ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2023 6 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS The University of Nebraska-Lincoln committed $40 million over four years to support its Grand Challenges Catalyst Competition. One of the 11 winning projects will use materials science and quantum technologies to plan, model, and engineer solutions to achieve climate resilience, quantum literacy, and sustainable agriculture. research.unl.edu. use in illuminated devices or solar energy conversion. The research team reports that the luminescent properties of new chromium materials are nearly as good as some of the osmium compounds used conventionally. Relative to osmium, however, chromium is about 20,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust—and much cheaper. The new materials are also proving to be efficient catalysts for photochemical reactions, including processes that are triggered by exposure to light, such as photosynthesis. If the new chromium compounds are irradiated with a red lamp, the energy from the light can be stored in molecules which can then serve as a power source. To make the chromium atoms glow and enable them to convert energy, the researchers built them into an organic molecular framework consisting of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The team designed this organic framework to be particularly stiff, so that the chromium atoms are well packaged. This tailor-made environment MUSSELS INSPIRE RARE EARTH ELEMENT EXTRACTION METHOD Researchers at Penn State, University Park, Pa., recently developed a new mussel-inspired nanocellulose coating (MINC) that has demonstrated a surprising ability to recover rare earth elements (REEs) from secondary sources such as industrial wastewater without using a high amount of energy. Mussels have a remarkable ability to adhere to surfaces underwater thanks to the adhesive properties of catechol-based molecules found in mussel proteins. The MINC mirrors this by consisting of ultra-tiny hairy cellulose nanocrystals with uniquely sticky properties. The coating is applied to a substrate via a technique called dopamine-mediated ad-layer formation. A chemical reaction then enables the MINC to form a thin layer of molecules on a surface, making it capable of sticking to a broad range of substrates. The MINC coating is to neodymium what a magnet is to iron, pulling the REE out of water, even when the element is only present in amounts as limited as parts per million. This selectivity allows MINC to avoid recovering undesired elements like sodium and calcium. Next, the researchers plan to investigate how the MINC method may work to extract other REEs in a more sustainable way. psu.edu. REPLACING NOBLE METALS WITH CHROMIUM Scientists at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have successfully replaced rare and expensive noble metals with a significantly cheaper metal for Mussels’ unique ability to stick to underwater surfaces has inspired a more e icient, and environmentally friendly way to extract critical rare earth elements. Courtesy of Sheikhi Lab/Penn State. ISM Resources Corp., Canada, changed its name toDiscovery Lithium Inc. to reflect the company’s recent acquisition of the lithium prospective Serindac Lake and Vaubert Lake mineral claims. discoverylithium.com. BRIEFS State-of-the-art chromium compounds act as luminescent materials and catalysts. Courtesy of University of Basel/Jo Richers.
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