Second US-China Workshop On Nanostructured Materials For Global Energy and Environmental Challenges

Second
2009 中美自然科学基金双边会议
China-US Workshop
on Nanostructured
Materials for Global Energy and
Environmental Challenges
Changzhou City, Jiangsu, China
October 15-18, 2009
Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements 1
Section 1: Executive Summary 2
Section 2: Participants 3
Section 3: Program Highlights 4
Section 4: Summary of Group Discussions 12
Section 5: Report Conclusions 20
Section 6: Implementation 22
Appendices
Appendix 1: Workshop Participants 23
Appendix 2: Workshop Program 27
Appendix 3: Student Thesis Abstracts 30
Appendix 4: Consolidated Group Reports 34

Acknowledgements
As co-organizers of the Workshop, we gratefully

acknowledge the visionary leadership and support of
the National Natural Science Foundation of China
(NSFC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in
launching this workshop series, and we thank them for
the honor of organizing this important event for the
second time.
We would also like to thank ….
…the members of both agencies who took the time to

attend this Workshop and share information about US
and Chinese funding mechanisms;
…the US delegates for making the long trip to China and the Chinese researchers and
students who traveled from different parts of the country in the spirit of international
cooperation. Their valuable contributions have made this second bilateral workshop a
great success;
…the organizing team at Tsinghua University and

Northwestern University for their outstanding
coordination, including workshop coordinators Lei
Wang and Jennifer Shanahan, workshop assistants,
Rui Ran, Min Li, Shujiang Xie, Xinyan Shi and Li Li.
Special thanks also to John Brundage at
Northwestern for his online support.
We hope that this workshop series will continue to

generate new projects and initiatives among
Chinese and US partners!
Workshop Co-organizers
Duan Weng R.P.H.Chang

Tsinghua University Northwestern University
1
Section 1: Executive Summary
The Second China-US Workshop on Nanostructured Materials for Global Energy and
Environmental Challenges was held in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China October 15-18,
2009. This was the second in a series of co-sponsored bilateral workshops to foster US-China
cooperation to address shared challenges related to energy and the environment. Co-organized
by Duan Weng of Tsinghua University (China) and R.P.H. Chang of Northwestern University
(US), the workshop invited experts from the US and China to discuss solar energy conversion,
environmental protection, environmental health, and nanostructured materials as applied to
these areas. Participants included researchers, students and observers from academia, industry,
national laboratories, and government funding agencies in China and the US.
Goals: The two-day workshop program consisted of information exchange, informal networking,
a student poster session, and a series of parallel working group discussions. Six US-Chinese
working groups were asked to produce the following deliverables:
1. A consolidated list of thematic areas for collaborative research based on complementary
expertise and resources in China and the US;
2. A list of research facilities to be shared or jointly developed by Chinese and US partners;
3. A series of recommendations for improving education programs and capabilities at the
graduate, postgraduate and public levels; and
4. A series of desirable cyber-infrastructure capabilities to support collaborative research,
education, and networking.
A summary of these deliverables can be found in Sections 4 and 5 of this report.
Key Findings: The working groups identified several key areas for collaborative research,
including: (1) Nanomaterials Characterization and Synthesis; (2) Solar Energy Conversion,
including solar cells and solar thermal systems, and solar chemical fuel conversion; (3)
Environmental Protection, including conversion, reduction and sequestration of CO2 and other
toxic gases; and (4) Nanotoxicology and Environmental Health. These areas are based on
complementary expertise, knowledge and resources in both countries.
Group discussions made clear the need to link collaborative research to sustainable
mechanisms for personnel exchange, education and training, facilities sharing, and
cyberinfrastructure development. The concept of a US-China E-Institute, set forth at the first
US-China workshop in Evanston last year, was recommended again this year. As described in
last year’s workshop report, such an institute would “provide a seamless, sustainable
environment for long-term collaborative research, education and networking.” Given the
sustained interest in this project on both sides, this model appears to be a promising mechanism
for future development. Plans for pursuing its implementation are described in Section 6 of this
report.
The groups called for a broader range of joint funding mechanisms to foster and support US-
China collaborations. Suggestions included expanding the use of supplements to cover
international travel for research and research planning, increased support for student and faculty
exchanges, and the establishment of new funding programs to develop joint infrastructures.
Finally, participants agreed that this bilateral workshop series should be continued, that future
workshops should be longer to allow for more focused discussions and research planning, and
that activities for students should be expanded.
2
Section 2: Participants
About 75 invited researchers, graduate students, and government observers attended the
workshop, roughly half from China and half from the United States. A list of workshop
participants appears in Appendix 1 of this report.
Researchers: The co-organizers worked with the NSF and the NSFC to ensure representation
by leading solar cell researchers, nanomaterials
experts, and environmental scientists and engineers.
Twenty six researchers attended from the US and thirty
researchers attended from China. Both sides worked
conscientiously to assemble a diverse group of
attendees from academia, industry and national
laboratories representing different regions of the US
and China, with an emphasis on diversity of gender,
ethnicity, career level and discipline. Participants came
from materials science, chemistry, mathematics, Chinese researchers attending the
chemical engineering, electrical engineering, civil and summary session
environmental engineering, and other fields.
Graduate Students: Student participation was encouraged.

Five US students and four Chinese students accompanied their
advisors to the Workshop, where they attended talks,
presented research posters, and joined working group
sessions. Wherever possible, US and Chinese students were
lodged together to foster informal networking.
It has been recommended that student participation be

Graduate students from increased at future workshops, and that satellite activities be
China and the US added for their benefit.
Government Observers: Nine representatives from the

NSF and the NSFC attended the workshop as observers.
The NSFC was represented by the Bureau of Engineering
and Materials and the Bureau of International Cooperation.
The NSF was represented by three divisions within the
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences – the
Division of Materials Research (DMR), the Division of
Chemistry (CHE), and the Division of Mathematical Sciences
CAS Academician, Chunhui
(DMS). Agency representatives met privately to discuss
Huang (standing) with
joint funding mechanisms and programs to foster US-China
representatives from the US
cooperation.
and China
Cyberinfrastructure Support for Participants: Participants were encouraged to begin

interacting several months before the Workshop via a community-based cyberinfrastructure
consisting of searchable research profiles, group workspaces, document repositories, and
discussion forums. These tools remain available to support ongoing discussions
(www.materialsworldnetwork.org)
3
Section 3: Program Highlights
The two day program was designed to meet the goals of the workshop. Day 1 included speaker
sessions, a student poster session, and parallel (breakout) working group sessions. Day 2
consisted of parallel working group sessions and group reporting. Participants also had
opportunities for informal networking and cultural interactions.
The complete workshop program can be found in Appendix 2.
Opening Remarks
The co-organizers, Duan Weng and R.P.H. Chang, welcomed participants, introduced
distinguished guests, and outlined the goals of the Workshop.
Representatives of the two sponsoring agencies – NSF and NSFC- made welcoming remarks
and described the origins and objectives of the jointly sponsored bilateral Workshop series.
• Ming Li, Bureau of Engineering and Materials, National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Zakya Kafafi, Director, Division for Materials Research, National Science Foundation, US
• Luis Echegoyen, Director, Division of Chemistry, National Science Foundation, US
• Junping Wang, Program Director, Division of Mathematics, National Science Foundation, US
Division Director, Zakya Kafafi

Ming Li, Bureau of Engineering and and Program Director, Charles
Materials, National Natural Science Ying of the Division for Materials
Foundation of China with Workshop Research, National Science
Co-organizer, Duan Weng (seated) Foundation (US)
Luis Echegoyen, Director, Division Junping Wang, Program Director,

of Chemistry, National Science Division of Mathematics, National
Foundation (US) Science Foundation (US)
4
Speaker Session 1: Nanomaterials and Energy
Session Chair: R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern University
Plenary talks were presented by:

• David Ginley, National Renewable Energy Lab (US)
• Shuit-Tong Lee, Suzhou University (China)
• Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, University of California at Santa
Barbara (US)
• Chunhui Huang, Peking University (China) Shuit-Tong Lee of Suzhou
• Bruce Parkinson, University of Wyoming (US) University gives a talk on silicon
and carbon nano materials for
• Lidong Chen, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese energy applications
Academy of Sciences
Speaker Session 2: Nanomaterials and the Environment
Session Chair: Duan Weng, Tsinghua University

• Richard Flagan, California Institute of Technology (US)
• Feiyu Kang, Tsinghua University (China)
• Erin Himmelspach for Kimberly Gray, Northwestern
University (US)
• Jian Xu, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of
Richard Flagan of Caltech
discusses airborne Sciences
nanoparticles • Vicki Colvin, Rice University (US)
Speaker Session 3: Nanomaterials and Technology

