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Erica K. Brockmeier
Science News Officer
ekbrock@upenn.edu
Chemical Engineering
Self-healing liquid brings new life to battery alternative
Self-healing liquid brings new life to battery alternative
In Penn engineers’ new anode design, gallium repeatedly melts and solidifies, “healing” the cracks that would otherwise gradually decrease the battery’s ability to hold a charge.
Inspiring young women in STEM
Over two days, nearly two dozen female STEM role models at Penn welcomed more than 100 high school students and teachers to campus as part of the Girls Advancing in STEM (GAINS) Initiative Conference on campus.
Customizable ‘bundlemers’ poised to become new material building blocks
Customizable ‘bundlemers’ poised to become new material building blocks
New research describes a novel type of synthetic polymer subunits that form rigid structures that could be used in applications ranging from high-performance fibers to superstrong materials.
From the classroom to the lab and back again
From the classroom to the lab and back again
Senior Adithya Sriram is busy earning two degrees, researching new applications for graphene, and preparing physics courses for students in West Philadelphia.
Solving complex problems with purpose
Solving complex problems with purpose
Senior Angelica Padilla, who recently completed research through the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter undergraduate summer program, shares her passion for fluid mechanics.
Training the next generation of globally minded researchers
Training the next generation of globally minded researchers
As part of the Research and Education in Active Coatings Technologies for the Human Habitat program, students conduct fundamental research on materials that can improve lives while engaging in international collaborations and educational activities.
How to make a better water filter? Turn it inside out
How to make a better water filter? Turn it inside out
Penn engineers describe a novel approach for making antimicrobial nanoscale water filters while demonstrating new approaches that can be used to develop a broad range of materials.
A superstrong, reversible adhesive that works like snail slime
A superstrong, reversible adhesive that works like snail slime
When wet, the material conforms to the grooves on a surface, and when dry, the material hardens and fastens itself securely to the surface.
Penn Engineers’ self-healing liquid metal electrode extends life of Li-ion battery alternative
Penn Engineers’ self-healing liquid metal electrode extends life of Li-ion battery alternative
In the researchers’ new anode design, gallium repeatedly melts and solidifies, “healing” the cracks that would otherwise gradually decrease the battery’s ability to hold a charge.
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In the News
Science News
A new insulation material is practically weightless yet still durable
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Deep Jariwala commented on a new, nearly weightless insulation material made of porous aerogel capable of withstanding temperature shifts of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. “It’s notoriously hard to make materials that are not just lightweight but can also be heavily heat resistant.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Metallic wood’ at Penn is as strong as titanium but lighter than water
James Pikul of the School of Engineering and Applied Science comments on his innovation of a material that is as strong as titanium while putting aluminum to shame in the weight department.
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