Award Winner Lightning Talks - 2020 MRS Spring Meeting

A single celebratory session for award talks featuring MRS Award recipients. Each recipient will present an 8-minute talk, presenting well-formed ideas on their respective research. Award recipients will also serve as panelists, following the aired presentations, to answer various questions from the audience.

Innovation in Materials Characterization Award
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• In-situ/operando soft x-ray spectroscopy for electronic structure view of interfacial phenomena
  Jinghua Guo, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  Talk begins at 5:00
  
  Abstract: The energy materials and devices have been largely limited in a framework of thermodynamic and kinetic concepts or atomic and nanoscale. Soft x-ray spectroscopy characterization offers unique characterization in many important energy materials of energy conversion, energy storage and catalysis in regards to the functionality, chemistry and interactions among constituents within. It is challenging to reveal the real mechanism of the chemical processes. In-situ/operando x-ray spectra characterization technique offers an opportunity to uncover the phase conversion, chemical speciation at the solid/gas and solid/liquid interfaces in real time. The presentation will give basics of the in situ/operando soft x-ray spectroscopy characterization of interfacial phenomena in energy materials and devices, and how to use the powerful in-situ/operando characterization techniques to investigate the real electrochemical, catalytic and chemical reactions during the operation.
  

Mid-Career Researcher Award
MRS acknowledges the generosity of MilliporeSigma for endowing this award.
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• Probing and Pushing the Limit of Emerging Electronic Materials through Van der Waals Integration
  Xiangfeng Duan, University of California, Los Angeles
  Talk begins at 14:12
  
  Abstract: The heterogeneous integration of dissimilar materials is a long pursuit of material science community and has defined the material foundation for modern electronics and optoelectronics. The typical material integration approaches usually involve strong chemical bonds and aggressive synthetic conditions, and are often limited to materials with strict structure match and processing compatibility. Here I will discuss the exploration of van der Waals force for bond-free integration of highly disparate materials beyond the limits of lattice or processing compatibility requirements, thus producing versatile artificial heterostructures with atomically clean and electronically sharp interfaces that are essential for probing and pushing the limit of the emerging electronic materials.
  

Outstanding Early Career Investigator
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• Polymer mixed conductors for bioelectronics
  Jonathan Rivnay, Northwestern University
  Talk begins at 23:55
  
  Abstract: Conjugated polymers are a versatile class of electronic materials that have touched numerous fields of application owing to their synthetic tunability, processability, and performance. Dominated by weak intermolecular interactions, molecular design and processing play an outsized role in dictating molecular order and morphology, and therefore transport properties. When combined with ionic or ion-solvating moieties, conjugated polymers act as mixed ionic/electronic conductors, allowing for an exciting class of iontronic devices that can seamlessly sense or stimulate biological tissues and cells. To understand critical processes and properties of these soft mixed conductors, their structural and compositional state must be studied during operation, which has been a challenge in the field. Such studies promise to guide materials design, enable high performance devices with unique form factors, and open up new opportunities in bioelectronic diagnosis and therapy.
  

MRS Postdoctoral Award
MRS acknowledges the Jiang Family Foundation and MTI Corporation for their generous contribution to support this award.
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• Emerging Cellulose Science and Engineering for Energy, Water and Sustainability
  Tian Li, Purdue University
  Talk begins at 32:49
  
  Abstract: Transitioning into a sustainable future requires the identification of sustainable and functional materials with high performance. As the main component of wood, cellulose is the most abundant polymer on earth with many economic and environmental benefits. Cellulose provides a unique hierarchical framework and can be fibrillated into building blocks of different dimensions, which enables advanced optical, thermal, fluidic and mechanical properties that far beyond its traditional use. In this talk, Li will discuss her research on the emerging process-structure-property relationships of cellulose and its development as a sustainable technological material towards addressing global challenges in energy, water and sustainability. The design and engineering principles will be emphasized, and the abundant research opportunities as well as future development trends will be identified.
    
  
• Understanding electrochemical interfaces by soft materials design and operando functional imaging
  Xianwen Mao, Cornell University
  Talk begins at 41:57
  
  Abstract: Electrochemical interfaces have continued to play critical roles in modern technologies that promise to tackle some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges such as energy crisis and water scarcity. In this talk, I will discuss my research efforts on developing a deeper understanding of nanoscale electrochemical interfaces by molecular engineering of soft materials and nanoscopic operando functional imaging. I will focus on how to control technologically important adsorptive and catalytic processes at such interfaces for energy and environmental applications.
  

E-MRS EU-40 Materials Prize
The European Materials Research Society award is reserved for researchers showing exceptional promise as leaders in materials science, having performed the research for which this prize is awarded while working in Europe.

MRS and E-MRS have agreed to highlight achievements of the EU-40 Materials Prize recipient and the MRS Mid-Career Researcher recipient at each respective Society Meeting. MRS would like to thank E-MRS for this important transatlantic exchange.

• Dynamic plasmonic systems with controlled motion on the nanoscale
  Laura Na Liu, University of Stuttgart
  Talk begins at 50:51
  
  Abstract: A fundamental design rule that nature has developed for biological machines is the intimate correlation between motion and function. One class of biological machines is molecular motors in living cells, which directly convert chemical energy into mechanical work. They coexist in living cells, but differ in their types of motion. Such natural structures offer inspiration and blueprints for constructing DNA-assembled artificial systems with controlled motion on the nanoscale. In this talk, I will present two artificial analogs of molecular linear and rotary motors with tailored optical functionalities built using DNA origami. I will also highlight the ongoing research directions and conclude that DNA origami has a bright future ahead.

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