Session Chair: Robert Hull, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Murray Gibson, Argonne National Laboratory (US)
• Yichun Liu, Northeastern Normal University (China)
• Robert Chang, Northwestern University (US)
• Meifang Zhu, Donghua University (China) Meifang Zhu of Donghua
University presents a talk on
nanocomposite hydrogels.
Plenary talks are available online at http://materialsworldnetwork.org.
5
Student Poster Session
Students presented posters describing aspects of their thesis research, including:
• Understanding the Effect of Electrospinning on the
Crystallization Dynamics of Low and Highly
Crystalline Polymers (Carl Giller, Materials Science
and Engineering, University of Delaware)
• Quantifying Airborne Particulate Matter Exposure and
Dosage (Amanda Grantz, Chemical Engineering,
Caltech)
• TiO2-based nanocomposites for solar fuel production:
Engineering the solid-solid interface for specialized
photocatalytic function (Erin Himmelspach, Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University)
• Dye-sensitized Solar Cells using Dye Nanoparticles (Atiya Jordan, Chemistry, Louisiana State
University)
• Structure-Function-Property Relationships of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based Materials for
Applications in Solution Processed Organic Solar Cells (Jason Lin, Chemical Engineering,
University of California at Santa Barbara)
Abstracts of this work appear in Appendix 3 of this report.
UCSB student Jason Lin (right), his

US graduate student, Erin advisor T.Q. Nguyen (center) and
Himmelspach of Northwestern their collaborator, Liwei Chen of the
describes her work to Duan Weng Suzhou Institute of Nanomaterials
US graduate student Atiya Jordan Graduate student, Amanda Grantz

of Louisiana State University with of Caltech explains her research to
her research poster. R.P.H. Chang of Northwestern
6
Informal Networking and Cultural Interactions
Before the Workshop, US visitors were given a tour of Zhouzhuang Water Village.
Meals and after-dinner parties provided opportunities for informal networking.
7
Working Group Sessions
Working Group breakout sessions were held over two days to generate recommendations for
improving China-US cooperation in the topical areas covered by the workshop.
Researchers and students were assigned to one of six working groups as follows:
Group 1: Nanomaterials A
• Shuit-Tong Lee, Suzhou University (China) - Leader
• Meifang Zhu, Donghua University (China)
• Yunqi Liu, Institute of Chemistry, CAS (China)
• Liwei Chen, Suzhou Institute of Nanomaterials
(China)
• Zhongsheng Wang, Fudan University (China)
• Murray Gibson, Argonne National Laboratory (US) -
Leader
• Isiah Warner, Louisiana State University (US)
• Robert Hull, RPI (US)
• Ridgway Scott, University of Chicago (US)
• Atiya Jordan, Louisiana State University (US) -
student
Group 2: Nanomaterials B
• Olivia Graeve, Alfred University (US) - Leader
• Xiaogang Peng, University of Arkansas (US)
• Sarah Morgan, University of Southern Mississippi (US)
• John Rabolt, University of Delaware (US)
• Jian Xu, Institute of Chemistry, CAS (China) - Leader
• Yong Cao, South China University of Technology (China)
• Jiaguo Yu, Wuhan University of Technology (China)
• Jingbo Li, Institute of Semiconductor, CAS
• Kezhi Wang, Beijing Normal University (China)
• Carl Giller, University of Delaware (US) - student
Group 3: Energy A
• Chunhui Huang, Peking University (China) - Leader
• Qingbo Meng, Institute of Physics, CAS (China)
• Sam Zhang, China Iron and Steel Research Institute
Group (China)
• Donghang Yan, Changchun Inst. of Applied
Chemistry, CAS (China)
• Hong Lin, Tsinghua University (China)
• Bruce Parkinson, University of Wyoming (US) -
Leader
• Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, UC Santa Barbara (US)
• Jeffrey Yang, United Solar Ovonic, LLC (US)
• Ethan Good, SolarWorld USA (US)
• Len Feldman, Rutgers University (US)
• Jason Lin, UC Santa Barbara (US) – student
8
Group 4: Energy B
• David Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(US) - Leader
• Woolas Hsieh, Solarmer, Inc. (US)
• Alex Jen, University of Washington (US)
• Theodore Goodson, III, University of Michigan (US)
• Lidong Chen, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS
(China) - Leader
• Changjian Lin, Xiamen University (China)
• Yichun Liu, Northeast Normal University (China)
• Deren Yang, Zhejiang University (China)
• Dechun Zou, Peking University (China)
Group 5: Environment A
• Jieshan Qiu, Dalian University of Technology (China)
- Leader
• Lijie Qiao, University of Science & Technology
Beijing (China)
• Man Yao, Dalian University of Technology (China)
• Renxian Zhou, Zhejiang University (China)
• Rui Ran, Tsinghua University (China)
• Richard Flagan, Caltech (US) - Leader
• Irene Fonseca, Carnegie Melon University (US)
• Amanda Grantz, Caltech (US) – student
• Erin Himmelspach, Northwestern University (US) -
student
Group 6: Environment B
• Vicki Colvin, Rice University (US) - Leader
• Neal Armstrong, University of Arizona (US)
• Dhimiter Bello, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
(US)
• Mamadou Diallo, Caltech (US)
• Timothy Schulze, University of Tennessee Knoxville
(US)
• Feiyu Kang, Tsinghua University (China) - Leader
• Guosheng Gai, Tsinghua University (China)
• Meiqing Shen, Tianjin University (China)
• Xiaodong Wu, Tsinghua University (China)
• Duan Weng, Tsinghua University (China)
Group members made brief research presentations, which are available online at
http://materialsworldnetwork.org.
Group discussions are summarized in Section 4 of this report, and a consolidation of their written
reports appears in Appendix 4.
9
Group Reporting
At the end of Day 2, group co-leaders presented their findings to the Workshop, which are
summarized in the next Section. The groups also submitted written reports, which have been
consolidated in Appendix 4.
Murray Gibson of Argonne Olivia Graeve of Alfred University

National Laboratory presents the presents the report from Group 2:
report from Group1: Nanomaterials B
Nanomaterials A
Bruce Parkinson of the University David Ginley of the National

of Wyoming presents the report Renewable Energy Laboratory
from Group 3: Energy A presents the report from Group 4:
Energy B
Richard Flagan of Caltech Neal Armstrong of the University of

presents the report from Group 5: Arizona presents the report from
Environment A Group 6: Environment B
10
Closing Session
The Co-organizers led a closing discussion to summarize

the workshop findings and define priorities for
implementation.
Workshop findings are summarized in Sections 4 and 5,

and a consolidation of group reports appears in
Appendix 4.
Priorities for implementation are summarized in Section

6.
Workshop Co-organizer, R.P.H.

Chang leads discussion during
the closing session
11
Section 4: Summary of Group Discussions
Group discussions produced the following deliverables to inform the establishment of joint
funding programs by US and Chinese agencies:
1. A consolidated list of thematic areas for collaborative research
2. A list of research facilities to be shared or jointly developed by US and Chinese partners.
graduate, postgraduate and public levels.
These deliverables are summarized briefly in this Section. A more comprehensive consolidation
of group reports appears in Appendix 4.
Deliverable 1: A Consolidated List of Thematic Areas for Collaborative Research
NANOMATERIALS
• Techniques for discovering new materials with new properties: Nanoscale characterization,
and nano computation
• Nanomanufacturing
• Mathematical modeling of photovoltaics
• Organic photovoltaics
• Nanotoxicology
• Design of functional nanomaterials using an iterative modeling and experimental approach to
address global environmental and energy needs. Examples include: Preparation of active
nanofibers with incorporated nanoparticles for specific functionalities such as destroying
pollutants, for sensing applications, etc.; Polymer photovoltaics, specifically new polymer
compositions and designs for enhanced performance.
• Development of specific metal clusters morphologies and the theoretical modeling of their
behavior. Specific behaviors would be optical, magnetic, electronic, etc.
• Development of nanoscale techniques for surfaces/interfaces and molecular characterization
of nanomaterials.
• Development of synthetic processing methods for nanomaterials to maintain specific shape,
size, interface, and functionality in target applications.
• Development of techniques that can result in nanodevices of specific functionalities.
• Development of novel nanometals for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in sensor
applications.
ENERGY MATERIALS, ENERGY GENERATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• Materials preparation: single crystals, simple and pure materials to use as model systems to
understand materials properties with specific target application in mind
• Advanced characterization techniques: Tomography; Understanding degradation mechanisms
and understand accelerated testing, especially for organic semiconductors, quantum dots, and
12
electrolyte encapsulation; Interface engineering: Most energy conversion processes are
dominated by interfaces;
• Interfacial Analysis of novel organic, inorganic and hybrid systems are difficult to probe by
conventional in lab techniques
• Synthesis and testing of new materials: Hybrid systems for energy conversion and efficiency;
Developing new understanding or process science; Novel devices and materials applications.
• Computational resources predicting molecular, polymer and interfacial properties
• Synergistic application of the science developed for OPV, OLED, molecular catalysis,
photocatalysis , fuel cells– grand challenges.
NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

