{"339751":{"#nid":"339751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Convert Basic Discoveries in Materials Science and Engineering to Real-World Applications","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBy Rick Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen scientists and engineers use the word materials, they mean any naturally occurring substance manipulated by humans to make things. Beginning with the first metals, discovered by trial and error thousands of years ago, the drive to develop materials that better serve human needs has played a central role in the rise of complex societies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern researchers have moved past haphazard experimentation. Today they examine materials at every level \u2013 from the nanoscale to the visible and tangible macroscale \u2013 to understand why a material behaves as it does.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, investigators unite research capabilities with powerful new tools to develop and characterize novel materials. By pinpointing the complex physical and chemical interactions that control performance, they are creating materials with unique properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe White House recently stressed the economic importance of materials expertise when it launched the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/mgi\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMaterials Genome Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, aimed at speeding the pace with which advanced materials move from discovery to industry applications. Georgia Tech is well positioned with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.materials.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E(IMat), established in 2013 as one of nine interdisciplinary research institutes on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterdisciplinary collaboration is a critical concept at Georgia Tech, explained\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mcdowell\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor who is founding executive director of the new institute. Accordingly, IMat is emphasizing collaboration throughout campus and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech we have some 200 faculty who focus on materials research,\u201d said McDowell, who is the Carter N. Paden Jr. Distinguished Chair in Metals Processing in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, with a joint appointment in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201dThey tackle a broad range of areas including materials for electronics, infrastructure, energy, environment, transportation, biotechnology, aerospace and defense. The very breadth of that research makes multidisciplinary collaboration both possible and desirable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe campus is home to numerous interdisciplinary materials groups \u2013 including the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMaterials Research Science and Engineering Center\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Organic Photonics and Electronics\u003C\/a\u003E, and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2013 that bring together dozens of faculty researchers to focus on core problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials research at Georgia Tech addresses every type of material, including metals, ceramics, polymers, textiles, composites, nanomaterials, bio-molecular solids \u2013 even familiar yet indispensable concrete. And cutting-edge structures that combine very different materials can offer unique capabilities \u2013 as in the case of spider silk and graphene oxide, which yield a light, flexible material stronger than steel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the past, materials progress was highly empirical, based largely on trial and error,\u201d said professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/thadhani\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENaresh Thadhani\u003C\/a\u003E, chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, which is the largest single locus of materials research at Georgia Tech, with 37 full-time faculty and 20 courtesy faculty appointments. \u201cThat approach is now widely regarded as excessively slow and costly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, Thadhani explained, researchers are using microstructural tools, including optical and electron microscopes and neutron and X-ray scattering techniques, combined with time-resolved experimentation, mathematical and numerical modeling and computational simulations, to characterize materials. The aim is to predict how they\u2019ll perform in real world applications, to accelerate the pace from discovery to deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to develop new materials for advanced manufacturing is essential to the United States, said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/evpr\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStephen E. Cross\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech. In the new global economy, novel materials will be a key to the nation remaining competitive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom the day it opened, Georgia Tech has stressed support for industry, and interdisciplinary research is something we believe in very strongly as well,\u201d said Cross. \u201cI\u2019m confident that our broad materials research capability, fostered by our Institute for Materials, can deliver innovations that will promote economic growth for both the state of Georgia and the nation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis article presents an overview of materials work at Georgia Tech, focusing on a few of the many innovative research projects underway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Materials for Extreme Conditions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnsuring Engine Dependability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Everyone wants to be confident that jet engines are completely dependable.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/neu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERichard W. Neu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, studies the details of exactly this issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from the Department of Energy and several multinational corporations, Neu has focused on fatigue and fracture of metallic alloy systems for nearly two decades. He specializes in high temperature fatigue and fracture behavior \u2013 how the microstructure of highly stressed metal parts changes over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re developing models to capture the evolution of gas turbine engine parts over time, so we can predict how that microstructure will change with operational conditions,\u201d said Neu, who directs the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mprl.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMechanical Properties Research Laboratory\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eat Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENeu and his research team are studying gas turbine engines for both aerospace use and for land-based power generation. In both cases, gases in excess of 1,400 degrees Celsius \u2013 higher than the melting point of most metals \u2013 require active cooling strategies and parts made of special alloys to survive these harsh conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn such demanding environments, the high temperatures and stress always take a toll, Neu said. \u201cAmong other investigations, we\u2019ve taken a used engine blade, in service for about three years, and compared its microstructure to an unused blade,\u201d said Neu, who also teaches in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cAnd I can tell you, they\u2019re vastly different.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s more, he said, the differences are not uniform. The microstructure of engine parts can vary dramatically depending on the combined temperature and stress cycles \u2013 meaning exactly how and when the parts encountered temperature and stress. Neu simulates these complex thermomechanical cycles in the laboratory to characterize the degradation of the material under operational conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe materials that Neu tests are typically nickel-based superalloys, which are widely used in gas turbine engines. More recently, he\u2019s been studying promising new high temperature materials such as gamma titanium aluminides, which are so lightweight that they could be revolutionary for aerospace applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Pipeline Degradation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow long a material will last in a given application is always a major concern.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/singh\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPreet Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), is pursuing a number of studies to see how well metallic alloys stand up to various corrosive environments and stresses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh and his team are looking at the performance of conventional carbon steel pipelines used to transport fuel products such as gasoline. In work sponsored by the Department of Transportation and the pipeline industry, he\u2019s addressing the role of corrosion and stresses in the environmental degradation of steel, which can potentially lead to pipeline failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong other things, he\u2019s studying whether pipeline integrity could be affected by new biofuels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBiofuels such as ethanol, bio-diesel, or bio-oils like pyrolosis oil are becoming increasingly important, so there is concern about how they may affect pipeline interior surfaces,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are examining the interactions between these chemicals and steel pipelines \u2013 studying factors including stress, internal environment and the alloy composition \u2013 to understand the possible issues and the ways to mitigate them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem is a complex one, Singh explains. The iron oxides \u2013 rust \u2013 that form when steel begins to corrode may also create a passive film that can help protect the pipeline interior from being further damaged by chemicals flowing through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, different types of iron oxides display very different characteristics. For example, if iron oxide molecules clump rather than dispersing smoothly and continuously, or make a defective surface film, then surface protection is greatly reduced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHigh flow velocities can injure protective films as well. Damage can also come from the stresses placed on steel as sequential fuel batches pressurize and then depressurize the pipeline, which causes low frequency fatigue in these structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResults from Singh\u2019s research have shown that a small amount of impurities such as water, or chlorides in biofuels, can actively affect the extent and mode of corrosion in pipelines as well. Working with MSE associate professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/jang\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESeung Soon Jang\u003C\/a\u003E, Singh is studying how very small differences in the ratio of water and ethanol can have a big effect on the corrosion taking place inside a pipe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploiting Microstructure Data\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvanced metal alloys have become indispensable in various emerging technologies \u2013 especially where extreme conditions demand new levels of performance and lighter weight. But developing novel alloys is difficult without a thorough understanding of metal microstructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can no longer afford to depend on the element of luck in developing materials,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kalidindi\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESurya Kalidindi\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cToday, interdisciplinary research has enabled us to capture materials knowledge that makes it much easier for the designer or manufacturing engineer to understand the microstructure \u2013 and this knowledge lets them deploy new technology much faster.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn projects funded by the Department of Defense, Kalidindi and his team are researching ways to improve lightweight structural metals used in the transportation sector. The goal is to increase operating temperatures in service, which would translate to higher efficiency and major fuel savings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut developing new alloys requires more than familiarity with the relevant metals chemistry, Kalidindi explained. The materials designer needs to understand how the crystals within a metal alloy fit together at the micron level, an interaction that has far-reaching effects on properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe solution is a computer database containing in-depth information on the internal makeup of many different materials, he said. The data on these properties are derived from experiments conducted by Kalidindi and many other researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn some ways you can compare this approach to a fingerprint database, where you can quickly compare a new print coming in to similar ones based on its characteristics,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have developed techniques that allow us to represent each microstructure\u2019s characteristics three-dimensionally, so we can look at a new material and see how it is similar to structures on which we already have detailed information.