Seminars

In Pursuit of an Immortal Cathode: Electrical Energy Storage using MnO2 Nanowires that Never Die.

Presentation: 1:30-2:15 PM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

Abstract

Rechargeable lithium ion (Li+) batteries lose their ability to store charge over time. Whether they power your phone, your laptop, or your automobile, after 500-1000 recharge cycles they lose 20-40% of their capacity and must be replaced. Sony introduced the first commercial Li+ battery in 1990, but 27 years later our understanding of WHY they fail is still in its infancy. Li+ batteries have four parts: An anode (usually graphite), a cathode (usually a metal oxide), a separator membrane that is located between them, and a salt solution containing Li+. In our research, we have focused attention on one cathode material called ∂-MnO2. Our goals have been to increase the amount of energy we can store, to increase the rate at which we can deliver this energy, and to extend the lifetime of the cathode. Now, you might think that the worst way to make a battery cathode last longer would be to make it smaller! But we have discovered a process for preparing ∂-MnO2 nanowires - just 60 – 600 nm in diameter and up to a centimeter in length – that never fail, and rarely lose any energy storage capacity, across 100,000 charge/recharge cycles. In this talk, I’ll discuss these unusual nanomaterials and what they may mean for the future of electrical energy storage.

Bio

Reginald Penner is Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. Professor Penner attended Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota where he obtained B.A. degrees in Chemistry and Biology in 1983, he received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M in 1987, and he was a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. Professor Penner is an electrochemist whose research group develops methods based upon electrodeposition for making nanomaterials, such as nanowires, composed of metals and semiconductors. With his students, he has more than 170 research publications. He is an A.P. Sloan Fellow, a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, an NSF and ONR Young Investigator, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He received the 2009 Faraday Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry of the UK, the 2016 Charles N. Reilley Award from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry, and the 2016 Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Electrochemistry.

Global Opportunities in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Presentation: 10:35-11:20 AM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

Abstract

Two seemingly conflicting trends in nanoscience and nanotechnology are our increasing ability to reach the limits of atomically precise structures and our growing understanding of the importance of heterogeneity in the structure and function of molecules and nanoscale assemblies. I will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and consequences of pursuing strategies to address these goals. In our laboratories, we are taking the first steps to exploit precise assembly to optimize properties such as perfect electronic contacts in materials. We are also developing the means to make tens to hundreds of thousands of independent multimodal nanoscale measurements in order to understand the variations in structure and function that have previously been inaccessible in both synthetic and biological systems.

Bio

Paul S. Weiss holds a UC Presidential Chair and is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry and of Materials Science & Engineering at UCLA. He received his S.B. and S.M. degrees in chemistry from MIT in 1980 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986. He was a postdoctoral member of technical staff at Bell Laboratories from 1986-88 and a visiting scientist at IBM Almaden Research Center from 1988-89. He served as the director of the California NanoSystems Institute and held the Fred Kavli Chair in NanoSystems Sciences at UCLA from 2009-14. Before coming to UCLA, he was a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the Pennsylvania State University, where he began his academic career in 1989. His interdisciplinary research group includes chemists, physicists, biologists, materials scientists, mathematicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, computer scientists, clinicians, and physician scientists. They focus on the ultimate limits of miniatu­rization, exploring the atomic-scale chemical, physical, optical, mechanical, and electronic properties of surfaces, interfaces, and supramolecular assemblies. He and his students have developed new techniques to expand the applicability and chemical specificity of scanning probe microscopies. They have applied these and other tools to the study of catalysis, self- and directed assembly, and molecular and nanoscale devices. They advance nanofabrication down to ever smaller scales and greater chemical specificity in order to operate and to test functional molecular assemblies, and to connect these to the biological and chemical worlds. Two major themes in his laboratory are cooperativity in functional molecules and single-molecule/assembly biological structural and functional measurements. He has written over 300 publications, holds over 30 patents, and has given over 600 invited, plenary, keynote, and named lectures.

Weiss has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Young Investigator Award (1991-96), the Scanning Microscopy International Presidential Scholarship (1994), the B. F. Goodrich Collegiate Inventors Award (1994), an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship (1995-97), the American Chemical Society (ACS) Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry (1996), a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (1997), a NSF Creativity Award (1997-99), the ACS Award in Colloid and Surface Chemistry (2015), and the ACS Southern California Section Tolman Medal (2017), among others. He was elected a fellow of: the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2000), the American Physical Society (2002), the American Vacuum Society (2007), the ACS (2010), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2016), and an honorary fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (2010). He was also elected a senior member of the IEEE (2009). He received Penn State’s University Teaching Award from the Schreyer Honors College (2004), was named one of two nanofabrication fellows at Penn State (2005), and won the Alpha Chi Sigma Outstanding Professor Award (2007). He was a visiting professor at the University of Washington, Department of Molecular Biotechnology (1996-97) and Kyoto University, Electronic Science and Engineering Department and Venture Business Laboratory (1998 and 2000), and a distinguished visiting professor at the Kavli Nanoscience Institute and the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis at Caltech (2015). He is a visiting scholar at the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science & Technology and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University (2015-17). He is the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) Chaire d'excellence Jacques­Beaulieu at the Centre for Energy, Materials and Telecommunications (2016-17). He is a Fulbright Scholar for the Czech Republic (2017). Weiss was a member of the U.S. National Committee to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (2000-05). He has been the technical co-chair of the Foundations of Nanoscience Meetings, thematic chair of the Spring 2009 and Fall 2018 ACS National Meetings. He was the senior editor of IEEE Electron Device Letters for molecular and organic electronics (2005-07), and is the founding editor-in-chief of ACS Nano (2007-). At ACS Nano, he won the Association of American Publishers, Professional Scholarly Publishing PROSE Award for 2008, Best New Journal in Science, Technology, and Medicine, and ISI’s Rising Star Award a record ten times.