• Resource issues in nanotechnology. Alternate starting materials replacing high value
feedstocks, e.g., nanotubes from coal; Utilizing materials with lower effect on environment –
refractory carbon as structural material – reduced greenhouse gases.
• Energy technologies: Nuclear; Photovoltaics; Batteries; Fossil fuel replacements; Fuel cells;
Fundamental chemical mechanisms – development of mathematical models; Water splitting.
• Nanotechnology for environmental control: Modeling and experiment; Understand and predict
microstructure and properties over a range of scales; Ecosystem effects; Catalytic converters
• Nanotoxicology: Worker and community exposure and health consequences. Determine what
is in the air/water/soil/workplace; measure inhalation, dermal exposure, Ingestion,
Mechanisms of action and clearance, Environmental behavior of nanomaterials – size effects,
Role of scale in health and environmental behavior of materials.
• Relationship between environmental effects of nanotechnology and other pollutants, i.e.
Nanotechnology leading to new understanding of existing environmental problems.
• Ecosystem effects of Nanotechnology: How can nanoparticles in the environment be
measured/detected? What special features of the environment affect nanoparticle behavior?
Development of predictive models of nanoparticle accumulation, transport, and
transformations in biota and environmental compartments.
• Factors that limit the lifetimes of nanotechnologies: Radiation damage, photochemical
degradation, catalyst poisoning, thermal cycling, etc.
• Water: sensing at micro-, nano-, femto-, atto-molar levels, catalysis for remediation, treatment
for desalination and reuse;
• EcoMaterials: life cycle assessment, safety by design, sensors for nanomaterial detection,
recycling of high value-added materials (e.g. Lithium from Li-air/Li-ion batteries)
• Environmental Catalysis: air pollution remediation and control (automotive, power plant),
indoor air quality systems, integrated into water treatment, virus inactivation, etc.
• Materials for combating climate change: Carbon sequestration (storage and capture), catalysts
to lower carbon footprints, CO2 conversion strategies
13
Complementary Strengths (Partial List)
The groups were also asked what kinds of complementary expertise, knowledge and resources
in the US and China would be leveraged by the above-mentioned collaborations. A partial list,
gathered from their reports, appears below.
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources in China and the US (Partial List)
US China
Materials characterization, device fabrication, and Materials synthesis and manufacturing
interdisciplinary research
Theory and modeling expertise; Industrial– Worlds largest PV producer; Expertise in crystal
academic relationship stronger; more developed growth; Human resources.
education/research connection.
Modeling expertise and resources; understanding Expertise in carbon nanotubes and microcarbons
of physiological mechanisms; Environmental from coal; Two research institutes on
science and engineering research; Aerosol nanomaterial safety in Beijing; Analytical science
experiment, measurement, and theory; of nanosafety in Nanjing.
understanding of microstructures and properties
over a range of scales.
Modeling and theory as applied to materials design Access to manufacturing /workplace settings
and processing. where exposure and strategies for minimizing
exposure can be studied.
One of the groups also noted several important similarities between the two countries:
Both Countries…
Have diverse energy sources, but depend largely on coal and other carbon-based sources
Need to focus carefully on near-term strategies to manage carbon resources
Have diverse geographies and climates
Are likely to pursue multiple strategies for renewable energy in different regions, which requires
substantial research efforts and a strong emphasis on the electrical grid
Are very large countries so transportation across vast distances is a shared issue
NOTE: Other capabilities were mentioned in the group reports but were not attributed to one
country or the other. Please see Appendix 4 for more detail.
14
Recommendations to Improve Collaborative Research
Personnel Exchange/Training
• Expand personnel exchanges for students and faculty
• Establish visiting scholar/lecturer programs

• Joint research proposals should include a fund for two-way internships lasting 3-6 months
• Train students with a global perspective; facilitate and encourage Chinese research
experiences for US students.
Industrial Collaboration / Technology Transfer

• Encourage industry-centered materials research
• Give students a more entrepreneurial experience
• Develop a framework for intellectual property management and licensing between US and
China.
Joint Workshops:
• More bilateral jointly-sponsored workshops are needed to spin-off proposals for joint funding
activities. Continue this workshop series: Hold a third US-China Workshop in 2010; involve
more students and expand activities for students. Future Workshops should be longer, with
more time for parallel sessions, plenary talks, discussion, facility tours and informal
networking.
• Launch a series of smaller, tailored workshops on hot topics
• Launch a series of technical challenge workshops in which industrial researchers/developers
pose grand challenges in specific technologies.
Cyberinfrastructure
• Encourage investigators to contribute to the MWN website so expertise can be shared.
• Establish online resources such as collaborator listings, databases and document repositories.
Joint Funding Mechanisms

• Increase awareness of existing mechanisms and provide clear guidelines for their use
• Create more “timely” funding mechanisms for collaborative research, such as the EAGER
program, Joint “Career” proposals, etc.
• Allocate specific funding for US-China activities to ensure that collaborations are launched
• Expand supplements to cover travel for research planning, lecture visits, and research visits
15
Deliverable 2: Research Facilities to be Shared or Jointly Developed
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS
Facilities to be Shared
• Synchrotrons and neutron sources, and other advanced materials characterization facilities.
• Computational facilities.
• Polymer synthesis capabilities at all scales
• Combinatorial synthesis and analysis
• Electrostatic and melt polymer processing capabilities
• Solid-state NMR and ATR FTIR with variable angle-depth profiling
• Ceramic processing at all scales, including pilot plant scale; Nanopowders synthesis
capabilities at small and intermediate scales; High-temperature (up to 2200°C) materials
characterization capabilities: DSC/DTA, x-ray diffraction (1800°C)
• Dynamic light scattering for measurement of particle size from 0.8 nm up to 6.5 mm; Static
and time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy techniques including sum frequency generation
(SFG) planar array IR (PA-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopy; HP supercomputers for materials
modeling; Surface plasmon resonance and quartz crystal microbalance
• Software for nanoscale modeling
• AFM-based electrospinning
Facilities to be Jointly Developed

• Instruments to be placed at light sources or neutron facilities
• Collaborative development of unique instruments
• Next generation light and neutron sources
• Table-top instruments for characterization
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND ENERGY
• National lab and NSF funded centers in US
• Resources to facilitate staff exchanges and instrument support at the exchange locations
• Specific analytical capabilities for hybrid interfaces
• Shared device development capabilities inorganic, organic, hybrid
• Synthesis resources for unique materials inorganic, organic and hybrid
• Combinatorial – high-throughput capabilities.

• New facilities dedicated to solar energy conversion research. For example: a facility in China
to certify device efficiency similar to NREL; Develop low energy and high resolution electron
microscopy facilities.
16
• Beam line dedicated to hybrid systems
• Way to look at 3D structure of nano-composites
• Combinatorial – high-throughput user facility
• Rapid access to solar/OLED; device process/characterization capability (OLED test and
fabrication capability in Korea)
• A shared computational modeling effort for predictive work on hybrid systems.
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
• Instrumentation for measurement and monitoring of nanomaterials in various environmental
compartments.
• The US may offer models for cloud computing and other intensive computational resources
that may be of value to Chinese collaborators.

