The science of lead pipe corrosion The complexities of the water crisis in Flint, MI run deeper than the infrastructure that carried the tainted water to the city’s residents. Clouded by years of political discourse, the events taking place in Flint have been a culmination of many issues, but overall boil down to the degradation of the city’s infrastructure. There’s one constant at the core of these problems that has been part of the cause, but also has the potential...
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With a robust career in academia, Daniel Scherson has touched many aspects of science and worked with many notable pillars of electrochemistry. From his work on nonlinear, non-equilibrium thermodynamics with Joel Keizer to his work with Heniz Gerischer and Dieter Kolb at the Fritz Haber Institute — Scherson’s career has been shaped by some of the leaders in the field. He joined Case Western Reserve University in 1983, where his research focuses on bettering device such a fuel cells, batteries,…
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Looking to save on electricity? Why not use bioluminescent bacteria to light the way? Innovative start-up Glowee is looking to do just that to illuminate the streets of Paris. By using bacteria found in squid, Glowee is producing lights that consist of transparent gases filled with a gel containing the bioluminescent bacteria alongside the sugars and oxygen they need to survive. The bio-lights will allow cities to cut back on energy and avoid light pollution. With lower electricity consumption comes…
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What happens when corrosion meets energy? For researchers at Stanford University, the marriage of those two uniquely electrochemical topics could yield an answer to large-scale solar power storage. The question of how to store solar power when the sun goes down has been on the forefront of scientific discussion. While electrochemical energy storage devices exist, they are typically either too expensive to work on a large-scale or not efficient enough. Building a solar-powered battery New research shows that metal oxides,…
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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been fighting the good fight on many fronts over the years, including poverty, women’s equality, and of course, energy. In their 2016 annual letter, the private foundation looked at the issue of access to energy. According to Bill Gates, 1.3 billion people – or 18 percent of the world’s population – live without electricity to light their homes. Energy crisis Many energy trouble areas exist in sub-Saharan Africa, where 7 out of 10…
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11 video presentations from E2S With population growth and industrialization, global energy needs continue to grow as well. Economic, political, and environmental issues are largely dictated by energy needs. The fifth international ECS Electrochemical Energy Summit (E2S) was designed to foster an exchange between leading policy makers and energy experts about society needs and technological energy solutions. Take a look at the following presentations from the 2015 E2S given at the 228th ECS Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, Oct. 11-16, 2015....
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Winners' symposia at 229th ECS Meeting Tuesday | 1630h Sapphire Ballroom BC/FG In its first Science for Solving Society's Problems Challenge, ECS partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to leverage the brainpower of the many scientists in electrochemistry and solid state science and technology that regularly attend ECS meetings. ECS invited 100 researchers to learn about the issues and propose their solutions during a multi-day workshop at the Electrochemical Energy and Water Summit in Cancun, Mexico held October...
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A new photo-electrochemical cell has been developed with the potential to chemically store the sun’s energy at high temperatures. It’s a concept pulled directly from nature: plants absorb sunlight and store it chemically. While the concept is simple, replicating it on a large scale has proven quite difficult. Current photovoltaic technology can convert sunlight to electricity, but as temperatures increase, the solar cell efficiency consequently decreases. Storage at high temperatures The new concept developed by scientists at Vienna University of…
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New research headed by ECS senior vice president Krishnan Rajeshwar has developed “green fuels” to power cars, home appliances, and even impact critical energy storage devices. Solar fuels addressing global issues Rajeshwar’s research works to address critical global and environmental issue by creating an inexpensive way to generate fuel from harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide. (MORE: Read additional publications by Rajeshwar.) The University of Texas at Arlington professor and 35 year ECS member has developed a novel high-performing material…
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Tesla is most commonly known for its novel innovations in automobile technology, research into battery technology, and even the company’s dedication to open source knowledge. Now, the company is shifting gears to create a product for all the tiny Elon Musk fans out there. Tesla, in collaboration with Radio Flyer, has recently produced line of electric vehicles for kids. True to Tesla vehicles, the kid car is essentially a scale model of Tesla’s popular electric sedan.