Gordon Research Conference on Solid State Studies in Ceramics, July 20-25, 2014 at Holyoke College, MA

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The Ceramics Gordon Conference on challenges in transport and reactivity gathers a diverse group of speakers, discussion leaders, professionals, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers for one week (July 20-15th, 2014) at Mount Holyoke College, MA, in an interactive environment where an interdisciplinary understanding is being built; and new ideas are shared, generated and dispersed across the community. The fraction of doctoral students, postdoctoral associates, early career faculty and underrepresented group (URG) members (incl. minorities and women) attendees is significant, beneficial interactions with experienced scientists in the field are anticipated. Extended poster sessions and a special student introductory reception fertilize these exchanges. Students are trained via lectures, poster discussion and mentoring in the latest scientific achievements in the field. They are exposed to different modeling approaches and the latest measurement techniques, including in situ and in-operando tools and are starting collaborative efforts to further explore knowledge and tools. As a long term benefit of the conference, scientific progress in the field is accelerated by interdisciplinary, faster innovation and collaboration. As well, a more suitable workforce is created that benefits both the economy and society in general. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The conference is structured in nine sessions that address defects, transport and reactivity in constrained ceramics or electrochemical devices, correlation between structure and transport at grain boundaries, interfaces and surfaces, behavior of ceramics under large, complex or mixed driving forces, catalytic activity of oxides, charge transfer and transport processes in oxide and non-oxide ceramics, ceramic thermoelectrics, exchange processes in fuel cells, batteries and capacitors, hydrogen-conduction in ceramics. Several presentations focus on in situ studies by spectroscopy, tomography and strain measurements. Different modeling approaches ranging from ab initio to phase field modeling and including different length scales are integrated into the sessions.