• A Joint US/China Institute of Collaborative Research in Modeling for Nanotechnology to bring
people together for extended collaborations. Rotation between countries and institutions.
• Database efforts to gather information and other metrics useful for life cycle assessment; to
the extent that databases are public these should shared.
• Because China has such a large manufacturing base for nanomaterials, the country offers
excellent potential testbeds for exposure monitoring and other industrial hygiene practices as
they are applied to nanomaterials. This could be developed further and investigators from
around the world would find access to these workplace environments very important.
• A critical need for energy and environmental issues are testbeds for evaluating prototype
technologies. China offers a diverse array of environments and a burgeoning infrastructure
that is well suited for early stage technology evaluation.
Recommendations to Improve Facilities Sharing

• Develop a way for US scientists have access to the Chinese beam lines and vice versa, for
fundamental work. Provide access to high-end computation facilities if possible.
• Fund programs to train students at facilities abroad; have students travel to labs with device
capabilities to test new materials
• Expand cooperation with industry on basic problems
• Establish Mechanisms for moving instruments back and forth
• Develop a database of currently available facilities, including equipment and software.
• Establish instrumentation partnerships; a shared computation resource; a high throughput
capability for hybrid materials, etc.
• Fund workshops on development of new techniques
17
Deliverable 3: Recommendations for Improving Education Programs and
Capabilities at the Graduate, Postgraduate and Public Levels
Improving Education Capabilities
Graduate/Postgraduate Levels
• Give students a global perspective, i.e. exposure to other cultures, technical language and
approaches to R&D.
• More mathematical modeling courses for materials scientists
• Greater emphasis on interdisciplinary education; Rebalance humanities and science (e.g.
social, economic, political issues in nanotechnology, energy, and environment)
• Guidance for new researchers on the use of specific facilities, safe laboratory practices, etc.
Public Level
• Improve the public perception of science
• Encourage science and math careers
• Improve public awareness of global energy and environmental challenges and the role of
nanotechnology in solving them.
• Prepare students on both sides to communicate with the public and the press
Recommendations to Improve Education

• Create more opportunities for student exchanges; research visits; mobility in both directions.
Develop a pool of resources that can be applied for from both sides to fund internships and
exchanges. At the postgraduate level, create a fellows program for young faculty during
sabbatical periods.
• Improve networking and collaboration among students; Create opportunities for them to
interact and build lasting relationships. More student involvement at international workshops;
workshops should include satellite activities for students such as lab visits and short courses;
Involve students in planning future workshops.
• Provide advanced leadership training for students and postdocs; Summer schools and study
institutes alternating between US and China on a variety of topics (NATO summer schools,
Global School for Advanced Studies); Establish mechanisms to foster student collaborations
(ex: write mini-joint proposals to return to future workshops.
• Increase mobility of US and Chinese Faculty. lecture visits, short-courses, visiting faculty
programs
• Increase cooperation among Chinese and US faculty: Joint student supervision; develop joint
courses, beginning with a series of online courses that are valid in US and Chinese
universities.
• Establish a US-China Global Institute (suggested at last year’s conference) to house shared
graduate students, faculty and shepherd other research initiatives.
18
Deliverable 4: A Series of Desirable Cyber-Infrastructure Capabilities to Support
Collaborative Research, Education, and Networking
Basic Networking Capabilities

• Online sharing of research results (web-authored news items, shared documents, databases)
• Easy-to-use online forums, group workspaces, message boards; whiteboards for research
collaborations; enhance communications among groups and group members;
• Document sharing: post/download conference presentations and publications. Encourage
exchange of pre-prints among partners and groups.
• Basic data sharing via e-alerts (users can subscribe to websites) and RSS feeds (websites
can be linked so information from one website can be posted on another.)
• Profiles of Individual Researchers and Research groups
Conferencing Tools
• Develop basic and advanced web conferencing capabilities at US and Chinese institutions.
Examples include Webcasting (basic) and multisite web-conferencing with shared desktop (for
sharing powerpoints, blackboard, etc. (advanced)
• Help in setting up video conferencing and phone conferencing systems (The NSF NCN at
Purdue is an excellent resource)
Databases and Other Resources

• Database of facilities (including equipment and software) available at various laboratories and
working groups
• Database of Journals - expand access to existing journal databases
• Database of Publications: Establish a free database of publications supported by NSF and
NSFC, similar to the NIH database
• Database of materials and materials properties - Analytical results in real time.
• Database of research capabilities
• Database of research topics and funding opportunities
• Bibliographies of publications, generated by participants, with downloadable papers where
possible (available on MWN website)
• Joint authorship/publication review tools: Papers from participants, from bibliographies
generated by participants, Rate (and annotate) papers for different constituencies.
Remote Experiment Access / Instrumentation/ Data Sharing

• Remote experiment access (e.g. synchrotrons)
• Cyber instrumentation: Software repository; Access to quantitative tools (e.g. life-cycle
assessment, material properties) that are simple to use, with adequate information for use by
a wider group of people. Computational and modeling resources
• Websites/tools for exchanging large datafiles (data sets rather than document files); Fast data
sharing via GRID technology
19
Sharing/Developing Educational Content
• Online courses and course directories
• Distance learning / remote classroom capabilities
• Repositories of educational materials
• Information about internships and research visits
• Database of materials properties, nanomaterials, etc.
• Experimental monitoring and participation online
• Online modeling tools
• Better Video/web conferencing capabilities at US and Chinese institutions
• More smart classrooms at US and Chinese institutions

20
Section 5: Report Conclusions
The first US-China workshop, held in September 2008 in Evanston, Illinois, was attended by
about 60 participants. This second workshop involved more researchers, working on a broader
range of energy and the environmental topics. Once again, nanomaterials and their properties
proved to be an ideal cross-cutting focus; producing essential cross-pollination between the two
groups and unifying disciplinary perspectives. Participants came from Chemistry, Chemical
Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mathematics, Materials
Science, and Physics; a larger number of mathematicians attended the workshop this year, and
mathematical modeling was added to each of the working groups.
This year’s workshop aimed to consolidate recommendations from the first workshop, generate
new suggestions, and establish a strategy for their implementation. Because many of the
recommendations made at last year’s workshop were reiterated this year, the path forward is
now clearer. The following conclusions were gleaned from workshop presentations, discussions
and from the six reports prepared by the working groups:
Collaborative Research: Many opportunities exist for collaborative research. China and the US
face similar energy and environmental challenges and possess complementary expertise,
knowledge, and resources for facing these challenges. Synergism exists in the following areas:
• Nanomaterials Characterization and Synthesis: The US is strong in characterization and
modeling of nanostructured materials, whereas China is highly skilled in their synthesis, large
scale fabrication and manufacture.
• Solar Energy Conversion: This area includes solar cells and solar thermal systems, and solar
chemical fuel conversion. China is the world largest PV producer and the US is a leader in
innovative product design.
• Environmental Protection: China and the US can work together to develop new systems for
conversion, reduction and sequestration of CO2 and other toxic gases. Both countries have
strong catalysis programs. The US has developed a number of advanced techniques and
approaches to address these challenges, and China has a growing number of specialized
research institutes in this area. The US is also strong in developing advanced sensors for
monitoring and mapping pollutants in the air and water. Samples can be taken in both
countries for joint studies.
• Nanotoxicology and Environmental Health: Chinese strength in the large scale manufacturing
of nanomaterials provides a variety of manufacturing and workplace settings for US and
Chinese researchers to study levels of exposure to nanoparticles, the effects of exposure, and
strategies for minimizing exposure. Samples for nanotoxicology and environmental impact
studies can also be taken near Chinese manufacturing sites.
Based on group discussion, it is clear that collaborative research in each topical area
must be closely linked to mechanisms and programs for education, facilities sharing, and
the development of cyberinfrastructure tools.
Education: Synergism also exists in the area of education. Working together, US and Chinese
partners can help the public better understand global energy and environmental challenges and
train new breed of researcher with well-rounded research capabilities and a unique global
perspective. It was agreed that some educational materials could be shared and others should
be developed jointly. It was also agreed that students on both sides should have more
opportunities for networking and cross-cultural exchanges and more experience planning and
21
carrying out joint projects. Several groups again mentioned that opportunities for US students
should be expanded to balance the movement of students between the two countries.
Facilities Sharing: It was suggested that a database of facilities and equipment in both
countries be created; that students and faculty have more opportunities to visit and use these
facilities for collaborative research, and that workshops be established to discuss specific
methods and types of facilities. Participants also called for joint funding to launch instrumentation
partnerships and develop specialized facilities to be shared.
Cyberinfrastructure: Participants recommended the development/use of cyberinfrastructure

capabilities ranging from high-tech to low-tech. High-tech capabilities included remote access to
instrumentation. Medium-tech suggestions included advanced web-conferencing and distance
learning tools. Low-tech suggestions included: databases (people and their research expertise,
working groups, facilities and equipment, etc.) RSS and newsfeeds among websites, shared
websites to post events, research highlights, and profile information. Implementation of these
low-tech capabilities will require more coordination than advanced technical knowhow or
expensive programs. Many already exist on the Materials World Network website, and it was
suggested that more people begin using these tools to create a critical mass of information
available to the community.
Joint Funding Mechanisms: A broader range of mechanisms are needed to foster and support
US-China collaborations. Suggested included supplements to existing grants to cover the cost of
international research exchanges and planning trips (short term) new programs with specific
funds set aside for US-China collaborations (medium term), and funding to develop joint
infrastructures such as instrumentation partnerships and a US-China e-Institute (long-term).
US-China E-Institute: Participants once again called for a sustainable mechanism to facilitate
ongoing personnel exchanges, access to specialized facilities and equipment, development of
educational resources, and development of cyberinfrastructure. The first US-China workshop in
Evanston last September put forth the concept of a US-China Institute to be jointly funded and
operated by a network of US and Chinese universities, research institutes, and industry partners.
As described in the report of last year’s workshop, such an institute would “provide a seamless,
sustainable environment for long-term collaborative research, education and networking. By
virtue of its joint ownership, extended lifespan, and broad scope, such an institute would
eliminate many existing barriers to successful US-China collaborations and foster transformative
research for rapidly solving urgent global energy and environmental challenges.” This concept
was recommended again this year, and based on this sustained interest in both countries,
seems to be a very promising mechanism for future development.
22
Section 6: Implementation
The following priorities have been gleaned from workshop discussions and group reports.
1. Continue US-China Workshop Series

