New, low-cost batteries designed to last for a million miles of use in electric vehicles? Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk says the public can expect just that from the Model 3 sedan, expected to debut in China late this year or early next. 

According to Reuters, the new “million mile” battery—which relies on low-cobalt and cobalt-free battery chemistries, among others—was jointly developed with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL). Reuter’s sources say CATL plan on supplying Tesla with an improved long-life nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery whose cathode is 50% nickel and only 20% cobalt sometime next year. (more…)

In just a few months, everything has changed—and will continue changing in the months ahead. ECS reached out to our members to understand how this unprecedented crisis affects our community. We will share their observations and insights in a series of stories so our shared experiences help us navigate this period.

There will be bumps in the road, unexpected opportunities, and newly discovered inspirations.  What is clear: everyone longs to return to their labs; and research, collaboration, teaching, and learning continue in new ways. We hope you stay connected to your colleagues and the broader ECS community for support.

Elizabeth Biddinger on Being Sensitive to our Academic Community’s Needs

Elizabeth Biddinger Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, City College, The City University of New York (CUNY), shares how she and her CUNY community are adapting to—and planning to move beyond—the the current situation. (more…)

We’ve all been touched by the COVID-19 pandemic in some shape or form and have felt its effects, particularly, within the job market. For job seekers, it’s crucial now more than ever to use all resources at hand to increase visibility and exposure. For employers, having a way to filter through countless job applicants is just as important. The ECS Career Center serves as a source to help you connect and find exactly what you’re for! 

The ECS Career Center’s Resume Bank feature allows employers to search resumes in the Resume Bank and target candidates that match the criteria they seek. Job seekers, take advantage of this feature! Use the Upload Your Resume Feature to upload your resume to connect with a potential future employer. (more…)

When it comes to protecting ourselves against COVID-19, innovation is at its peak! Countless YouTube videos and DIY sites have surfaced teaching viewers how to create their own homemade masks, cleaning solutions, replicas of sold-out Clorox wipes, and more, all from the safety of home.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Waco firefighters have also whipped up their own original concoction of salt, water, vinegar, and a jolt of electrochemical activation for the creation of their very own safe, yet powerful, disinfectant. Their homemade formula for hypochlorous acid, paired with their homemade spray system, allows the firefighters to kill viruses on their gear and within their living quarters in just 60 seconds. (more…)

Photo from: Stanford University // Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

A new type of protective face mask

In light of COVID-19 pandemic, research scientist John Xu and mechanical engineer Friedrich “Fritz” Prinz from Stanford University came together to rethink and improve protective face masks using their background in electrochemical processes.

As most of us are now familiar with, breathing with a face mask can be uncomfortable and difficult. According to Stanford News, that’s because N95 masks filter out 95 percent or more of small particulate matter from the air, including the virus, which as a result, makes breathing harder. Its estimated oxygen intake can be reduced anywhere from 5 to 20 percent which can lead to dizziness and lightheadedness. Particularly for health care workers and others working in the front lines of the pandemic, long-term mask wear can even damage lungs. (more…)

In the age of Open Access, web browsers have become the search option of first choice for most researchers. Chrome, Explorer, and Bing can reach out across the whole of the internet in response to a query and pull in more results than would be found in any one online repository.

Similarly, the search features available on hosting platforms are becoming simpler and more streamlined. This reflects the growing number of journals being hosted across single platforms in order to enhance search functionality across multiple titles. Therefore, those searching for specific content must tailor their search parameters to the way the function works. (more…)

The ECS San Francisco Section is proud to present Distinguish Seminar speaker Shirley Meng on May 18 at 1100 (PST) via Zoom:

Li Metal Anode – Advanced Characterization for Next Generation Energy Storage Materials

Shirley Meng, PhD
Zable Endowed Chair Professor in Energy Technologies and
Professor of NanoEngineering and Materials Science
University of California San Diego

When: Monday, May 18, 2020
Time: 1100-1200h PST
Join Zoom Meeting: https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/93893593041

Free participation; no advance registration required (more…)

ECS is proud to work with all our exhibitors, and particularly now with PRiME 2020 exhibitor Thermo Fisher Scientific, which is aggressively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most recently, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s CEO Marc Casper announced the company’s goal to produce 5 million coronavirus tests per week. (more…)