Solid State Proton Conductors 15; Santa Barbara, CA; August 15-20, 2010

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The goal of this project is to advance the field of solid state protonics by providing a venue, the 15th International Conference on Solid State Proton Conductors (SSPC-15), for information exchange by researchers at all levels. Since their inception in 1980, the SSPC conferences have, been held in Europe. In 2008, with a change in venue to Kyoto, Japan, the organizers made an effort to truly internationalize the conference. The series now comes to North America, and an even broader community can be exposed to this important area of science. By bringing together traditional protonics researchers and new recruits, we anticipate the creation of new collaborations that can address important areas in energy sciences, fundamentals of proton incorporation and transport, and protons in biological and geological systems. Beyond increasing participation amongst current researchers not traditionally active in this field, they aim, by providing partial support for travel and registration fees, to ensure a representative participant population. TECHNICAL DETAILS: Solid state protonics is a burgeoning field focused on the fundamental mechanisms and eventual applications of proton transport through solid materials. It has relevance to topics ranging from electrochemical energy systems to biological processes and geological phenomena, and is particularly important today given the rising urgency of energy solutions and the key role of solid state protonics in energy technologies such as fuel cells and batteries. The first North American meeting of the SSPC series (SSPC-15) will be held August 15 - 20, 2010, on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Approximately 150 participants are anticipated, comparable to previous recent meetings. The relatively small size (with no parallel sessions) and serene location will facilitate extensive discussion amongst participants. Active announcement of this conference to relevant professional societies will be used to ensure a diverse group of participants. The conference proceedings will be compiled in a special issue of the journal Solid State Ionics that will appear 8-9 months after the conference is concluded.