This workshop series US-China Workshop Series, with the following improvements:
• Longer workshop with more time for discussion, facility tours and informal interactions
• Revised structure that includes parallel topical sessions as well as plenary talks
• Focus on launching joint proposals (set goals, establish milestones, etc.)
• More student participation from both sides
• Include satellite activities for student participants that will enable them to network with one
another, establish long term working relationships, and gain experience planning joint
proposals.
2. Hold a Special Workshop for US and Chinese Graduate Students, perhaps in parallel with
the next US-China workshop. Teams of students will develop joint projects based on their thesis
research, receive mentoring from senior experts, present their work to a panel of reviewers, and
write proposals to obtain funding support for their activities. They will also visit local research
facilities and go on cultural excursions together.
3. Encourage use of the Materials World Network website to implement the following
basic cyberinfrastructure capabilities:
• A directory of individual research profiles and research group profiles
• A library of useful weblinks, including facilities, research groups, funding programs, etc.
• Online workspaces for US-China working groups, including document repositories and
discussion forums.
• Posting of research highlights in the US and China – users can write web articles for posting
on the website, and these can be compiled into a quarterly e-newsletter.
• Posting of upcoming workshops and events
Additional capabilities such as webcasting, web conferencing, shared databases, etc. can also
be added over time. Participants of this workshop and last year’s workshop will be added as
users of the website and will receive emails containing login information and instructions for
contributing to the site.
4. Pursue the Development of a US-China E-Institute by 2011

A US-China Institute Global E-Institute would provide “a seamless, sustainable environment for
long-term collaborative research, education and networking” among US and Chinese partners.
The NSF International Materials Institute (IMI) at Northwestern University will facilitate the
development of such an institute in the coming year. Tsinghua University has agreed to take
leadership in China.
The new institute will include universities, research institutes, and companies in the US and
China, initially 10-12 institutions on each side. An ad-hoc committee will be formed with
representatives from the member institutions on both sides. A series of planning meetings will be
held to plan various aspects of the institute’s activities and operations such as facilities sharing,
energy research, environmental research, student and faculty exchange, etc. The meetings will
alternate between the US and China. For example, the meeting on facilities sharing might be
held at Argonne National Laboratory in the US, and the meeting on environmental research
might be held in China. Leaders and working groups will also be appointed in each of these key
areas.
23
Appendix 1: Workshop Participants
US PARTICIPANTS
No. First Name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area

1 Neal Armstrong University of Arizona Researcher Environment
University of Massachusetts
2 Dhimiter Bello Lowell Researcher Environment
Workshop Nanomaterials,
3 R.P.H. Chang Northwestern University Co-Organizer Solar Cell
4 Vicki Colvin Rice University Researcher Environment
California Institute of
5 Mamadou Diallo Technology Researcher Environment
Director, Division of
Chemistry, National Science Government
6 Luis Echegoyen Foundation Observer Chemistry
7 Leonard Feldman Vanderbilt University Researcher Solar Cell
Program Director, Division of
Materials Research, National Government Materials
8 Daniele Finotello Science Foundation Observer Science
California Institute of
9 Richard Flagan Technology Researcher Environment
10 Irene Fonseca Carnegie Mellon University Researcher Mathematics
11 Murray Gibson Argonne National Laboratory Researcher Nanomaterials
Student Nanostructured
12 Carl Giller University of Delaware Researcher materials
National Renewable Energy
13 David Ginley Lab Researcher Solar Cell
14 Ethan Good SolarWorld USA Researcher Solar Cell
15 Theodore Goodson University of Michigan Researcher Solar Cell
16 Olivia Graeve University of Nevada, Reno Researcher Nanomaterials
Chemical
California Institute of Student Engineering /
17 Amanda Grantz Technology Researcher environment
Student Environmental
18 Erin Himmelspach Northwestern University Researcher Engineering
19 Woolas Hsieh Solarmer, Inc. Researcher Solar Cell
Executive Officer, Division of
20 Carmen Huber Science Foundation Observer Science
Rensselaer Polytechnic
21 Robert Hull Institute Researcher Nanomaterials
22 Alex Jen University of Washington Researcher Solar Cell
Student Solar Cell
23 Atiya Jordan Louisiana State University Researcher development
Director, Division of Materials
Research, National Science Government Materials
24 Zakya Kafafi Foundation Observer Science
24
No. First Name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area
University of California at Student
25 Jason Lin Santa Barbara Researcher Solar Cell
26 Sarah Morgan University of Southern Miss Researcher Nanomaterials
Thuc- University of California at
27 Quyen Nguyen Santa Barbara Researcher Solar Cell
28 Bruce Parkinson University of Wyoming Researcher Solar Cell
29 Xiaogang Peng University of Arkansas Researcher Solar Cell
30 John Rabolt University of Delaware Researcher Nanomaterials
University of Tennessee at
31 Timothy Schulze Knoxville Researcher Mathematics
32 Ridgway Scott University of Chicago Researcher Mathematics
Workshop
33 Jennifer Shanahan Northwestern University Coordinator
Mathmatical Sciences, Government
34 Junping Wang National Science Foundation Observer Mathematics
35 Isiah Warner Louisiana State University Researcher Nanomaterials
36 Jeffrey Yang United Solar Ovonic, LLC Researcher Solar Cell
37 Charles Ying Science Foundation Observer Science
CHINESE PARTICIPANTS
No. First name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area

Suzhou Institute of
1 Liwei Chen Nanomaterials, CAS Researcher Nanomaterials
Director, Division of America
and Atlantic, Bureau of
International Cooperation, Government International
2 Huai Chen NSFC Observer Collaboration
Director, Division of Metal
Materials, Bureau of Eng. Government
3 Kexin Chen and Materials, NSFC Observer Metal Materials
4 Guosheng Gai Tsinghua University Researcher Nanomaterials
5 Chunhui Huang Peking University Researcher Solar Cell
6 Feiyu Kang Tsinghua University Researcher Nanomaterials
7 Shuit-Tong Lee Suzhou University Researcher Nanomaterials
Institute of Semiconductor,
8 Jingbo Li CAS Researcher Solar Cell
Student
9 Min Li Tsinghua University Researcher Ecomaterials
Bureau of Engineering and Government Materials
10 Ming Li Materials, NSFC Observer Science
11 Changjian Lin Xiamen University Researcher Energy Materials
25
No. First name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area
12 Hong Lin Tsinghua University Researcher Solar Cell
Luminescent
13 Yichun Liu Northeast Normal University Researcher Materials
Organic Solar
14 Yunqi Liu Institute of Chemistry, CAS Researcher Cell
15 Qingbo Meng Institute of Physics, CAS Researcher Solar Cell
16 Quiqing Peng Beijing Normal University Researcher Energy Materials
Dalian University of
17 Jieshan Qiu Technology Researcher Ecomaterials
18 Rui Ran Tsinghua University Researcher Ecomaterials
19 Meiqing Shen Tianjin University Researcher Ecomaterials
20 Hongtao Wang Sichuan University Researcher Ecomaterials
Student
Researcher &
Workshop
21 Lei Wang Tsinghua University Coordinator Ecomaterials
Student
22 Qiuyan Wang Zhejiang University Researcher Ecomaterials
23 Ruilin Wang Sichuan University Researcher Ecomaterials
Workshop
24 Duan Weng Tsinghua University Co-Organizer Ecomaterials
25 Xiaodong Wu Tsinghua University Researcher Ecomaterials
26 Jian Xu Institute of Chemistry, CAS Researcher Biochemistry
Changchun Inst. of Applied Photoelectrical
27 Donghang Yan Chemistry, CAS Researcher Materials
28 Deren Yang Zhejiang University Researcher Solar Cell
Student
29 Ming Yang Tianjin University Researcher Ecomaterials
Dalian University of
30 Man Yao Technology Researcher Nanomaterials
Wuhan University of Surface
31 Jiaguo Yu Technology Researcher Chemistry
China Iron & Steel Research
32 Sam Zhang Institute Group Researcher Energy Materials
Shanghai Institute of
33 Wenqing Zhang Ceramics, CAS Researcher Energy Materials
Institute of Semiconductor,
34 Wanhua Zheng CAS Researcher Energy Materials
35 Renxian Zhou Zhejiang University Researcher Ecomaterials
36 Meifang Zhu Donghua University Researcher Nanomaterials
37 Dechun Zou Peking University Researcher Nanomaterials
26
Appendix 2: Workshop Program
Friday, October 16
8:30 Departure by bus from Shilla Hotel (Lobby of Shilla Hotel, Suzhou)
9:00-16:00 One-day tour in Zhouzhuang Water Village
16:00-17:00 Arrival at Tianmu Lake Hotel (Lobby of Tianmu Lake Hotel, Changzhou)
14:00-18:00 Registration for Chinese participants (Lobby of Tianmu Lake Hotel, Changzhou)
18:30-20:00 Dinner, followed by Beer Party
Saturday, October 17
7:00-8:00 Breakfast
Opening Remarks (Juxian Conference Hall)