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn two National Science Foundation-funded projects, Kalidindi is studying development of lighter weight automobile parts made of either high-strength steels or new types of magnesium alloys. Among the challenges is the need to find technologies that can reduce vehicle weight yet cost no more than current techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering Adaptive Metamaterials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn materials research, investigators often alter structures at or near the atomic scale to change behavior at the macroscale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/community\/staff\/bio\/ruzzene-m\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMassimo Ruzzene\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGuggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E(AE), takes a different approach. He designs metamaterials, which are artificial composite structures that combine two or more components in patterns that give them properties not found in materials derived from nature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a metamaterial, the geometry of the constituent parts lets it react to incoming wave energy \u2013 such as electromagnetic, sound or shock waves \u2013 in unusual ways. For example, traditional materials expand in one direction when compressed in another direction; a metamaterial could be designed to adapt to the force in a unique way, such as compressing in both directions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom my standpoint, structures and materials are becoming the same thing,\u201d said Ruzzene, who directs AE\u2019s Vibration and Wave Propagation Laboratory. \u201cWe work on what you might call atomically inspired structures. Rather than manipulating things at the molecular level, we look at molecules for design ideas \u2013 for concepts we can use at the larger scales to design artificial composite materials with geometries that give them unique properties.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, molecules at the smaller scales often realign under a stimulus, such as heat. In a metamaterial, that realignment might be imitated to improve the macroscale functioning of, say, a lattice structure that\u2019s good at dissipating incoming energy but has poor strength.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this, researchers could add in elements \u2013 such as aluminum, rubber or simply air \u2013 which are carefully placed into the lattice geometry. These inclusions would enable the structure to change dramatically when exposed to a given type of stress, altering overall behavior and changing the directionality of incoming stress waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one federally funded project, Ruzzene is developing a structure with both high stiffness and high damping \u2013 a demanding task because these properties conflict. Ruzzene and his team decided to decouple the two requirements, creating a structure that is stiff on the outside but uses resonating structures inside to damp out problem frequencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach could be useful in reducing structural fatigue caused by continual flexing in aircraft. The research team has developed an aluminum beam that fits inside an aircraft wing. The metamaterial design lets it carry a load and stiffen the wing, while also drastically reducing vibrations by means of damping in the critical range of 8 to 10 hertz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling Materials Behavior\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETests that show when a material will fail are critical to reliable engineering applications. The problem is that such tests are generally complex and expensive. They\u2019re also time-consuming, slowing the insertion of new material designs into real world applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/rimoli.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJulian J. Rimoli\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE), works in the field of computational solid mechanics, which investigates the behavior of any solid material \u2013 including metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and metamaterials \u2013 through advanced modeling and computational techniques. In particular, he is interested in the formulation of models that can dependably predict the life of materials in extreme environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraditionally, engineering models of degradation, wear, damage, and failure of materials are phenomenological. This phenomenological approach implies that models are formulated to fit experimental observations,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile this approach is good enough in many situations, he added, it is inherently not predictive. In addition, this approach does not provide any physical insight on why a material may have certain properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERimoli specializes in the formulation of physics-based predictive multiscale models that link microstructure to mechanical behavior. His research aims to design new classes of materials that are more resistant to extreme conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one Air Force-sponsored project, Rimoli is trying to understand the leading erosion mechanisms in plasma thrust engines, which can be used to propel satellites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research shows that there are more erosion mechanisms than previously thought, such as mesoscale formation of inter- and intra-granular thermal cracks that play a prominent role in the premature wear of such components. These models are currently being used to tailor the microstructure of families of heterogeneous ceramic compounds to better withstand the demands of a plasma environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaterials Reliability in Structures, Infrastructures and Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/m_zhou\u0022\u003EMin Zhou\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eof the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering (ME) studies the effects of mechanical, thermal and chemical loading on the behaviors and reliability of structural, infrastructural and functional materials, such as metals, ceramics, semiconductors and composites. One focus involves high strain rate mechanical loading, which can come from several causes, including high-speed machining, impact, penetration, and the explosion of energetic materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of a federally funded project, Zhou has built a laboratory in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eto investigate how ship structures respond to the effects of underwater explosions. Using a special gas-driven gun, he generates high-pressure waves through water and uses the impulsive loads to analyze the resulting fluid-solid interactions with high-speed digital cameras and laser interferometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal is to develop new materials for ship construction. Under special consideration are sandwich structures, which are polymer-based composites that are lightweight, inexpensive and highly corrosion resistant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut such materials must also be highly resistant to heavy weather, encounters with reefs and other threats. Using both experiments and computer simulations, Zhou is designing composite structures that could meet these requirements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another project, sponsored by the Army and the Department of Homeland Security, Zhou is working with ME professor David McDowell on infrastructure materials that could offer increased protection against earthquakes, as well as terrorist attacks. The team is using both large-scale experiments and computational modeling techniques to study ultra-high-performance concrete designs that use novel metal fibers for added strength.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhou also studies a range of issues related to materials in energy applications. In a project sponsored by the National Research Foundation of Korea, he is addressing problems surrounding the use of silicon to replace graphite in next-generation high-capacity rechargeable lithium ion batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilicon is a highly desirable replacement for traditional graphite as anodes in lithium-ion batteries, because of its much higher lithium storing capacity. However, it is more prone to mechanical failure through cracking due to large volume changes during charge and discharge. Zhou is developing models that outline approaches for improving the reliability of silicon-based anodes by taking advantage of the size dependence of coupled mechanical chemical diffusional processes in the materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENovel Next-Generation Composites\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIncreasing Composite Material Integrity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComposites such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers are impressively light and strong, but they don\u2019t have the track record of older materials like steel.\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=czhang343\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Chuck Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is working with aerospace companies to increase the quality of composite parts while lowering production costs and ensuring structural integrity long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnlike steel parts, which can be stamped, composites generally require time-consuming molding and curing processes,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cWe are researching methods for shortening the composites\u2019 manufacturing time while improving the quality of finished parts \u2013 and also adding a self-sensing capability that can perform structural health monitoring.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetecting problems and flaws during composite manufacturing and service is critical because such flaws can go unseen and lead to sudden failure. To guard against such flaws, as well as long-term structural fatigue problems, Zhang is working on novel methods for making composites with tiny built-in sensors that could monitor both the manufacturing process and composite structural integrity during service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConventional strain sensors \u2013 usually thin films of metal \u2013 would constitute a foreign body within the polymer composite itself, he explained. Their presence could affect integrity and lead to adverse delamination of composite layers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhang uses special aerosol jet printing equipment to fabricate tiny sensors directly on composites using conductive inks comprised of carbon nanotubes, graphene or metal particles. These sensors \u2013 with feature sizes of about 10 microns \u2013 are far smaller than conventional strain sensors. They have more choices for ink materials and can be printed on substrates of various materials and shapes, which allow them to be more conformal, versatile and easily embedded. Their tiny size could let manufacturers build large numbers of them into polymer composites without disturbing structural integrity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other research, Zhang is working on a prosthetics-related project with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=hwang373\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBen Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, who is executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI). The researchers are participating in the Socket Optimized for Comfort with Advanced Technology (SOCAT), a $4.4 million Department of Veterans Affairs contract led by Florida State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effort addresses prosthetics shortcomings to benefit those who have lost limbs to injury or disease. The GTMI team is developing tiny printed sensor devices to monitor health- and comfort-related conditions in the socket where a patient\u2019s limb connects to a prosthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhang is also collaborating with researchers Xiaojuan (Judy) Song and Jud Ready of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to develop innovative sensors and photovoltaic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnhancing a Universal Material\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKimberly Kurtis, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cee.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is pursuing multiple research projects involving a ubiquitous composite material: concrete.