Category Archives: News

Jeffrey Rimer: CCST Alumni

Professor Yushan Yan has received a new grant from the ARPA-e program from the Department of Energy for a total of $793,000. This Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E) program seeks to support science and technology with the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation of new industries and have large commercial impact. Professor Yan’s proposal is one of only 66 proposals funded by the ARPA-e program. Professor Yan’s group has developed a new concept in flow batteries, a device that is used to store electrical energy when there is surplus production, and to deliver this energy efficiently and rapidly when it is needed. The discoveries of the Yan’s group should allow efficient electricity storage needed to cope with the intrinsic irregularity of renewable wind and solar electricity generation.

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Yushan Yan: CCST Faculty

Professor Yushan Yan has received a new grant from the ARPA-e program from the Department of Energy for a total of $793,000. This Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E) program seeks to support science and technology with the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation of new industries and have large commercial impact. Professor Yan’s proposal is one of only 66 proposals funded by the ARPA-e program. Professor Yan’s group has developed a new concept in flow batteries, a device that is used to store electrical energy when there is surplus production, and to deliver this energy efficiently and rapidly when it is needed. The discoveries of the Yan’s group should allow efficient electricity storage needed to cope with the intrinsic irregularity of renewable wind and solar electricity generation.

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Transition-metal phosphate framework materials are very important due to their potential as oxygen evolution catalysts in solar fuel production devices, or as novel high energy, high power cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. In a recent report highlighted as the cover of Chemical Communications, the Jiao group reported a general approach to synthesize a wide range of transition metal phosphate frameworks in deep-eutectic solvents through tuning key reaction parameters including temperature, time, and water addition. Four new metal phosphate frameworks, DEL-1, DEL-2, DEL-3 and MnPO4-DFT were synthesized for the first time. The capability to apply this method to many more metal phosphate frameworks offers new opportunities in catalysis, energy conversion, and energy storage.

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Professor Yushan Yan’s group recently reported an important advance in the development of polymer hydroxide (OH–) exchange membranes (HEMs) for fuel cell applications. In contrast to proton exchange membranes (PEMs), HEMs have lower materials costs and durability problems and can be utilized in combination with electrocatalysts that are more abundant and inexpensive than precious metal catalysts used for PEM fuel cells. In HEM design there has been well-known trade-off between swelling control and ion conductivity. Yan’s group has largely overcome this problem by enhancing van der Waals interactions among polymer chains. Using large quaternary phosphonium-functionalized polymers and a high electron density polymer chain (see Scheme I), the Yan group was able to prepare a new membrane with low swelling, high hydroxide conductivity and excellent HEM fuel cell performance. This discovery was reported in the May issue ChemSusChem (2012, 5, 843-848) and was highlighted as the cover.

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John Kitchin, UD/CCST Alumni

John R. Kitchin, of Carnegie Mellon University, has been named by President Obama as one of 96 researcher recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Kitchen received his PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2004. He was co-advised by Mark Barteau and Jingguang Chen.

“Discoveries in science and technology not only strengthen our economy, they inspire us as a people.” President Obama said. “The impressive accomplishments of today’s awardees so early in their careers promise even greater advances in the years ahead.”

The Presidential early career awards embody the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the Nation’s goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy. The recipients are employed or funded by the following departments and agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, Department of Veteran Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation, which join together annually to nominate the most meritorious scientists and engineers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for assuring America’s preeminence in science and engineering and contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions.

The awards, established by President Clinton in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

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