8:15-9:00 Welcome by the Organizers: Duan Weng (Workshop Logistics)
R.P.H. Chang: (Summary of workshop goals; introduce working group leaders)
Welcome by the Sponsors:
NSFC representative: Ming Li (Bureau of Engineering and Materials)
NSF representatives: Zakya Kafafi (Division for Materials Research); Luis
Echegoyen (Division of Chemistry); Junping Wang (Division of Mathematics)
Session 1: Nanomaterials and Energy (Juxian Conference Hall)

Session Chair: R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern University
9:00-9:15 David Ginley, National Renewable Energy Lab (US)
9:15-9:30 Shuit-Tong Lee, Suzhou University (China)
9:30-9:45 Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, University of California at Santa Barbara (US)
9:45-10:00 Chunhui Huang, Peking University (China)
10:00-10:15 Bruce Parkinson, University of Wyoming (US)
10:15-10:30 Lidong Chen, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
Session 2: Nanomaterials and the Environment (Juxian Conference Hall)

Session Chair: Duan Weng, Tsinghua University
10:45-11:00 Richard Flagan, California Institute of Technology (US)
11:00-11:15 Feiyu Kang, Tsinghua University (China)
11:15-11:30 Kimberly Gray, Northwestern University (US)
11:30-11:45 Jian Xu, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
11:45-12:00 Vicki Colvin, Rice University (US)
12:00-13:30 Lunch
Session 3: NanoMaterials and Technology (Juxian Conference Hall)

Session Chair: Robert Hull, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
14:00-14:20 Murray Gibson, Argonne National Laboratory
14:20-14:40 Yichun Liu, Northeastern Normal University
14:40-15:00 Robert Chang, Northwestern University
15:00-15:20 Meifang Zhu, Donghua University
15:20-16:00 Coffee Break and Group Photo
27
Session 4: Parallel Working Group Discussions
Each group member will briefly outline his/her research, education, and collaborations relating to
advanced solar cells, environmental health/protection, and/or novel nanostructured materials,
followed by open discussion, with the workshop deliverables in mind.
Group 1: Nanomaterials A (Shubo Hall)
Murray Gibson (leader), Isiah Warner, Robert Hull, Ridgway Scott (US)
Shuit-Tong Lee (leader), Meifang Zhu, Yunqi Liu, Liwei Chen, Zhongsheng Wang (China)
16:00-16:10 Isiah Warner, Louisiana State University
16:10-16:20 Yunqi Liu, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
16:20-16:30 Robert Hull, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
16:30-16:40 Liwei Chen, Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology and Nanobionics
16:40-16:50 Ridgway Scott, University of Chicago
16:50-17:00 Zhongsheng Wang, Fudan University
17:00-17:30 Discussion; identification of key points
Group 2 Nanomaterials B (Cuibo Hall)
Olivia Graeve (leader), Xiaogang Peng, Sarah Morgan, John Rabolt (US)
Jian Xu (leader), Yong Cao, Jiaguo Yu, Jingbo Li, Kezhi Wang (China)
16:00-16:10 Olivia Graeve, University of Nevada, Reno
16:10-16:20 Jiaguo Yu, Wuhan University of Technology
16:20-16:30 Xiaogang Peng, University of Arkansas
16:30-16:40 Jingbo Li, Institute of Semiconductor, Chinese Academy of Science
16:40-16:50 Sarah Morgan, University of Southern Mississippi
16:50-17:00 Kezhi Wang, Beijing Normal University
17:00-17:10 John Rabolt, University of Delaware
Group 3: Energy A (Yanbo Hall)
Bruce Parkinson (leader), Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, Jeffrey Yang, Ethan Good, Len Feldman (US);
Chunhui Huang (leader), Qingbo Meng, Sam Zhang, Donghang Yan, Hong Lin (China)
16:00-16:10 Jeffrey Yang, United Solar Ovonic, LLC
16:10-16:20 Qingbo Meng, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
16:20-16:30 Ethan Good, SolarWorld USA
16:30-16:40 Sam Zhang, China Iron & Steel Research Institute Group
16:40-16:50 Len Feldman, Rutgers
16:50-17:00 Donghang Yan, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, CAS
17:00-17:10 Hong Lin, Tsinghua University
Group 4: Energy B (Shuiwen Hall)
David Ginley (leader), Woolas Hsieh, Alex Jen, Theodore Goodson (US)
Lidong Chen (leader), Changjian Lin, Yichun Liu, Deren Yang, Dechun Zou (China)
16:00-16:10 Woolas Hsieh, Solarmer, Inc.
16:10-16:20 Changjian Lin, Xiamen University
16:20-16:30 Alex Jen, University of Washington
16:30-16:40 Deren Yang, Zhejiang University
16:40-16:50 Theodore Goodson, University of Michigan
16:50-17:00 Dechun Zou, Peking University
28
Group 5: Environment A (Shuilan Hall)
Richard Flagan (leader), Timothy Schulze, Irene Fonseca (US)
Jieshan Qiu (leader), Man Yao, Lijie Qiao, Renxian Zhou, Rui Ran (China)
16:00-16:10 Timothy Schulze, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
16:10-16:20 Jieshan Qiu, Dalian University of Technology (China)
16:20-16:30 Irene Fonseca, Carnegie Mellon University
16:30-16:40 Man Yao, Dalian University of Technology
16:40-16:50 Lijie Qiao, University of Science and Technology Beijing
16:50-17:00 Renxian Zhou, Zhejiang University
17:00-17:10 Rui Ran, Tsinghua University
Group 6: Environment B (Shuijing Hall)
Vicki Colvin (leader), Dhimiter Bello, Mamadou Diallo, Neal Armstrong (US)
Feiyu Kang (leader), Guosheng Gai, Meiqing Shen, Xiaodong Wu, Duan Weng (China)
16:00-16:10 Dhimiter Bello, University of Massachusetts Lowell
16:10-16:20 Meiqing Shen, Tianjin University
16:20-16:30 Mamadou Diallo, California Institute of Technology
16:30-16:40 Xiaodong Wu, Tsinghua University
16:40-16:50 Neal Armstrong, University of Arizona
16:50-17:00 Duan Weng, Tsinghua University
18:00-20:30 Welcome Banquet

21:00-23:00 Student Poster Session
Sunday, October 18
7:00-8:00 Breakfast
8:30-11:30 NSF and NSFC officials meeting
Working Group Breakout Sessions

8:30-10:30 Group Discussions and Report Preparation
10:50-11:50 Group Discussions and Report Preparation
12:00-13:30 Lunch
Group Reporting (Juxian Conference Hall)

Co-chairs: R.P.H. Chang, Duan Weng
14:00-14:10 Group 1: Nanomaterials A: Murray Gibson, Shuit-Tong Lee
14:10-14:20 Group 2: Nanomaterials B: Olivia Graeve, Jian Xu
14:20-14:30 Group 3: Energy A: Bruce Parkinson, Chunhui Huang
14:30-14:40 Group 4: Energy B: David Ginley, Lidong Chen
14:40-14:50 Group 5: Environment A: Richard Flagan, Jieshan Qiu
14:50-15:00 Group 6: Environment B: Vicki Colvin, Feiyu Kang
15:00-16:00 Discussion of implementation plans