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research involves studies that range from chemistry and structure at the nanoscale to appraising massive structures such as dams and buildings at the macroscale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur work is very multiscale, and like other materials researchers, we\u2019re constantly trying to better define the relationship between structure and properties,\u201d said Kurtis. \u201cTo do that, we study the broader class of all cement-based materials \u2013 not just concrete but anything that contains a mineral, non-biological cement \u2013 to link the chemistry of various cements with their structural performance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored project, Kurtis and her team studied the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles as partial replacements for cement. They found the material significantly alters the way that the cement reacts, reducing the time it takes to cure, and potentially reducing the amount of cement needed to build a structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is also studying the role of titanium dioxide and concrete\u2019s nanostructure in potentially reducing nitrogen oxide effects. Nitrogen oxides, a group of compounds that are major byproducts of vehicle emissions, can damage human health. Tailoring the interactions between concrete and its environment could lead to new approaches for improving air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong several other projects, Kurtis is working with NSF support to develop better statistical and probabilistic descriptors of concrete and its constituents, with a focus on nanoscale and micron-scale porosity. Concrete is heterogeneous, she explained, and its composition varies on multiple scales, from coarse aggregate to paste. Data on these related factors can be used in computer models to predict performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn exciting thing about being at Georgia Tech is that you\u2019ve always got one foot in science and one foot in practice,\u201d Kurtis said. \u201cYou want to make sure that what you\u2019re doing is relevant to the broader needs of society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Medical Imaging\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), a composite developed for radioactive materials surveillance is being adapted for medical imaging applications. The goal is a new technology \u2013 the transparent nanophotonic scintillator for X-ray imaging \u2013 that exposes patients to less radiation while producing higher resolution images.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe basic technology development was led by GTRI researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eosl.gtri.gatech.edu\/MeettheExperts\/MeettheExpertsDrBrentWagnerPhD\/tabid\/239\/Default.aspx\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBrent Wagner\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand Bernd Kahn with Department of Homeland Security funding. The team created a unique composite made of nanoparticles of rare earth materials dispersed evenly in a silica matrix. The glasslike material detects gamma rays by converting them to visible light via a phenomenon known as scintillation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA similar approach is now being developed under a National Institutes of Health-funded project led by GTRI senior research engineer Zhitao Kang, a member of Wagner\u2019s research group. Kang is using the same basic scintillator material \u2013 nanoparticles in a glass matrix \u2013 to produce a clearer image with far less light scattering than conventional X-ray imaging scintillators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo improve the technology further, Kang and his team have been working with professor emeritus Christopher Summers of the School of Materials Science and Engineering to add a layer of photonic crystals to the scintillator\u2019s surface. The photonic crystals \u2013 basically a pattern of tiny holes tuned to a specific light frequency \u2013 help direct light out of the scintillator and thus increase light output.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur scintillator \u2013 the nanoparticles in glass \u2013 gives us high resolution, while the photonic crystals increase the light collection efficiency, which means we get more light out of the X-ray,\u201d Kang said. \u201cThese are the two properties you want \u2013 a better image, along with high efficiency so you don\u2019t need to use so many X-rays.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKang pointed to an added benefit of the nanophotonic approach: GTRI\u2019s glass-like scintillator materials could be made in large sheets, just like industrial glass. That would decrease manufacturing overhead and make the technology less costly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKang and his team are also collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a German national laboratory to modify GTRI\u2019s scintillator so that it can detect neutrons. The researchers are adding neutron-detecting materials \u2013 varieties of lithium and boron \u2013 that can absorb incoming neutron energy and convert it to light via the scintillation process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing Carbon Fibers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon fibers are stronger and lighter than steel, and composite materials based on carbon fiber reinforced polymers are used in an ever-expanding range of applications. The Boeing 787 aircraft employs carbon fiber materials extensively in its fuselage, wings, tail and other sections. Carbon fiber composites are utilized in civil engineering and construction, and in many consumer products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022wp-caption-text\u0022\u003ESatish Kumar, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, leads a DARPA project to improve composite materials that are based on carbon fibers by using nanotechnology in the form of carbon nanotubes. Here he views magnified carbon fibers. (Click image for high-resolution version. Credit: Gary Meek)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet today\u2019s carbon fiber materials have a long way to go before they achieve their full potential, said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kumar\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESatish Kumar\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. He is leading a four-year, $9.8 million project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to improve these materials using nanotechnology in the form of carbon nanotubes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s likely that carbon fiber materials could be about 10 times stronger than they are presently, so there is tremendous room for further improvement in their tensile and other structural properties,\u201d Kumar said. \u201cBy using carbon nanotubes to reinforce carbon fibers, our objective is development of a next-generation carbon fiber with double the tensile strength of today\u2019s strongest carbon fibers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an advanced laboratory established for the current project, Kumar and his team are optimizing techniques for converting polymeric materials into high-strength carbon fiber, using a multi-stage process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUntreated polymers contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, Kumar explained. They can be made into carbon fiber via a selective treatment process called pyrolysis, in which a polymer mix is gradually subjected to both heat and stretching. This treatment eliminates large quantities of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, leaving an increased amount of carbon that makes the fiber stronger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKumar modifies this process by adding carbon nanotubes \u2013 about one percent by weight \u2013 to the polymer mixture before pyrolysis. Among the challenges is finding the best methods for dispersing the carbon nanotube solution uniformly in the polymer mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf the mixing process is fully successful, the carbon nanotubes will reorient the crystals within the polymer in a uniform direction,\u201d he said. \u201cThe altered molecular structure has the potential to make the resulting carbon fiber much stiffer and stronger.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaterials for National Defense and Homeland Security\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeployable Chemical Sensing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanomaterial-based chemiresistors are useful for environmental monitoring and agricultural applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eosl.gtri.gatech.edu\/MeettheExperts\/MeettheExpertsDrJudySongPhD\/tabid\/256\/Default.aspx\u0022\u003EXiaojuan (Judy) Song\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has developed sensing technology that uses functionalized carbon nanotubes to detect minute amounts of chemicals in ambient air. Combined with radio frequency identification (RFID) electronics, this material could be used to make low-cost sensors that give advance warning of threats.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are using carbon nanotubes (CNT) that have been functionalized for a particular gas or analyte, applied as a sensing film,\u201d said Song, who is the principal investigator on the project. \u201cSensors based on these materials could be used in the field by the thousands to inform first responders about nearby hazards.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with graduate student Christopher Valenta of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Song has developed a prototype sensor array integrated with an RFID chip that is 10 centimeters square. The next step might be a prototype as small as a one centimeter square, with sensing tips that could be aerosol jet printed on paper or a flexible substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe RFID-enabled CNT-based wireless sensors could also be valuable for monitoring air pollution, she said. Low-cost sensing systems that detect trace ammonia, nitrogen oxides and other targeted gases could also be fielded in large numbers for agricultural applications, such as providing information on fertilizer usage and early detection of plant disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Better Body Armor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/speyer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERobert Speyer\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, performs extensive research on the body armor that protects U.S. troops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also builds it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis Atlanta-based Georgia Tech spinoff company, Verco Materials LLC, produces ceramic armor made primarily from boron carbide. Using patented processes, Verco has for several years been producing armor for research and development, as well as for actual protective equipment. To date, Verco has received some $6 million in contracts to expand the company and its capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVerco recently started work to improve side armor plates, which are used by U.S. troops to augment the protection offered by the familiar front torso plates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe most important objective in ceramic body armor is to have high hardness, so that the armor will not flow out of the way of the projectile. Instead, the projectile is forced to dwell at the surface, collapsing on itself and mushrooming out as it loses its energy,\u201d Speyer said. \u201cOur armor is really impressive in that regard, which is allowing us to develop armor at reduced weight that still defeats armor piercing rounds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVerco now has two 6,000-square-feet manufacturing locations in Atlanta, not far from the Georgia Tech campus. One location includes a massive 1,700-ton press capable of making powder compacts of full torso armor plates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the challenges that Verco has overcome is a need to find less expensive boron carbide powders to use in making armor plate. The team solved that problem by devising a different formulation with an even higher hardness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur ballistics results are disruptively good,\u201d Speyer said. \u201cAs we scale up, we\u2019re focusing on the need to keep our costs competitive as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrapping Chemical Threats\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince World War I, the U.S. military has used protection equipment \u2013 including gas mask-type devices and larger filters \u2013 to protect against possible chemical agents.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/walton\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKrista Walton\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, works to ensure that U.S. air purification technology is equal to any class of chemicals, novel or conventional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalton and her research team focus on designing materials that are effective against a broad class of compounds called toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). They have developed porous materials that are designed to adsorb incoming TICs, protecting personnel against their effects for extended periods of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a number of materials that for decades have protected effectively against many different chemicals,\u201d Walton said. \u201cOur work centers on finding ways to enhance filtration devices, to be sure they can also handle any new air purification challenges that emerge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Army Research Office, Walton and her research group are developing nanostructured porous materials that can effectively capture additional toxic chemicals. The goal is to improve performance in devices that range from gas masks to filters that protect the air intake equipment used in buildings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the group\u2019s principal research efforts focuses on metal organic framework (MOF) technology. These hybrid materials, which use both inorganic and organic parts, are designed to trap specific molecules that could be hazardous.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this approach, organic ligands \u2013 molecules that bind to metal atoms \u2013 are modified to target one specific incoming molecule but not others. Several different ligands can be mixed together to protect against a range of different chemicals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalton uses a variety of tools, including powder X-ray diffraction and gas adsorption analysis, to characterize the materials she develops. The aim is to pinpoint materials with the most promise, which are then selected for more extensive testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaterials Derived from the Natural World\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUtilizing a Bio-Factory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural structures can be far more complex than anything developed synthetically.