CO₂ + H₂O + Sunlight = Chemical Fuels + O₂

Presentation: 11:20 AM-12:00 PM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

Abstract

Solar-to-chemical (STC) production using a fully integrated system is an attractive goal, but to-date there has yet to be a system that can demonstrate the required efficiency, durability, or be manufactured at a reasonable cost. One can learn a great deal from the natural photosynthesis where the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates is routinely carried out at a highly coordinated system level. There are several key features worth mentioning in these systems: spatial and directional arrangement of the light-harvesting components, charge separation and transport, as well as the desired chemical conversion at catalytic sites in compartmentalized spaces. In order to design an efficient artificial photosynthetic materials system, at the level of the individual components: better catalysts need to be developed, new light-absorbing semiconductor materials will need to be discovered, architectures will need to be designed for effective capture and conversion of sunlight, and more importantly, processes need to be developed for the efficient coupling and integration of the components into a complete artificial photosynthetic system. In this talk I will begin by discussing the challenges associated with fixing CO₂ through traditional chemical catalytic means, contrasted with the advantages and strategies that biology employs through enzymatic catalysts to produce more complex molecules at higher selectivity and efficiency. I then discuss a number of different photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBS) architectures from the last few years, and the numerous strategies to interface biotic and abiotic components. Each demonstrates the advantages of PBSs in converting sunlight, H₂O and CO₂ into food, fuels, pharmaceuticals, and materials. Finally, I will outline the future of this field, opportunities for improvement, and its role in sustainable living here on Earth, and beyond.

Bio

Peidong Yang is a Chemistry professor, S. K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Chair Professor in Energy at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a senior faculty scientist at Materials and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is known particularly for his work on semiconductor nanowires and their photonic and energy applications including artificial photosynthesis. He is the director for California Research Alliance by BASF and one of the co-directors for the Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute at Berkeley. He is the founding dean for School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University. He cofounded three companies: Nanosys Inc, Alphabet Energy Inc; Infinity Innovation Inc.

Molecularly Stretchable Electronics for Energy and Healthcare

Abstract

The term “plastic electronics” masks the wide range of mechanical behavior possessed by films of π-conjugated (semiconducting) small molecules and polymers. Such materials are promising for biosensors, large-area displays, low-energy lighting, and low-cost photovoltaic modules. There is, however, an apparent trade-off between electronic performance and mechanical compliance in films of some of the best-performing semiconducting polymers, which fracture at tensile strains not significantly greater than those at which conventional inorganic semiconductors fail. The design of intrinsically deformable electronic materials—i.e., imagine a semiconducting rubber band—would facilitate roll-to-roll production, mechanical robustness for potable applications, and conformal bonding to curved surfaces. This seminar describes my group’s efforts to understand and control the structural parameters that influence the mechanical properties of π-conjugated polymers. The techniques we employ include synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy and microstructural characterization, computation from the molecular to continuum level, and electrical measurements of devices. A complex picture emerges for the interplay between molecular structure, the way the process of solidification influences the morphology, and how molecular structure and morphology combine to produce a film with a given modulus, elastic range, ductility, and toughness. We are also exploring ways to introduce other properties into organic semiconductors that are inspired by biological tissue. That is, not just elasticity and toughness, but also biodegradability and the capacity for self-repair. The seminar will also touch on our use of self-assembled metallic nanoislands on graphene for ultra-sensitive mechanical sensing using piezoresistive and “piezoplasmonic” mechanisms. The applications for these materials are in detecting human motion and measuring the mechanics of cardiac and musculoskeletal cells. My group is broadly interested in the intersection of soft materials and human touch for virtual and augmented reality, and I will briefly mention our work in these areas.