16:10-16:40 Agency representatives input and recommendations to the groups
16:40-17:10 Compilation of Group Reports and Workshop Conclusions
17:10-17:40 Closing Remarks
29
Appendix 3: Student Thesis Abstracts
Carl Giller, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
Thesis Title: Understanding the Effect of Electrospinning on the Crystallization Dynamics of
Low and Highly Crystalline Polymers
Abstract: The first part of this study focuses on the electrospinning of recently synthesized well-
defined stereoblock polypropylenes that consist of symmetric blocks of isotactic polypropylene
covalently attached to a larger block of atactic polypropylene. While the molecular weights and
molecular weight distributions of the samples are similar, the amount of total isotactic content
varies for each polymer. It was observed by Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopy
as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) that the crystallinity of these materials
increases with the isotactic content, and that electrospinning has a realizable effect on the
microstructure of these polymers. Currently we are examining these materials with small and
wide angle x-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) to discern exactly what effect electrospinning has
on the long and short range order, respectively, of these materials, as well as the melting and
crystallization dynamics of these materials as a function of isotactic content, processing
conditions, and temperature. The SAXS measurements are being complemented by small angle
neutron scattering (SANS) studies of these materials to discern the melting and crystallization
dynamics of the selectively deuterated isotactic portions.
The second part of this study deals with the role of solvent evaporation on the crystalline state of
electrospun Nylon 6 fibers. This was examined by electrospinning Nylon 6 into a closed chamber
filled with varying concentrations of solvent vapor. It was found that the thermodynamically
stable a form became increasingly present in Nylon 6 fibers electrospun out of both 1,1,1,3,3,3-
hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and formic acid as the vapor phase solvent concentration
increased. It is believed that the formation of the metastable form is due to the fast solvent
evaporation kinetics associated with the electrospinning process. By varying the rate of solvent
evaporation during electrospinning, we were able to control the resulting crystal structure of the
electrospun Nylon 6, as evidenced by XRD and Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. We are
currently examining whether this behavior is universally observed across all families of
polymorphic polymers.
Amanda Grantz, Chemical Engineering, Caltech

Thesis Title: Quantifying Airborne Particulate Matter Exposure and Dosage
Abstract: Airborne particulate matter has long been recognized as playing an important role in
the evolution of air pollutants. Environmental pollutants contribute to climate change, health
risks, and other global problems. An increasing potential for environmental release of airborne
particles followed by human exposure prompts the need for rapid screening of the safety and
health hazards of these materials. The suspended particulate matter may consist of submicron
particles originating from combustion processes, biological sources, or industrial manufacturing
of engineered nanomaterials. Instrumentation is needed to determine toxic threshold levels for
these aerosol constituents in ambient air. The key to assessing toxic effects of the pollutant
particles is understanding deposition of inhaled particles in the lung. We aim to further the basic
understanding of the links between atmospheric concentrations of respirable particulate material
and impacts of airborne particles on human health. The fundamental science of aerosols and
detection methodologies will aid in developing detection technologies to characterize particle
concentrations and sizes in environmental compartments relevant to potential exposures.
30
Erin Himmelspach, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
Thesis Title: TiO2-based nanocomposites for solar fuel production: Engineering the solid-solid
interface for specialized photocatalytic function
Abstract: There is a large gap between our present use of solar energy and its enormous
untapped potential. The aim of our research is to synthesize TiO2-based nanocomposite
materials that harvest visible light to drive CO2 reduction, thereby producing energy rich fuels
selectively and efficiently. The focus of our work is to interrogate and then, manipulate the critical
features of the solid-solid interface that are fundamental to the high efficiency, visible light
photoreduction of CO2 to energy rich fuels such as CH4 or CH3OH. The phase transition
occurring at the solid-solid interface of TiO2 composites may induce changes in the coordination
state of Ti4+. The tetrahedral coordinated Ti has been proposed as the catalytic active site in a
variety of photoactive materials that catalyze the reduction of CO2. It has been shown that Ti
can assume tetrahedral coordination when embedded in silica matrices. In our work, we will
synthesize TiO2/SiO2 films and further probe the structure and function of the interfacial 4-fold
coordinated Ti4+. We will compare these properties to the structure and function of
anatase/rutile films in an effort to determine a basis for optimum photocatalyst design.
Atiya Jordan, Chemistry, Louisiana State University

Thesis Title: Dye-sensitized solar cells using dye nanoparticles
Abstract: Renewable energy, such as solar energy, reduces fuel dependence and provides a
continuous and abundant source of energy. Solar energy, in particular, is obtained directly from
sunlight and utilizes devices known as solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Silicon-
based solar cells are well-established solar cells with a high recorded efficiency of 24.7%. The
disadvantage of silicon-based solar cells is the expense of manufacturing, which is a drawback
for long term mass production. The development of dye-sensitized solar cells by Grätzel and
coworkers overcomes this issue by using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a semiconductor. Dye-
sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are more cost efficient than silicon-based solar cells; however,
they produce a lower energy conversion efficiency at about 11%. Developments of optimum
dyes can improve this low efficiency. Several studies examine spectral properties of cyanine
dyes, which are known for forming aggregates. In recent years, the use of dye self-assemblies in
DSSC has been explored. We feel that the use of novel dye nanoparticles with improved
spectral features may lead to an improvement of the efficiencies of DSSC. New cyanine dyes
and their nanoparticles were developed. The spectral properties suggest the formation of J
aggregates in the dye nanoparticles. These new cyanine dyes possess the potential to improve
dye-sensitized solar cells.
Jason Lin, Chemical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara

Thesis Title: Structure-Function-Property Relationships of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based Materials
for Applications in Solution Processed Organic Solar Cells
Abstract: Investing in an alternative renewable and clean energy source at lower prices is in
urgent need and has been recognized by several government agencies including the
Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. One such energy source which has
the potential to meet all of these requirements is organic solar cells. The use of small molecules
in organic solar cells is desirable because they often exhibit long rang ordering and can be
readily synthesized and functionalized with high purity. My thesis focuses on how conjugation
length and alkyl chain length of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based materials influence on the optical and
charge transport properties, molecular packing, thin film morphology, and the overall device
performance. For all studies, we use [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester as an electron
acceptor. We use a combination of techniques such as atomic force microscopy to probe
31
surface morphology and donor-acceptor domain sizes, differential scanning calorimeter to
measure the glass transition temperature, x-ray diffraction to gauge crystallinity, ultraviolet
photoelectron spectroscopy to measure HOMO-LUMO levels, and single charge carrier diodes
to study hole and electron mobilities. The results from these studies will provide design
guidelines for new generation of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based materials for applications in organic
solar cells.
Ming Yang, Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University

Thesis Title: Studies of Ceria-Based Materials in the Catalysis of Exhaust Control
Abstract: The present report introduces our current focus in the research of ceria-based
functional materials/ catalysts. Although cerium is named as a rare earth element, it is not
expensive and indeed an important component in automotive and industrial exhaust control
catalysts, such as three-way catalysts (TWC), diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), selective
reduction catalysts (SCR), and NOx storage reduction catalysts (NSR). The possible applications
of these materials are mainly related to providing oxygen storage capacity (OSC), electronic
vacancies, surface bonding and surface basicity. Moreover, also based on these properties, their
interactions with doped and loaded noble metals, transient metals, alkaline earth elements, and
alumina allow these materials to provide exceptional catalytic activities in oxygen buffering
effect, oxidation, water gas shift reaction, and adjusting reducing process. We are studying these
properties at a fundamental level to understand how ceria-based materials can promote the
catalytic activities and to optimize the catalysts’ formulations that are crucial for eliminating air
pollution and increasing fuel economy. Part of this work involves developing techniques for
analyzing reaction pathways and thermodynamics at frequent switched lean-rich cycles. Our
fundamental approach to scientific issues has made interactions with industry quite effective. We
usually involve industrial partners in our research of TWC, DOC, SCR and NSR catalysts.
Qiuyan Wang, Institute of Catalysis, Zhejiang University