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sandhage\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKenneth Sandhage\u003C\/a\u003E, who is the B. Mifflin Hood Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), is using tiny diatoms \u2013 a type of single-celled algae \u2013 to make unique materials with a variety of potential applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn nature, there are an estimated 100,000 species of diatoms, ranging from a few micrometers to several hundred micrometers in size. Each species creates a unique three-dimensional frustule, or micro-shell, out of silica, a material also used to make glass.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce researchers identify a diatom configuration that holds promise for a specific application, that species may be allowed to reproduce in a laboratory culture. In 80 reproduction cycles, one parent diatom can produce more than a septillion daughters of similar three-dimensional structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s massively parallel self-assembly, under precise 3-D control, that can be accomplished in a wide variety of shapes by using different diatom species,\u201d Sandhage explained. \u201cThere\u2019s no man-made approach that can accomplish such massively parallel 3-D assembly in such a range of complex patterns under ambient conditions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make useful structures, the next step involves synthetic chemical processes, as the complex but delicate silica shell is replaced with a more desirable functional material suitable for a particular application. Sandhage and his research team have made ceramic and polymer replicas of diatom frustules composed of, for example, titanium oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon carbide, carbon, and barium titanate. They\u2019ve also made replicas from silicon and other elements such as copper, silver, gold, platinum and other metals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one project, Sandhage and his team have worked with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/liu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMeilin Liu\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, to use a diatom-derived material in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. To speed up the critical oxygen reduction reaction in the fuel cell electrode, they placed a catalytic material, consisting of nanometer scale platinum particles, onto and into a conductive substrate of carbon diatom replicas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platinum particles lodged into the fine pores of the carbon replica cell walls, and went on to catalytically outperform standard platinum-loaded carbon black, as well as platinum-loaded carbon derived from silicon carbide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis superior performance can be traced to the hollow, thin walled 3-D shape derived from the diatoms, Sandhage said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe oxygen can readily move inside the tiny hollow structure, so it doesn\u2019t have to travel far to reach the platinum buried within the thin cell walls. The result is an electrode with far better performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther potential applications for diatom-derived materials include tiny sensors, fast acting drug delivery capsules, rapid water or synthetic chemical purification, anti-counterfeiting, and hierarchically patterned electrodes for other energy devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSomeday, it may become possible to genetically modify the diatom and basically dial in the 3-D shape that we want, which would then allow us to tailor the shape as well as the chemistry for a particular application,\u201d Sandhage said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMimicking Biological Nanostructures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/srinivasarao\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMohan Srinivasarao\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, wants to understand how the outer shells of some creatures, such as insects, create unusual optical effects such as iridescent colors. He is also investigating how those structures can be simulated to produce comparable effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are investigating nature-inspired colors and how to change those colors dynamically,\u201d said Srinivasarao. \u201cThere are many biological systems that have liquid crystal-like structures on their bodies, and that lets them create colors by altering the frequency of the incoming light.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe potential applications of this National Science Foundation-sponsored research are broad, he said. One involves camouflage that would vary with the background. Others might center on long lasting commercial materials that could produce a brilliant color, or a range of shifting colors, using nanostructures rather than dyes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn explaining nanostructure-based coloring, Srinivasarao pointed to the case of a butterfly that is not green but can make itself appear so.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreen is an excellent color choice for an insect living in foliage, but it\u2019s also a difficult color for many creatures to generate in the natural world. The butterfly in question achieves this protective hue by mixing yellow and blue wavelengths together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another instance, one type of beetle can produce both green and yellow by depositing chitin, a natural polymer that occurs in its exoskeleton, in the manner of a helix. The pitch of that helix \u2013 the width of one complete turn \u2013 is about 300 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, the exoskeleton\u2019s index of refraction \u2013 a measure of how light propagates through it \u2013 is approximately 1.5. The interaction between the pitch, the index of refraction and incoming light simulates the color green.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are no dyes, no pigments,\u201d said Srinivasarao. \u201cIf you look at the 300-nanometer spacing in between these lines here on the beetle\u2019s shell, that\u2019s on the right order of magnitude to provide the green reflection.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Hybrid Nanomaterials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/tsukruk\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVladimir Tsukruk\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is studying ways to put organic and inorganic materials together to create new functionality. Specifically, he unites \u201csoft\u201d materials \u2013 biologically derived polymers and organics \u2013 with \u201chard\u201d materials such as noble metals and other inorganic structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur approach involves developing what can be called bioinspired materials \u2013 based on examples from nature \u2013 that have unusual physical properties,\u201d Tsukruk said. \u201cSoft materials and hard materials have unique sets of properties, but by combining them you can get something much more intriguing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETsukruk and his research team are studying ways to interface such disparate materials so that they function together productively. A host of problems \u2013 including clear mismatches in physical properties, molecular structure and other characteristics \u2013 make the work challenging, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one project, Tsukruk is combining genetically modified spider silk \u2013 one of the toughest materials in nature \u2013 with ultrathin films of graphene oxide to form a layered nanocomposite. By alternating layers of the two materials, 20 percent graphene and 80 percent silk, he aims to unite graphene\u2019s strength with the toughness and elasticity of the silk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA paper on this work, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, was published in April 2013 in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. And in another study, recently published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAngewandte Chemie\u003C\/em\u003E, Tsukruk and a research team demonstrated a method for writing electrically conductive patterns on flexible silk-graphene biopaper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilk-graphene nanocomposites can have strength comparable to the best steel and the flexibility of conventional paper, Tsukruk said, while also offering flexibility and lighter weight. Such materials could be mass produced after certain issues are resolved, such as obtaining low-cost silks, which could be manufactured through the use of genetically modified bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Materials for Energy Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELaunching Energy Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA critical part of materials development involves moving technology from the laboratory to real-world applications.\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eosl.gtri.gatech.edu\/MeettheExperts\/MeettheExpertsDrJudReadyPhD\/tabid\/233\/Default.aspx\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E, a principal research engineer in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), brings nanomaterials discoveries to bear on a variety of energy-related and other components, including solar cells, batteries, supercapacitors and field electron emitters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe research a variety of different ways to use electrons in a material, with the intention of making a useful device and then hopefully commercializing that device,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady and his team have developed a 3-D photovoltaic technology that uses micron-scale \u201ctowers\u201d to capture nearly three times as much light as flat solar cells of the same materials. The technology \u2013 aimed at applications such as satellites, cell phones and military equipment where limited surface area is an issue \u2013 is now licensed to California-based Bloo Solar Inc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team is presently readying another solar cell technology that could lower costs while maintaining a useful level of performance. Under this approach, the low-cost elements copper, zinc, tin and sulfur (CZTS) replace more costly elements \u2013 copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) \u2013 that have been used in photovoltaics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCZTS materials are virtually identical in crystal structure and manufacturing approaches to CIGS, which costs at least a thousand times more,\u201d Ready said. \u201cSo even if CZTS efficiency is only 15 percent versus some 20 percent for CIGS, the CZTS raw material costs a penny as opposed to $10 for CIGS.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u2019s CZTS technology is expected to be installed and tested on the International Space Station in December 2014. Commercial development of the technology is on the horizon as well; the researchers are working with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup company incubator for Georgia Tech researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearching Longer Lasting Batteries\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA battery that costs less and lasts significantly longer in laptops, cell phones or electric cars before recharging would be welcome to both consumers and industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yushin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGleb Yushin\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is working with battery materials that could outperform the conventional lithium ion technology common today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYushin and his research team are studying several chemistries that hold promise for future battery technologies. In addition to ultra-high capacity materials for lithium ion cells, the team is studying magnesium ion and aluminum ion chemistries, which can carry more charge than lithium ions, as well as sodium ion chemistry which may offer reduced cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem is, the larger the amount of charge on an ion \u2013 which is an atom or molecule that carries an electrical charge \u2013 the greater the potential barriers within the battery\u2019s charging system. The result is that it presently takes far longer to charge and discharge batteries built around the non-lithium chemistries. The Georgia Tech researchers are working on improving these materials to reach an acceptable rate of charge and discharge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYushin also studies supercapacitors, which are energy storage devices that can charge up in seconds and then deliver energy quickly. He has developed composite materials that charge at the same fast rates but store far more energy \u2013 a big advantage for applications such as wind farms, certain hybrid vehicles, military activities and others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese are difficult problems that require long term study to solve,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cTo do this, we are examining the fundamentals of structure and properties at the nanoscale \u2013 to learn how the microstructure of these materials and their chemistry can impact the insertion and extraction of different metal ions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYushin is conducting fundamental studies of ion transport to advance his work on batteries and