Using advanced computational methods, University of Wisconsin–Madison materials scientists have discovered new materials that could bring widespread commercial use of solid oxide fuel cells closer to reality.

A solid oxide fuel cell is essentially an engine that provides an alternative way to burn fossil fuels or hydrogen to generate power. These fuel cells burn their fuel electrochemically instead of by combustion, and are more efficient than any practical combustion engine.

As an alternative energy technology, solid oxide fuel cells are a versatile, highly efficient power source that could play a vital role in the future of energy. Solid oxide fuel cells could be used in a variety of applications, from serving as a power supply for buildings to increasing fuel efficiency in vehicles.

However, solid oxide fuel cells are more costly than conventional energy technologies, and that has limited their adoption.

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
March 16, 2018
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #6

Symposium G05: Materials, Formulation, and Processes for Semiconductor, 2.5 and 3D Chip Packaging, and High Density Interconnection PCB

Symposium Focus: This symposium focuses on issues pertinent to advances in semiconductor interconnects beyond the 20 nm technology node as well as novel materials and integration methods for 2.5D and 3D interconnects. An emerging technology or device architecture called 2.5D and 3D integration is based on the system performance gains that is achieved by chip stacking and vertically interconnecting distinct device layers. Since electrochemical processes are the ultimate solution to create smaller size and lower cost devices, both practical and fundamental aspects of electrochemical processes are of high demand. Ideally, this symposium will bring researchers together to discuss various aspects of device architecture, novel materials, chemical formulation, packaging approaches and nano-scale fabrication methodologies.

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A collaborative team of researchers from Shinshu University in Japan have found a new way to curb some of the potential dangers posed by lithium ion batteries.

The team was led by Susumu Arai, a professor of the department of materials chemistry and head of Division for Application of Carbon Materials at the Institute of Carbon Science and Technology at Shinshu University.

These batteries, typically used in electric vehicles and smart grids, could help society realize a low-carbon future, according the authors. The problem is that while lithium could theoretically conduct electricity at high capacity, lithium also results in what is known as thermal runaway during the charge and discharge cycle.

“Lithium metal is inherently unsuitable for use in rechargeable batteries due to posing certain safety risks,” said Arai. “Repeated lithium deposition/dissolution during charge/discharge can cause serious accidents due to the deposition of lithium dendrites that penetrate the separator and induce internal short-circuiting.”

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
March 16, 2018
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #5

Symposium D06: Surface Characterization and Manipulation for Electronic Applications

Symposium Focus: The properties of interfaces underpin many of the advances and emerging applications in electronics. From studies of charge transport in molecular electronics to interactions between biomolecules in bioelectronics sensing, the ability to understand and control interfacial properties is more important than ever. This symposium aims to address interfacial properties in a variety of electronic applications, where the functionalization of interfaces is demonstrated and characterized in order to advance understanding and to enable new devices and device applications.

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ECS is pleased to announce that, thanks to a $20,000 donation, the 2018 volume of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society has been named in honor of ECS fellow Chung Chiun Liu.

The Chung Chiun Liu Leadership Collection will contain all of the content published in JES volume 165.

Liu is the Wallace R. Persons Professor of Sensor Technology & Control at Case Western Reserve University. He has been an ECS member for over 50 years. During this time, he has given many oral presentations and organized several symposia for Society meetings. He has also received the 2008 ECS Sensor Division Outstanding Achievement Award and many other accolades.

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
March 16, 2018
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #4

Symposium A07: Battery Safety and Failure Modes

Symposium Focus: Long life, high power, reliable and safe lithium-ion batteries are needed for new consumer electronics, vehicle and grid storage applications. Demands for increased battery functionality, makes the severity of a potential battery safety incident a growing risk for emerging lithium-ion battery technologies. The objective of this symposium is to address lithium-ion battery durability, reliability and safety from a materials and cell design perspective with the goal of reducing the severity of an energetic safety incident. Better understanding of battery failure modes and effects could enable cell and system design improvements, performance enhancements and facilitate regulatory approvals of advanced lithium-ion battery power systems.

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Deadline Extended: March 19, 2018

The “Semiconductor-Based Sensors for Application to Vapors, Chemicals, Biological Species, and Medical Diagnosis” focus issue of the ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology aims to cover various active or passive semiconductor devices for gas, chemical, bio and medical detection, with the focus on silicon, GaN, dichalcogenides/oxides, graphene, and other semiconductor materials for electronic or photonic devices.

The scope of contributed articles includes materials preparation, growth, processing, devices, chemistry, physics, theory, and applications for the semiconductor sensors. Different methodologies, principles, designs, models, fabrication techniques, and characterization are all included. Integrated systems combine semiconductor sensors, electric circuit, microfluidic channels, display, and control unit for real applications such as disease diagnostic or environmental monitoring are also welcome.

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The 2018 Society elections are upon us and ECS wants you to learn more about the candidates, from the candidates. All voting members are eligible to participate via electronic proxy. You would have received an email with voting instructions January 15, 2018.

About ECS elections

The early months of each year are an exciting time here at ECS as officer elections take place via electronic proxy in the two-month period from January 15 to March 15, 2018. Elected officers constitute the organization’s executive committee and include the following positions: president, three vice presidents, secretary, and treasurer. The nominating committee determines the candidates and you determine the winner.

Three Questions with the Candidates allows you a personal glimpse of each volunteer on the current ballot. There is a total of five candidates (one for president and two each for vice president and treasurer). Take a moment to read the full candidate biography and election statement. And then enjoy their reflections on ECS and the marvel that is science.

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By: Srikanth Saripalli, Texas A&M University

Image: CC0 Public Domain

What should a self-driving car do when a nearby vehicle is swerving unpredictably back and forth on the road, as if its driver were drunk? What about encountering a vehicle driving the wrong way? Before autonomous cars are on the road, everyone should know how they’ll respond in unexpected situations.

I develop, test and deploy autonomous shuttles, identifying methods to ensure self-driving vehicles are safe and reliable. But there’s no testing track like the country’s actual roads, and no way to test these new machines as thoroughly as modern human-driven cars have been, with trillions of miles driven every year for decades. When self-driving cars do hit the road, they crash in ways both serious and minor. Yet all their decisions are made electronically, so how can people be confident they’re driving safely?

Fortunately, there’s a common, popular and well-studied method to ensure new technologies are safe and effective for public use: The testing system for new medications. The basic approach involves ensuring these systems do what they’re intended to, without any serious negative side effects – even if researchers don’t fully understand how they work.

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Engineers have, for the first time, come up with a way to safely charge a smartphone wirelessly using a laser.

A narrow, invisible beam from a laser emitter can deliver charge to a smartphone sitting across a room—and potentially charge the phone’s battery as quickly as a standard USB cable.

To accomplish this, the researchers mounted a thin power cell to the back of a smartphone, which charges the smartphone using power from the laser.

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