Events Calendar

EE-Electrophysics Seminar

Speaker: Zhifeng Ren, Department of Physics, Boston College, Massachusetts

Talk Title: Nanomaterials, Physics, and Applications in Clean Energy Research

Abstract: Physics is the foundation of sciences. Materials are the building blocks of the modern technologies. A deep understanding of the physics of materials is the key to energy research. Energy demand grows more and more, but the natural sources that provide the needed energy are shrinking and also unfortunately pollute the earth. Determining how we can efficiently utilize the abundant solar energy at low cost and without pollution is our responsibility to our children.

Nanomaterials have many potential applications in energy conversion systems due to their special structural and physical properties. Such applications often require materials to be manufactured at large scale and low cost. I will first discuss the role materials play in high temperature superconductivity; then the physics and manufacturing of nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials at large scale and their improved thermoelectric properties by a low cost ball milling and hot pressing process; followed by our most recent demonstration of solar energy conversion into electricity at low cost using the improved nanostructured thermoelectric materials; and, finally, some new concepts, including nano coaxial cables, super-absorbers, and super-electrodes for high efficiency conversion of solar energy to electricity by the solar photovoltaic effect.


Biography: Dr Zhifeng Ren is currently a professor of physics at Boston College. He obtained his PhD degree from the Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1990, master degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1987, and bachelor degree from Sichuan Institute of Technology in 1984. He was a postdoc and then research faculty at SUNY Buffalo (1990-1999) before joining BC as an associate professor in 1999. He specializes in materials synthesis and applications especially thermoelectric materials, solar thermoelectric devices & systems, photovoltaic materials & systems, carbon nanotubes & semiconducting nanostructures, nanocomposites, bio agent delivery & bio sensors, superconductors, etc. He is a fellow of APS and AAAS, a recipient of R&D 100 award. He has published extensively, and was ranked the 49th of the top 100 Materials Scientists worldwide for the past decade 2000-2010. He has co-founded companies in the field of carbon nanotubes, thermoelectric materials, and photovoltaics.

Host: EE-Electrophysics

More Info: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eep

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Marilyn Poplawski

Event Link: http://ee.usc.edu/news/seminars/eep