supercapacitors. In collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists, he and his team recently carried out experiments that added to the basic understanding of ion activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used a technique called small angle neutron scattering to directly observe how ions behave in certain microporous materials. By directing a beam of high-energy neutrons on activated carbon electrodes during supercapacitor operation, they determined how electrolyte composition affected the average ion concentrations in pores of different sizes as a function of the applied potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn these experiments we gained unique information about ion adsorption in sub-nanometer pores that nobody else had obtained previously,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cUnderstanding these processes better could lead to the development of improved energy storage, as well as advances in fields such as water purification, desalination systems and biological systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking Energy Safer, Less Costly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/alamgir\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFaisal Alamgir\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is tackling research challenges involving energy-related behaviors in applications that include batteries and solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn battery-related research, Alamgir and his team are studying ways to make lithium ion batteries safer and longer-lasting. Among other things, Alamgir wants to understand and optimize the behavior of various elements within a cycling lithium ion cell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one important study sponsored by the National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Alamgir has investigated the role of oxygen in the creation of electrons in lithium ion batteries. Among the key issues: whether the oxygen present in battery materials is participating in the electrochemical reaction as lithium cycles in and out. If so, that could help explain why fires have occurred in some large lithium-based batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlamgir and his team used X-ray absorption spectroscopy to look inside an operating battery. The work confirmed that oxygen is indeed being created under some conditions during the charging and discharging process in a lithium ion battery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow we know that fires may start inside a lithium cell even if there was no puncture in the cell \u2013 because there is oxygen participating in the reaction,\u201d Alamgir said. \u201cIf we want to make safer batteries, we must work in a voltage range where the oxygen is not as active \u2013 which varies with temperature \u2013 or we must come up with an alternative cathode material that keeps the oxygen from participating electrochemically.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the area of solar cells, Alamgir is examining the use of new materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This type of solar cell promises lower costs compared to more traditional techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one approach, he is studying the use of low-cost titanium dioxide instead of conventional silicon as the light-absorbing semiconductor in solar cells. By also adding certain dyes that increase light absorption, he has designed a photo-electrochemical system that could be manufactured more easily and inexpensively than today\u2019s silicon technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other work, Alamgir is looking at materials and methods that could replace or reduce the use of costly platinum, the traditional choice as a counter electrode of DSSCs, as well as electrodes in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne method seeks to limit platinum\u2019s use to ultra-thin films, consisting of only a few monolayers of the element. Alamgir has shown dimension-dependent transitions in enhancement of properties in platinum when it is restricted to layers that are only a few atoms thick.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComplex Modeling of Nanomaterials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn today\u2019s world, there\u2019s a pressing need to find the most energy efficient materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/jang\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESeung Soon Jang\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is using computational modeling to examine the relationship between structure and properties in these materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe perform first principles atomistic modeling, which means we include all the details of a material\u2019s atoms \u2013 its hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and others \u2013 without simplifying anything,\u201d Jang said. \u201cWe can then use that highly detailed knowledge to design new materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s sophisticated observational tools are used by scientists to produce reams of experimental data. Jang and his team in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cnbt.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EComputational NanoBio Technology Laboratory\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eutilize these big-data troves to develop useful models of materials behavior at the smallest scales, exploiting powerful computers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the atomic scale, Jang and his team use quantum mechanical simulations derived from computational physics and chemistry to understand the distribution of electrons, which give a particular material many of its unique properties. At a slightly larger scale, he employs molecular dynamics simulations to understand how the grouping of molecules also determines a material\u2019s behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJang is using these techniques to tackle projects in multiple areas including semiconductors, carbon nanotubes and graphene, biomaterials, and fuel cells, batteries and solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one recent project sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, Jang and several collaborators investigated behavior in semiconductor materials at very small scales. In particular, they studied a phenomenon that takes place when the dimensions of certain semiconducting materials are reduced to nanoscale levels: non-metallic materials unexpectedly take on metallic properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another project, sponsored principally by the Department of Energy and a major automotive company, Jang is studying the performance of polymer membranes in automotive fuel cells. The aim is to find new membrane designs that will improve the material\u2019s performance at extreme temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Nanostructured Energy Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EZhiqun Lin\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is pursuing research on solar energy conversion. To increase solar cell efficiency, he is working with nanostructured functional materials, including conjugated polymers, nanocrystals, and nanocomposites made of conjugated polymers and nanocrystals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanocrystals are nanoparticles with a crystalline structure \u2013 meaning their atoms are arranged in a regular, periodic way. In a given material, their crystalline form can give them special behaviors that don\u2019t occur at larger size scales in the same material. Lin has been concentrating on producing functional nanocrystals that will support more-efficient solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn work funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Lin recently discovered a simple and robust approach to making a wide variety of functional nanocrystals with controllable sizes, compositions and architectures \u2013 including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconducting and luminescent nanocrystals. The new technique \u2013 described in the June 2013 issue of the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2013 targets nanoparticles for applications where tight control over size and structure promotes desirable properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELin and his team are pursuing several projects involving solar cells. One effort involves hybrid solar cells, so called because they utilize both organic and inorganic semiconductor materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this approach, conjugated organic polymers are coupled with inorganic semiconducting nanocrystals. Incoming photons are absorbed in the polymer, generating electrons that are then injected into the semiconducting nanocrystals to produce current. Advantages include low cost to manufacture and toughness that could facilitate solar cell installation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another project, Lin is developing photovoltaic cells using abundant, low cost and environmentally friendly elements: copper, zinc, tin and sulfur. Made into functional nanocrystals that can serve as the semiconductor, these elements could replace expensive noble metals such as platinum, as well as rare earth elements that can be hard to obtain, for use as counter electrodes in high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Structures to Aid Materials Development\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploring Thin Films\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe use of thin films \u2013 layers with thicknesses in the nanoscale to micron-scale range \u2013 has become increasingly important in a number of technological applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/s_graham\u0022\u003ESamuel Graham\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is focusing on methods for growing thin films, as well as studying their properties and reliability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch films can be used in applications that include optical coatings, batteries, solar cells, semiconductors and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). In addition, thin films can be used to protect other materials against degradation such as corrosion or harmful reactions with the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of Graham\u2019s current research goals involves developing defect-free coatings using a method called atomic layer deposition (ALD), which deposits the films in a layer by layer fashion and gives unique control over film thickness and film composition. He is also researching layers that can be used to allow uniform growth of these films using ALD on virtually any material, including plastics, metals and organic electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn work sponsored by the Department of Energy, Graham and his team are collaborating with professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=127\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBernard Kippelen\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eof the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Ein the use of ALD to create barrier films that can protect flexible and organic electronics from being degraded by water vapor and oxygen in the ambient environment. They have found that materials including aluminum oxide and titanium oxide perform well in protecting the electronics underneath.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETesting these oxides includes measuring water vapor transport rates through very thin layers to gauge protection levels. Graham and his team are also looking at the use of these oxides in flexible electronics, testing how far these thin films can be bent or stretched before they develop cracks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the things we have found is that the thicker a film is, the less strain it takes to crack it, so the ultra-thin films are better,\u201d Graham said. \u201cThat finding could benefit industry, because putting down a 20-nanometer thick film takes less time and material than producing a 50-nanometer thick film.