10th Forum on New Materials
ABSTRACTS
F:PL1 Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) for Sustainable Energy and Sensing
ZHONG LIN WANG, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, CAS, Beijing, China; and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was invented by Wang’s group in 2012, which is based on the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction effects for converting mechanical energy into electric power. TENG is playing a vitally important role in the distributed energy and self-powered systems, with applications in internet of things, AL, environmental/infrastructural monitoring, medical science, environmental science, and security. TENG is most effective for utilization of high-entropy energy, which is the random, low-density, low-grade mechanical energy widely-distributed in our living environment and in nature. There are now over 16,000 scientists distributed in 90 countries and regions around the globe who have published papers on TENG. This presentation will first focus on the advances in fundamental science made due to the discovery of TENG. Then we will focus on the potential industrial impacts that have been made by TENG. We will show how this new field will benefit to the sustainable development of humankinds.
[1] Z.L. Wang et al. , “Nanogenerators: A foundation for high entropy energy and sensing systems”, MRS Bulletin, 50 (2025) 258-270; https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00858-8; [2] Z.L. Wang “From conctact electrication to triboelectric nanogenerators“ (Review), Report on Progress in Physics, 84 (2021) 096502; [3] Z.L. Wang and A.C. Wang “On the origin of contact electrification“ (Review), Materials Today, 30 (2019) 34-51; [4] S. Lin#, X. Chen#, and Z.L. Wang* “Contact-electrification at liquid-solid interface” (Review), Chemical Review, 122 (2022) 5209–5232; [5] S. Lin, Z.L. Wang* “ The tribovoltaic effect“ (Review), Materials Today, 62 (2023) 111-128; [6] Z. Wang, X. Dong, W. Tang, Z.L. Wang* “Contact-electro-catalysis (CEC)”, Chemical Soc. Review, 53 (2024) 4349 - 4373; https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CS00736G; [7] Z.L. Wang “The Maxwell’s equations for a mechano-driven media system (MEs-f-MDMS)“, Advances in Physics: X, 9 (2024) 2354767; https://doi.org/10.1080/23746149.2024.2354767.
F:PL2 Living Materials from Photosynthetic Microorganisms
G.M. FARINOLA1, S.R. CICCO2, C. VICENTE-GARCIA1, D. VONA3, R. RAGNI1, 1Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento di Chimica, Bari, Italy; 2Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici, Bari, Italy; 3Università degli Studi di Bari, Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo della Pianta e degli Alimenti, Bari, Italy
Photosynthetic microorganisms, including bacteria and unicellular diatoms microalgae, have developed diverse micro/nano structures over billions of years of evolution, finely tuned for interacting with sunlight and many specific functions. Utilizing these specialized structures, and combining them with customized molecules and polymers[1], open up novel avenues for creating sustainable materials for optoelectronics and biomedicine[2]. As examples, diatoms can be fed with phosphorescent metal-complex and fully organic fluorophores, leading them to act as bio-factories, thus producing emitting nanoparticles [3] and optically active silica structures [4]. Moreover, in vivo or in situ functionalization of diatoms with pharmacological moieties and magnetic nanomaterials can become an easy tool to produce silica scaffolds for bone tissue engineering [5], carriers for human neurons [6] and tridimensional boxes [7] for living probiotics delivery. Furthermore, the exceptional use of intact photosynthetic microorganisms in photoelectrochemical cells as bioelectrodes will be discussed for application in solar energy conversion.[8]
[1] D. Vona, S. R. Cicco, R. Ragni, C. Vicente-Garcia, G. Leone, M. M. Giangregorio, F. Palumbo, E. Altamura, G. M. Farinola, “Polydopamine coating of living diatom microalgae” Photochem Photobiol Sci 2022, 21, 949–958; [2] R. Ragni, S. R. Cicco, D. Vona, G. M. Farinola, “Multiple Routes to Smart Nanostructured Materials from Diatom Microalgae: A Chemical Perspective” Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1704289; [3] G. D. Rosa, D. Vona, A. Aloisi, R. Ragni, R. D. Corato, M. L. Presti, S. R. Cicco, E. Altamura, A. Taurino, M. Catalano, G. M. Farinola, R. Rinaldi, “Luminescent silica based nanostructures from in vivo Iridium-doped diatoms microalgae.” n.d.; [4] R. Ragni, F. Scotognella, D. Vona, L. Moretti, E. Altamura, G. Ceccone, D. Mehn, S. R. Cicco, F. Palumbo, G. Lanzani, G. M. Farinola, “Hybrid Photonic Nanostructures by In Vivo Incorporation of an Organic Fluorophore into Diatom Algae” Adv. Funct. Mater. 2018, 28, 1706214; [5] S. R. Cicco, D. Vona, G. Leone, E. De Giglio, M. A. Bonifacio, S. Cometa, S. Fiore, F. Palumbo, R. Ragni, G. M. Farinola, “In vivo functionalization of diatom biosilica with sodium alendronate as osteoactive material” Materials Science and Engineering: C 2019, 104, 109897; [6] A. Lunghi, D. Vona, S. R. Cicco, C. Vicente-Garcia, F. Biscarini, G. M. Farinola, M. Bianchi, “Magnetic diatom shells: nature’s blueprint for cellular transport” J. Mater. Chem. B 2025, 13, 7024–7033; [7] D. Vona, S. R. Cicco, F. M. La Forgia, M. Vacca, A. Porrelli, G. Caggiano, M. De Angelis, L. Gesualdo, G. M. Farinola, “All Bio‐Based µ‐Beads from Microalgae for Probiotics Delivery” Advanced Sustainable Systems 2024, 2400384; [8] C. Vicente-Garcia, D. Vona, F. Milano, G. Buscemi, M. Grattieri, R. Ragni, G. M. Farinola, “Living Diatom Microalgae for Desiccation-Resistant Electrodes in Biophotovoltaic Devices” ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2024, 12, 11120–11129.
F:PL3 Advanced Materials and Fuels for Future Nuclear Fission and Fusion Energy
S.J. ZINKLE, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
Global electricity use is projected to grow 33-75% by 2050. Nuclear fission and fusion are two leading options for economic, safe, and environmentally sustainable electricity. To achieve the full promise of advanced fission and fusion energy concepts, a new suite of advanced materials need to be designed, scaled up by industry, qualified for use in demanding environments, and widely deployed. This presentation will review some of the extreme operating environments for materials in proposed Generation IV fission and fusion reactors. Recent improvements in computational thermodynamics and kinetics are enabling rapid development of new high performance structural alloys for a variety of energy applications. Similarly, ceramic composites can be engineered with improved toughness and pseudo-ductility by adopting appropriate fabrication architectures based on interface debonding mechanisms, etc. Manufacturing innovations such as friction stir welding and additive manufacturing have emerged for fabrication of geometrically complex components with favorable and/or site-specific properties. In parallel, improved understanding of fundamental radiation effects phenomena in materials has created a general framework for designing radiation-resistant high-performance materials.