scientist in 2016 after completing a PhD at Northwestern University.

Give and Take during the Pandemic

The pandemic sent shockwaves through the academic community. Some institutions are weathering the storm better than others. At Lewis University (LU), Professor Jason Keleher and his students, Carolyn Graverson, Abigail “Abby” Linhart, and Katie Wortman-Otto, are optimistic. In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, they share their COVID-19 experiences and hopes for the future.

ECS Community on the Frontline of COVID-19 Research

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Netzahualcóyotl (Netz) Arroyo-Currás talks about his lab’s challenge as part of the pandemic response of Johns Hopkins Medicine, which is at the forefront of COVID-19 research. Soon after classes went online and labs were shuttered, his team shifted gears to quickly design a COVID-19 diagnostic device to help meet the urgent need to re-open work and study environments.

Industry Supports and Appreciates ECS Community

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Marion Jones describes the caring and concern characterizing her lockdown experience. She reports feeling supported by her North Carolina-based employer and the ECS community, allowing her to pay it forward by helping customers and caring for her family during this period of disruption.

Tackling COVID-19 with Optimism and Ingenuity

Joe Stetter is an optimist, inventor, entrepreneur, and owner of two small businesses that stayed open through the lockdown. KWJ Engineering and Spec Sensors manufacture essential health and safety sensors with medical and industrial applications. In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Joe shares the challenges of doing business “not as usual”, and reports on a research collaboration he mobilized to improve PPE sterilization for COVID-19 frontline workers.

Finding Our Way Forward, Together

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, University College Cork (UCC) Professor of Chemistry Colm O’Dwyer talks about how he, his students, and colleagues are managing research and coursework since Ireland shut down on March 11, 2020. Colm also directs the UCC Applied Nanoscience Group, focused on 3D battery printing, developing new sustainable battery materials, and real-time performance assessments using optics and photonics. Colm volunteers on the ECS Board of Directors, chairs the ECS Electronics and Photonics Division, and previously served on the ECS Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Subcommittee. Like many parents, he is homeschooling his young children while juggling other responsibilities.

Adjusting to a Changed World

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Mark Orazem recounts how he made good use of a sabbatical year that didn’t turn out to be anything like he expected. Currently Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida (UF), he was officially on leave for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is returning to a very different environment than he left a year ago.

Research Group Wins and Loses Through COVID-19

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Shelley Minteer reviews changes—both positive and negative—wrought by the pandemic on her research group.

Shelley holds the Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair of Biological Chemistry and Associate Chair of Chemistry at the University of Utah. The Minteer Research Group works at the interface of electrochemistry, biology, synthesis, and materials chemistry, to provide solutions and address challenges in the areas of catalysis, fuel cells, sensing, and energy storage.

The Electrochemical Society and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. Announce 2020-2021 Fellowship Winners for Projects in Green Energy Technology

Prof. Dr. Shoji Hall, Prof. Dr. Piran Ravichandran Kidambi, and Dr. Haegyeom Kim have been awarded the 2020-2021 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowships. Through this, ECS and Toyota aim to promote innovative and unconventional technologies borne from electrochemical research. The fellowship encourages young professors and scholars to pursue innovative electrochemical research in green energy technology.

CFN User Spotlight: Nik Singh Seeks Better Battery Materials

Since 2011, Nikhilendra (Nik) Singh has been a senior scientist in the Materials Research Department at the Toyota Research Institute of North America. His quest to find alternatives to lithium-ion batteries has brought him to Brookhaven Lab’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN).

ECS President Congratulates 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Winners

Christina Bock, ECS Board president, congratulated John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino on receiving the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for the development of lithium-ion batteries.” The long term Society members published important research papers in the ECS Journal. Goodenough and Whittingham are ECS Fellows.

IOP publishing

ECS Partners with IOP Publishing for Journal Services

Pennington, NJ – (June 26, 2019) – The Electrochemical Society (ECS) has selected IOP Publishing (IOPP) as its journals publishing partner. Starting in 2020, IOPP will partner with ECS in the publication of the Journal of the Electrochemical Society and…