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong other projects, Graham is researching the use of oxide films in the development of novel electrodes for organic electronics. The result could be more efficient and stable electrodes for organic solar cells, which is an emerging technology for future photovoltaic systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Metal Foams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/antoniou\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAntonia Antoniou\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, studies the mechanics of materials at the nanoscale. She and her research team are synthesizing and studying metal foams, which are materials with nano-sized pores that behave like tiny sponges. The aim is to assess the unusual mechanical properties of these nanopore formations. Their intricate three-dimensional structure contains a large amount of surface area, along with a granular composition that offers myriad interfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch foams hold promise for applications including battery electrodes or supercapacitors, catalysts that increase chemical reactions, and tiny sensors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntoniou\u2019s techniques enable structures to self-assemble at the nanoscale. She and her team start with a mixture of two or more metal elements, and then selectively use a corrosive environment to dissolve one or more of them. The result is an intricate porous network with special properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers test the foams\u2019 mechanical properties using a tiny probe called a nanoindenter. They also use electron microscopes to image the surface and view changes taking place at the nanoscale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe rules tend to change when you reach the atomic level,\u201d Antoniou said. \u201cUnlike a bulk alloy, these foams often have gigapascal strength, which is a very high level of strength for a metal and could enable certain challenging applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntoniou works with a variety of metals, especially platinum, copper and molybdenum. Collaborating with scientists at Georgia Tech and several other universities, she is investigating applying these foams to the needs of several industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one National Science Foundation-sponsored project, the group is studying applications that could be useful to the nuclear industry. The foams\u2019 innate strength lets them tolerate a significant amount of radiation, suggesting potential applications such as protective coatings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that successful applications are based on understanding these materials at a fundamental level,\u201d she said. \u201cBy synthesizing them, we exercise control over the structure, and then by testing them, we can discover unique behaviors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing Smart Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/bassiri_gharb\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENazanin Bassiri-Gharb\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, focuses her research on thin films and nanostructures made with ferroelectric materials \u2013 which have a spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by applying an external electric field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe call ferroelectrics smart materials, because they react to many different external fields \u2013 not only mechanical but also electrical and thermal \u2013 and they lend themselves to many applications including sensors, actuators and energy harvesting,\u201d said Bassiri-Gharb, who has a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cMy group is specifically trying to understand the fundamental behavior of ferroelectric materials at the very small scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBassiri-Gharb and her research team are pursuing multiple research projects related to ferroelectrics. They\u2019re working extensively on electromechanical response in piezoelectric materials, which produce a charge when mechanically stimulated. In a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project funded by the Air Force, Bassiri-Gharb is working with a company to develop large-scale production of ferroelectric nanotubes to harvest energy from human stepping motion. The challenge is to distribute the material in a network of piezoelectric islands rather than in one piece. That configuration creates pathways that allow the maximized amount of the generated electric charge to flow to collection points such as batteries or capacitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a collaborative project with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bassiri-Gharb and her team are working on understanding multiscale coupling of mechanical, electrical and chemical properties in oxide thin films \u2013 specifically as it applies to miniaturization of energy technologies including multilayer capacitors, batteries, and fuel cell devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve learned a great deal from this work, including the interaction between the piezoelectric thin film and its inactive silicon substrate\u201d she said. \u201cOur research shows that as we drastically reduce the thickness of the silicon, the piezoelectric response gets much larger.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProbing Polymer Structure\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how materials function at the smallest scales is key to modern materials science and engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/bucknall\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Bucknall\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, uses advanced techniques \u2013 including neutron scattering and X-ray scattering \u2013 to characterize polymers at the atomic and molecular levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsing these scattering techniques, we can probe a material in situ \u2013 meaning in an application-related environment \u2013 allowing us to observe structural changes that occur during use or operation of the material,\u201d he said. \u201cBy applying a number of complementary techniques, this allows us build up a three-dimensional understanding of the structure and gives us a picture of the complex interplay between a material\u2019s microstructure and its efficiency or its robustness in a device.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the field of organic electronics, Bucknall and his team are working with colleagues in the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) to manipulate molecular-level surface interactions to achieve increased efficiency in organic photovoltaic materials. Neutron scattering is extremely useful in this Department of Energy-funded research, Bucknall said, because it provides one of the few methods to differentiate between the active materials in the organic photovoltaic devices, allowing determination of the interaction between the constituent materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding this interaction between the materials allows COPE scientists to adjust the chemistry and synthesize new variations. The aim of the work is to build organic photovoltaic devices with much higher efficiencies than currently available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBucknall is also using X-ray scattering and neutron scattering techniques to characterize fracture and deformation mechanisms in polymer structures. In one project, he is working with a major energy company to determine the molecular origin of tear and puncture resistance in polyethylene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a related project, he is collaborating on a study of very high rate deformation of polymers with professor Naresh Thadhani, chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. The work involves propelling different polymeric materials at very high velocities at a solid block of steel and then recording the resulting shape changes in real time using high-speed imaging, spectroscopy, and interferometry techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work, Bucknall said, could lead to a deeper fundamental understanding of deformation in other polymers, such as those used in automotive vehicles and increasingly in aircraft.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERepresenting Structures Mathematically\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe more accurately researchers can analyze a material\u2019s structure at multiple scales \u2013 from the nanoscale to the micron scale and larger \u2013 the more fully they can explain that material\u2019s properties and performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding this complex relationship is a challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/gokhale\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EArun Gokhale\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, uses mathematics and computer simulations to tackle such problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy research focuses on how we mathematically represent a structure, how we simulate it, and how we bring that simulation into a model that explains the structure\u2019s properties,\u201d he said. \u201cThe microstructure of a material is almost always three-dimensional, and how those particles are distributed \u2013 how many are there, what is their size, what is their shape \u2013 dictates how it will behave.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one common approach, researchers obtain structural data by capturing multiple images of a microstructure. They sequentially remove very thin layers, imaging each with electron microscopes or other techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis procedure produces an entire stack of sections, making possible a 3-D representation of the structure that reveals every particle, chain and cluster. By bringing geometrical and statistical processing to bear on this information, Gokhale and his team produce a features library \u2013 a mathematical description of the patterns that comprise a particular material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team then uses this information to generate a computer simulation that closely represents the actual material. Using the simulation, researchers can vary the material parameters individually, allowing them to create virtual models of potential new materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can take these virtual materials, apply stress to them and see how they behave in different applications,\u201d Gokhale said. \u201cSimulations will never give you the exact answer \u2013 but you can narrow down the possibilities substantially.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGokhale has used this type of approach in multiple projects, including Department of Energy-funded research to design lighter weight vehicle components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarnessing Organic Electronics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn materials, the secret to obtaining desirable properties often lies in understanding the extreme details.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/reichmanis\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EElsa Reichmanis\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is working to improve the performance of organic materials by understanding the complex relationship between how they\u2019re made and how they perform in a device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganic polymers \u2013 a type of plastic \u2013 offer promise as flexible, lightweight semiconductors for applications that include solar cells, sensors, displays and other electronics. For one thing, organic polymers offer the potential for lower materials costs and for less expensive and demanding manufacturing processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith research funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force, Reichmanis and her research team are studying various organic polymers \u2013 amorphous, crystalline and semi-crystalline \u2013 to understand their microstructures. The researchers are seeking to identify how each material\u2019s structure, process and device performance attributes correlate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to be able to more rationally design materials for a particular application,\u201d Reichmanis said. \u201cWe\u2019re also trying to build a knowledge base of fundamental insights that can be used to develop better materials and processes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this, Reichmanis and her team synthesize an organic polymer material in the lab, and then characterize its microstructure at the nanoscale. Finally, they prepare tiny lab-scale devices, 50 to 100 microns in size, by applying a thin film of an organic polymer to a silicon substrate. This configuration is used for testing purposes \u2013 an actual production device would likely be made entirely of organic polymers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team analyzes the complete material, from nanostructure to macrostructure, to understand how all the components work together, she explained. Microstructure regions tend to vary considerably, affecting performance; in some regions molecules will line up in desirable ways, others will be amorphous, and still others will form a complex mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we want a viable commercial technology, we have to be able to repeat \u2013 controllably and on a large scale \u2013 the microstructure that we want,\u201d she said. \u201cOnly by understanding the fundamental side of things can we really affect control on the manufacturing side.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoting Sustainability Through Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking for Environmental Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/jones\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristopher W. Jones\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eis studying carbon dioxide capture, a technology with obvious potential as CO2 builds up in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJones, who is the New-Vision Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) and Georgia Tech\u2019s associate vice president for research, is collaborating on the challenge of carbon dioxide with several ChBE faculty: assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lively\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERyan Lively\u003C\/a\u003E; assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kawajiri\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EYoshiaki Kawajiri\u003C\/a\u003E; professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/koros\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWilliam Koros\u003C\/a\u003E, Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering; professor and David Wang Sr. Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/realff\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMatthew Realff\u003C\/a\u003E, and professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sholl\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Sholl\u003C\/a\u003E, Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar for Energy Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group is working on methods by which carbon dioxide, the principal agent in climate change, can be separated from other gases and prevented from being released into the atmosphere. Together, they are working on new techniques for capturing concentrated CO2 at major sources, such as coal and natural gas fired power plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with Sholl, Jones is researching an even more challenging approach that involves pulling CO2 from ambient air anywhere on the planet. Georgia Tech is a leader in this technology, which could be useful environmentally, commercially and even tactically, said Jones, who is also an adjunct professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed a process that can capture CO2 anywhere \u2013 and do it almost as effectively as if we were capturing it at the flue of a power plant, where it\u2019s 300 times more concentrated,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom a climate change perspective, this allows addressing CO2 from all sources \u2013 cars, trucks, planes \u2013 anywhere it\u2019s being produced. In addition, the military could use it as a carbon source to make synthetic fuels in the field.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach used by Jones and the team is based on the use of solid oxides functionalized with amines, which are strongly basic organic compounds that bind to carbon dioxide. Georgia Tech research has shown that varying the nature of these amines on the surface of an oxide produces new materials with tunable CO2 adsorption behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA company called Global Themostat LLC has licensed some of these research findings, Jones said. The company is working with Georgia Tech on scaling up the process at a pilot plant in California.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJones and a research team are also engineering catalytic materials with important potential uses in the production of energy-related products and other chemicals. In one effort, Jones is developing solid catalysts capable of making bulk chemicals like ethanol and 1-propanol at lower costs. In another study, he is working on enantioselective catalytic reactions to enable production of specialty organic chemicals or pharmaceuticals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Greener Semiconductors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, transistors used in electronic devices have been growing ever smaller. Yet the amount of energy they demand has remained high \u2013 a fact obvious to anyone who\u2019s worked with a hot laptop computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/vogel\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is working on a project that would help lower that energy need.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs we move forward, the problem with silicon technology is not performance \u2013 we could actually get much more performance out of the transistors we have now,\u201d said Vogel, who is also an adjunct professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. \u201cThe big problem is the amount of energy they need, so we\u2019re focusing on new materials that would offer similar performance with much lower energy consumption.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVogel and his team are working within the Center for Low Energy Systems Technology (LEaST), one of six centers supported by STARnet, a Semiconductor Research Corp. program sponsored by the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corp. (MARCO) and DARPA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are tackling the energy issue utilizing a variant of graphene technology. They\u2019re using chemical vapor deposition to grow multiple thin layers of current-carrying graphene, separated by energy barriers, on a substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach takes advantage of a technique called resonant tunneling of carriers to increase electron flow. Under this quantum mechanical concept, the wave-like behavior of an electron allows it to move readily through an energy barrier and appear on the other side in the next graphene layer. The result is increased efficiency in the energy-carrying electron flow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVogel and his team are working on the materials challenges involved in making these types of devices. An important issue centers on the role of the dielectric layer \u2013 the energy barrier \u2013 and how it affects electron tunneling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne challenge involves the metal oxides used as dielectric layers, because they have defects that can hamper electron tunneling. The researchers have discovered that thinning a dielectric layer to one nanometer eliminates the tunneling difficulties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is currently investigating why this happens, Vogel said. Understanding this phenomenon in depth could bring these graphene-based materials closer to real world use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on basic research strengths in the materials domain, researchers at Georgia Tech are developing an innovation ecosystem that serves to translate transformative technologies into real world applications. Aligning with federal efforts such as the Materials Genome Initiative and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, Georgia Tech is continuing to establish productive and mutually beneficial relationships with government and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJohn Toon also contributed to this article.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn addition\u0026nbsp;to the main story providing highlights of Georgia Tech materials research, the Winter-Spring 2014 issue of Research Horizons also includes sidebars on the Center for Organic Photonics and\u0026nbsp;Electronics (COPE),\u0026nbsp;the Georgia Tech Institute for Materials (IMat), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), research into nanogenerators and piezotronics, and a study aimed at\u0026nbsp;improving the durability of bridge infrastructure.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFormed by four faculty members in 2003, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Organic Photonics and Electronics\u003C\/a\u003E(COPE) performs research in a challenging but promising field: the use of organic materials to build photonic and electronic devices. These lightweight, low-cost plastics represent a new direction for a field dominated by devices based on silicon and a few other inorganic materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, COPE includes 36 Georgia Tech faculty members from seven different schools in a highly interdisciplinary approach to research, innovation and student training. Nearly 150 graduate students, undergraduates and postdoctoral researchers also work within COPE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center has extensive shared facilities for computing, chemical synthesis and materials characterization, along with device fabrication and testing. COPE has attracted more than $66 million in funding since its start; sponsors include the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, several Department of Defense agencies, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the international chemical group Solvay, and numerous others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnce you can develop and validate organic semiconductors, you can build any solid-state device that could be made traditionally with inorganic semiconductors,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=127\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBernard Kippelen\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering who is COPE\u2019s director. \u201cBut to do all this, you need expertise that goes beyond the conventional disciplines of chemistry or physics or material science or electrical engineering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat, he added, is why COPE was interdisciplinary from the start. A physicist by training, Kippelen helped found the center along with three chemists \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Bredas\/Jean-Luc\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJean-Luc Br\u00e9das\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Marder\/Seth\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESeth Marder\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Perry\/Joseph%20W.\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJoseph Perry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u2013 who are professors in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Today, COPE researchers are among the leaders in developing novel organic materials for 3-D microfabrication, photonic computing, solar cells and other applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKippelen is also president of the Lafayette Institute at Georgia Tech-Lorraine in Metz, France. The Lafayette Institute, which benefits from 31 million Euros in financing from the French government, provides new opportunities for COPE in Europe due to its focus on technologies at the intersection of materials, optics, photonics, electronics and nanotechnology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt this point COPE, through its many different interactions, is literally part of a global network,\u201d said Marder, a Regents\u2019 Professor who was the center\u2019s founding director and is now associate director. \u201cThat gives us not only a process for productive collaboration worldwide, it also provides a rich opportunity for my students to get real-world training that prepares them for a future in which research is becoming more and more interdisciplinary.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe physical advantages of organic devices include light weight, flexibility, and puncture and shatter resistance. The manufacturing advantages include low cost; unlike conventional semiconductors, organic thin films can be processed at room temperature onto a variety of common materials using conventional large area coating and printing technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOrganic materials can be used for semiconducting, insulating or conducting applications. Among those becoming commercially viable or in development are:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOrganic light-emitting diodes that are long lived, environmentally friendly and able to be used in flexible sheets over large areas. Such devices are starting to be used in cell phones and TV displays, as well as in solid-state lighting applications;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOrganic solar cells that are lightweight, flexible and shatterproof, making them easy to install and maintain; entire photovoltaic sheets could be readily recycled when worn out;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOrganic dielectrics and hybrid materials for high energy density electrical storage with fast charge and discharge times.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECOPE research highlights include\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENonlinear optical properties and materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen light in the form of intense laser pulses hits certain materials, it produces a range of nonlinear effects. Marder and Perry, collaborating with Br\u00e9das and Kippelen, study ways to use nonlinear optical properties to fabricate novel three-dimensional structures at the nanoscale, and also to use those materials to pursue novel applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one line of investigation, they\u2019re collaborating with research teams from Georgia Tech and other universities to study how novel materials can advance photonic computing, a technology that uses light \u2013 photons \u2013 for interconnects and some all-optical computing functions. The aim is photonic computing capabilities that could offer greatly increased speed and bandwidth, along with much lower power consumption.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElectrochromic polymers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Reynolds\/John\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;John Reynolds\u003C\/a\u003E, who recently joined the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and COPE, has developed a family of polymers that are electrochromic \u2013 electrically color-changing. A thin film of these plastics can be printed or sprayed onto a substrate, such as conductive glass or plastic; applying an electrical charge can then switch them instantly from clear to a specific color. The voltage of the applied charge dictates the color intensity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike other electrochromic techniques, this technology offers memory. That means the color remains when the charge is turned off, saving power. In addition, Reynolds\u2019 technology is unique in offering any color needed, and has been licensed by the BASF Corp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Institute for Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.materials.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Institute for Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E(IMat) was launched with one core mission: to foster materials-related research throughout the campus. Its June 2013 announcement came exactly two years after the White House launched its Materials Genome Initiative for Global Competitiveness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Materials Genome aids U.S. economic development by providing training and infrastructure to help U.S. innovators discover, develop and deploy advanced materials more quickly. The Georgia Tech move supports President Barack Obama\u2019s call for faster movement of advanced materials from laboratory to application.