Bio

Darren J. Lipomi earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in physics from Boston University in 2005. Under Prof. James S. Panek, his research focused on total synthesis and heterogeneous catalysis for efficient asymmetric synthesis. He earned his PhD in chemistry at Harvard University in 2010, with Prof. George M. Whitesides, where he developed unconventional, green approaches to fabricate nanostructures for electronic and optical applications. From 2010 – 2012, he was an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Zhenan Bao at Stanford University, where his research was directed toward increasing the mechanical compliance of electronic skin and organic photovoltaic devices using organic semiconductors and carbon nanotubes. He is now an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of NanoEngineering at the University of California, San Diego. He holds appointments in the chemical engineering and materials science and engineering degree programs, and an affiliate appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The interests of his research group include the mechanical properties of organic semiconductors for robust and stretchable devices for energy and healthcare, and green chemistry and nanoengineering. He is the recipient of the NSF BRIGE award, the AFOSR Young Investigator Program award, and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.

Presentation: 2:15-2:45 PM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

The Global Race for Better Batteries - Electron Mobility from Ionic Movement

Presentation: 3:00-3:30 PM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

Abstract

High energy long life rechargeable batteries is considered as key enabling technology for deep de-carbonization. Energy storage in the electrochemical form is attractive because of its high efficiency and fast response time. New and improved technologies for electrochemical energy storage are urgently required to enable the effective use of renewable energy sources. In this seminar, I will discuss a few new perspectives for electrochemical energy storage materials including new electrochemistry enabled by novel materials, cell architectures and smart engineering. I hope to demonstrate an integrated approach where we use theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches to study, improve, invent, characterize and optimize materials, devices, and systems for high efficiency long life energy storage and conversion. Last but not least, I will showcase how Sustainable Power and Energy Center (SPEC) offers a uniquely platform for faculty and experts from engineering, physical sciences, economics and social sciences to collaborate and bring next-generation energy storage technologies to emerging fields such as EV, microgrid and space exploration.

Bio

Dr. Y. Shirley Meng received her Ph.D. in Advance Materials for Micro & Nano Systems from the Singapore-MIT Alliance in 2005, after which she worked as a postdoc research fellow and became a research scientist at MIT. Shirley is currently the Professor of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Meng’s research focuses on the direct integration of experimental techniques with first principles computation modeling for developing new intercalation compounds for electrochemical energy storage. She is the founding Director of Sustainable Power and Energy Center (SPEC), consisting faculty members from interdisciplinary fields, who all focus on making breakthroughs in distributed energy generation, storage and the accompanying integration-management systems. She is the principle investigator of the research group - Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC). Dr. Meng received several prestigious awards, including C.W. Tobias Young Investigator Award of the Electrochemical Society, BASF Volkswagen Electrochemistry Science Award, Frontier of Innovation Award and NSF CAREER Award. Dr. Meng is the author and co-author of more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 book chapter and two patents.

Web: http://smeng.ucsd.edu/ and http://spec.ucsd.edu

Discovery and Translation of Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticle Technology

Presentation: 3:30-4:00 PM

Location: Cymer Conference Center, SME 248

Abstract

The emerging nanotechnology in biomedicine has sparked new hope for the treatment and diagnosis of various important human diseases. However, development of functional nanomaterials and nanodevices can be encumbered by unanticipated material properties and biological events, which can negatively impact their effectiveness when introduced into complex, physiologically relevant systems. In this talk I will report on the preparation of a polymeric nanoparticle enclosed in the plasma membrane of natural human cells (e.g., RBCs, platelets, cancer cells, etc). The resulting cell membrane-coated nanoparticles are demonstrated to possess many surface functions of natural cells via studies of interactions with plasma proteins, cells, tissues, and microorganisms. Such multifaceted cell-mimicking properties can be attributed to the preservation of biomembrane on nanoparticle surfaces, which facilitates the display of intricate biochemistry that is difficult to replicate using conventional functionalization approaches. As the platform is entirely biocompatible and biodegradable, it can be applied toward a myriad of biomedical applications, including drug delivery, detoxification and vaccination, where the vast implications of cell surface properties may benefit a variety of disease treatments.

Bio

Dr. Liangfang Zhang received his B.E. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University, and his Ph.D. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006 under the supervision of Prof. Steve Granick. He was a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Prof. Robert Langer at MIT during 2006-2008. He joined the Department of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego as an Assistant Professor in July 2008 and was promoted to an Associate Professor with tenure in March 2012 and to Professor in July 2014. Dr. Zhang’s research interests focus on biomimetic nanomedicine, with a particular interest in creating and evaluating nanostructured biomaterials for drug delivery, detoxification and vaccination for treatment of infectious diseases and cancer. He has published 137 peer-reviewed articles and holds 51 issued/pending patents. He received the ACS Victor K. LaMer Award (2009), UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering Best Teacher Award (2011), ACS Unilever Award (2012), MIT Technology Review’s TR35 Innovator Award (2013), AIChE Allan P. Colburn Award (2014), AIMBE Fellow (2015), Popular Science’s Brilliant 10 Award (2016), and the U.S. Department of State ASPIRE Award (2017).

http://nano.ucsd.edu/~l7zhang/