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraditionally, it\u2019s taken about 15 years to get a new materials discovery into an advanced product, but it only takes 18 to 36 months to design that new product on computers,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mcdowell\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, IMat\u2019s executive director and a Regents\u2019 Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cThere\u2019s a big disconnect there, and we need to integrate materials design and development much more tightly with new product development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIMat is focusing on collaborative, interdisciplinary linkages to achieve new levels of cooperation. Its job involves linking materials-related research within Georgia Tech\u2019s academic units and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to industry, government and academic research laboratories across the nation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this collaborative network, IMat connects the expertise of investigative teams at Georgia Tech with the materials community outside, to help move research advances forward more rapidly. At the same time, it seeks to build bridges between Georgia Tech materials research and important application areas such as energy, manufacturing, nanotechnology, bioengineering and the biosciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIMat is one of nine Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs) under the leadership of Georgia Tech\u2019s Executive Vice President for Research, Stephen E. Cross. Each IRI spans Georgia Tech units to bring together researchers working in a core area. In addition, the IRIs help government and industry navigate Georgia Tech\u2019s myriad activities and connect with researchers, students and laboratory capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe benefits of materials-based advances over the last 20 years are now a part of our everyday lives \u2013 lifesaving medical technologies, the computers and phones we can\u2019t live without, our more efficient and safer vehicles, and much more,\u201d said McDowell. \u201cMaterials research both discovers new materials and uses existing materials in new and enhanced ways. Our continued growth in a competitive global economy depends on performing effectively in these research areas and then applying those insights to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMaterials Research Science and Engineering Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E(MRSEC) studies primarily epitaxial graphene, a carbon-based material that can be grown in sheets as little as one atom thick. Because it\u2019s an excellent electrical conductor, graphene promises advances in electronics technology. If its speed potential were realized, it could facilitate new and demanding computing applications. MRSEC launched in September 2008 thanks to a six-year, $8.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Georgia Tech leads the center, collaborating with the University of California-Riverside, University of Michigan and several European research teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSilicon has fundamental limitations in its material properties that restrict its performance,\u201d said MRSEC director\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hess\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDennis Hess\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds the Thomas C. DeLoach Jr. Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cSilicon will always be around in basic devices, but for high-speed devices we either have to change the type of device we make or come up with a new material \u2013 and graphene is a contender for that role.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Hess explained, graphene research started in 2001 when Regents\u2019 Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/walter-de-heer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWalt de Heer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eof the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Edetermined that there might be better ways to make electronic devices than using cylindrical carbon nanotubes. As a result, de Heer, who directs MRSEC\u2019s graphene interdisciplinary research group, turned to epitaxial graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn principle, an electron can move in graphene 100,000 times faster than in silicon, making possible much higher speed devices, Hess said. In practice, attempts to achieve these electron speeds in a functional graphene device have been problematic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer has successfully pioneered methods for producing high-quality layers of epitaxial graphene on the surface of silicon carbide wafers. In addition, his technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with little resistance \u2013 offering the possibility of very high electrical performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut challenges remain, Hess said. They include devising methods for connecting graphene devices with conventional computing architectures, including how to incorporate contacts and dielectrics into such devices, how to input and output current, and how to generate patterns in the material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fact is, if graphene can be successfully developed as a device platform, it should produce major advances in computing capability,\u201d Hess said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZinc Oxide Nanostructures \u2013 Nanogenerators and Piezotronics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZinc oxide, a familiar material used in plastics, paints, ointments, foods and many other things, can play significantly different roles at the nanoscale. A Georgia Tech research team led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/wang\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor and Hightower Chair in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, uses the unique properties of zinc oxide nanostructures to generate electrical energy that can power and control electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang uses nanostructures to create a piezoelectric effect. In piezoelectrics, electrical energy is produced when charge-producing structures \u2013 in this case zinc oxide nanowires \u2013 are strained or flexed by some mechanical action, even a very minor one. The action can take the form of motion from many overlooked sources, such as the flow of fluids in the human body, vibration or the flexing of fabric in a shirt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang and his research group have been studying zinc oxide nanostructures since 1999. They have increased the piezoelectric output from zinc oxide nanogenerators from negligible amounts to as much as 50 volts using sophisticated engineering design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have also developed the field of piezotronics, which uses piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide nanostructures to control charge transport in an electronic device such as a semiconductor, offering an alternative to traditional CMOS technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang has also coined the term \u201cpiezo-phototronics\u201d to describe techniques for using zinc oxide-based nanotechnology to control electro-optical processes in such devices as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells to produce enhanced performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople have never really harnessed this energy before, but its potential can be tremendous,\u201d said Wang, a physicist by training. \u201cUsing these nanotechnologies, it is possible to have self-powered, maintenance-free biosensors, environmental sensors, nanorobotics, micro-electromechanical systems, and even portable and wearable electronics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the energy-harvesting strategies that Wang and his team have developed are running shoes that use a polymer based nanogenerator to create a charge as the user moves. He\u2019s also built a \u201cpower shirt\u201d that produces energy as the wearer moves, and he has employed piezo-phototronic technology to boost the performance of LEDs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESome recent developments include\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang and his team have developed a sensor device that uses nanowires to convert mechanical pressure \u2013 from a signature or a fingerprint \u2013 directly into light signals that can be captured and processed optically. The research was reported in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Photonics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond collecting signatures and fingerprints, the technique could also be used in biological imaging and micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems. Ultimately, it could provide a new approach for human-machine interfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgain using nanowires, the researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense by making artificial skin smarter and more like human skin, allowing the skin to feel activity on the surface. The research was reported in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe arrays include more than 8,000 functioning piezotronic transistors, each of which can independently produce an electronic controlling signal when placed under mechanical strain. These touch-sensitive transistors \u2013 dubbed \u201ctaxels\u201d \u2013 have sensitivity comparable to that of a human fingertip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBranching out from zinc oxide, Wang and his team recently discovered yet another way to harvest small amounts of electricity from motion. They can now capture the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on flexible polymer materials, this \u201ctriboelectric\u201d generator could provide current from activities such as walking, offering an alternative to nanogenerators that produce current from flexing nanowires. An energy conversion efficiency of around 50 percent, providing output power density of 300 watts per square meter and 400 kilowatts per cubic meter, has been demonstrated, with the potential to harvest energy from body motion, engine vibration, wind, flowing water, raindrops and even ocean waves. Details of the discovery were reported in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric generators can be made nearly transparent, so they could offer a new way to produce active sensors that might replace technology now used for touch-sensitive device displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Infrastructure: Tougher Materials for Better Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have been working to help bridges and other coastal structures last longer, making them safer and less costly to maintain. Faculty from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) have collaborated to develop a more robust design for a pile \u2013 a large post-like component used to support structures in water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal is an improved design that could be applied to any concrete-and-steel structure that supports bridges, piers and the like. The work, sponsored by the Georgia Department of Transportation, is aimed at finding approaches that conform to a new state of Georgia directive requiring bridges and other infrastructure to last for 100 years, rather than the 40 to 50 years common today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt a location on the Georgia coast near Savannah, a team including CEE professors\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/771\/overview\u0022\u003ELawrence Kahn\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand Kimberly Kurtis and MSE professor Preet Singh examined concrete piles that had been in service for 37 years. The object was to pinpoint which environmental factors played the biggest role in the deterioration of the steel-reinforced structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which included several graduate students, studied what happened to the piles in the corrosive conditions like those along the seacoast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe saw damage that wasn\u2019t surprising in a coastal environment, such as extensive corrosion,\u201d Kurtis said. \u201cBut we also encountered unexpected factors, such as destruction to the piles due to attack by sulfate ions and by species of sponges that consume certain portions of the concrete.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with industrial companies in Georgia and Tennessee, the team has developed a novel pile design. They\u2019re using a more environmentally resistant type of high-performance marine concrete, which is reinforced using stainless steel rather than rust-prone carbon steel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh, a corrosion expert, selected the most promising type of stainless steel from hundreds of available varieties. In a novel design move, he chose duplex-grade stainless steel for the pile\u2019s pre-stressing strand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new pile formula being field-tested to measure its resistance to environmental deterioration. If successful, the design could become standard in the construction of bridges and other infrastructure throughout Georgia and elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch projects mentioned in this article are supported by sponsors that include the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Air Force (USAF), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), U.S. Army (USA), Army Research Office (ARO), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the principal investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, ONR, DOE, DHS, USAF, AFOSR, USA, ARO, ORNL, DTRA or DARPA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Today researchers Today they examine materials at every level \u2013 from the nanoscale to the visible and tangible macroscale \u2013 to understand why a material behaves as it does."}],"uid":"28152","created_gmt":"2014-11-03 16:55:54","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:23","author":"Claire Labanz","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"339461":{"id":"339461","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - 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