Thesis Title: Influence of rare earths on the structure of Ce0.2Zr0.8O2 solid solution and the three-
way catalytic performance over its supported Pd-only catalysts
Abstract: The influences of rare earths (La, Nd, Pr, Sm, and Y) addition to Ce0.2Zr0.8O2 and its
supported Pd-only three-way catalysts were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD),
Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and
Temperature programmed reduction (TPR), while the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) was
evaluated under static conditions. Special attention was given to the effects of structure
modification on the three-way catalytic performance. It was found that the doping of rare earth
cations would cause the lattice deformation of the tetragonal Zr-rich solid solution to form a
pseudocubic structure and prevent the phase demixing even after severe thermal treatment. The
presence of La, Nd, and Pr results in an enhanced thermal stability for both supports and
catalysts leading to the higher catalytic activity for the corresponding catalysts. High surface area
and porosity for the supports, and the reducibility of PdO active species finely dispersed are
favorable to the catalytic activity of the three-way catalysts. The wide Air/Fuel operation window
especially in the case of NO reduction relates to the improved OSC which is a consequence of
rare earths doping.
32
Appendix 4: Consolidated Group Reports
The six working groups met in breakout sessions to produce the following deliverables:
1. A consolidated list of thematic areas for collaborative research

2. A list of research facilities to be shared or jointly developed by US and Chinese partners.
graduate, postgraduate and public levels.
For each deliverable, the groups responded to a series of questions. Answers from all six groups
have been consolidated here, with minimal editing.
Deliverable 1: A Consolidated List Of Thematic Areas For Collaborative Research

The groups were asked: What topical areas / research questions does your group see as
priorities for US-China collaboration? What kinds of complementary expertise, knowledge and
resources in both countries would be leveraged by these collaborations? What are the
recommended steps for implementation?
Their responses are summarized below.
A) THEMATIC AREAS IN NANOMATERIALS A
Techniques for discovering new materials with new properties, for example:
1. Nanoscale characterization
2. Nanomaterials computation
3. Nanomanufacturing
4. Mathematical modeling of photovoltaics
5. Organic photovoltaics
6. Nanotoxicology
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: The US is strong in materials
characterization, device fabrication, and interdisciplinary research. China is strong in materials
synthesis and manufacturing.
B) THEMATIC AREAS IN NANOMATERIALS B)

1. Design of functional nanomaterials using an iterative modeling and experimental approach to
address global environmental and energy needs. Examples include: Preparation of active
nanofibers with incorporated nanoparticles for specific functionalities such as destroying
pollutants, for sensing applications, etc.; Polymer photovoltaics, specifically new polymer
compositions and designs for enhanced performance.
2. Development of specific metal clusters morphologies and the theoretical modeling of their
behavior. Specific behaviors would be optical, magnetic, electronic, etc.
3. Development of nanoscale techniques for surfaces/interfaces and molecular characterization
of nanomaterials.
4. Development of synthetic processing methods for nanomaterials to maintain specific shape,
size, interface, and functionality in target applications.
5. Development of techniques that can result in nanodevices of specific functionalities.
6. Development of novel nanometals for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in sensor
applications.
33
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: Materials modeling and design;
Polymer nanocomposites; Surface analysis; Polymer nanofibers; Molecular characterization;
Thin films solar cells; Theory of nanocrystals; Functional nanocrystals; Surface chemistry of
nanomaterials; Nanoscale effects of nanomaterials; Synthesis and processing of nanomaterials.
C) THEMATIC AREAS IN ENERGY MATERIALS

1. Materials preparation: single crystals, simple and pure materials to use as model systems to
understand materials properties with specific target application in mind
2. Advanced characterization techniques: Tomography; Understanding degradation
mechanisms and understand accelerated testing, especially for organic semiconductors,
quantum dots, and electrolyte encapsulation; Interface engineering: Most energy conversion
processes are dominated by interfaces;
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: China: Human resources; Worlds
largest PV producer; Expertise in crystal growth. US: Theory and modeling expertise; Industrial–
academic relationship stronger; more developed education/research connection.
D) THEMATIC AREAS IN ENERGY GENERATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

1. Interfacial Analysis (specific tools/beam lines)
a. – novel organic, inorganic and hybrid systems are difficult to probe by conventional in
lab techniques
b. – specific capabilities should be developed and shared:
i. Microstructural analysis
ii. Morphology
iii. Electronic structure.
2. Synthesis and testing of new materials:
a. Hybrid systems for energy conversion and efficiency
i. Organic materials with tunable homo/lumo and structure
ii. Inorganic photonic materials
iii. Hybrid materials systems – Si/organic, DSSC, QD systems
b. Developing new understanding or process science
i. Scalability and process optimization in synthesis and fabrication.
ii. TCOs and related non-active layer materials (ITO replacement/contacts etc.)
iii. Understanding the mechanisms limiting lifetime
iv. Develop next generation packaging approaches
c. Novel devices and materials applications
i. Alternative applications of materials i.e. ZnO as TCO or LED
ii. Thin film silicon based materials on low cost substrates for solar cells
iii. Third generation conversion technologies
iv. Novel solid state absorber systems
v. Look at advance thermoelectric systems and coupling to solar.
3. Computational resources predicting molecular, polymer and interfacial properties
4. Synergistic application of the science developed for OPV, OLED, molecular catalysis,
photocatalysis , fuel cells– grand challenges.
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: Synthesis of unique inorganic,
nanomaterials and polymer/organic materials with opportunities for integration into new device
structures; Major analytical capabilities; Device preparation and characterization; Process and
development science; Computational and modeling resources.
34
E) THEMATIC AREAS IN NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
1. Resource issues in nanotechnology. Alternate starting materials replacing high value
feedstocks, e.g., nanotubes from coal; Utilizing materials with lower effect on environment –
refractory carbon as structural material – reduced greenhouse gases.
2. Energy technologies: Bridging the gap from academic research to real-world implementation.
Bring together industry and universities so that academic researchers learn about the real-
world challenges related to the new technologies: Nuclear; Photovoltaics; Batteries; Fossil
fuel replacements; Fuel cells; Fundamental chemical mechanisms – development of
mathematical models; Water splitting.
3. Nanotechnology for environmental control (Modeling and experiment; Understand and
predict the microstructure and properties over a range of scales; Ecosystem effects; Catalytic
converters)
4. Nanotoxicology: Worker and community exposure and health consequences. Determine
what is in the air/water/soil/workplace; measure inhalation, dermal exposure, Ingestion,
Mechanisms of action and clearance, Environmental behavior of nanomaterials – size
effects, Role of scale in health and environmental behavior of materials.
5. Relationship between environmental effects of nanotechnology and other pollutants, i.e.
Nanotechnology leading to new understanding of existing environmental problems.
6. Ecosystem effects of Nanotechnology: How can nanoparticles in the environment be
measured/detected? What special features of the environment affect nanoparticle behavior?
Development of predictive models of nanoparticle accumulation, transport, and
transformations in biota and environmental compartments.
7. Factors that limit the lifetimes of nanotechnologies: Radiation damage, photochemical
degradation, catalyst poisoning, thermal cycling, etc.
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: China: expertise in carbon nanotubes
and microcarbons from coal; Two research institutes on nanomaterial safety in Beijing; Analytical
science of nanosafety in Nanjing. US: Modeling expertise and resources; understanding of
physiological mechanisms; Environmental science and engineering research; Aerosol
experiment, measurement, and theory; understanding of microstructures and properties over a
range of scales.
F) THEMATIC AREAS IN NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

1. Water: sensing at micro-, nano-, femto-, atto-molar levels, catalysis for remediation,
treatment for desalination and reuse;
2. EcoMaterials: life cycle assessment, safety by design, exposure assessment, sensors for
nanomaterial detection, recycling of high value added materials (e.g. Lithium from Li-air/Li-
ion batteries)
3. Environmental Catalysis: for air pollution remediation and control (automotive, power plant),
indoor air quality systems, integrated into water treatment, virus inactivation, responsible
manufacturing;
4. Materials for combating climate change: Carbon sequestration (storage and capture),
catalysts to lower carbon footprints, CO2 conversion strategies
Complementary Expertise, Knowledge and Resources: Similarities in geography and scale
create shared challenges in resource management issues and opportunities for collaboration.
Both countries must focus carefully on near-term strategies for managing carbon resources (e.g.
how to make carbon green). Because both countries possess diverse geographies and climates,
they are also likely to pursue multiple strategies for renewable energy in different regions, an
approach which requires substantial research effort and a strong emphasis on the electrical grid.
Finally, both countries are very large and transportation across vast distances is a shared issue.
35
Because China is manufacturing large amounts of nanoscale materials, there is an opportunity
for US and Chinese researchers to gain access to workplace settings where exposure and
strategies for minimizing exposure can be studied.
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS TO IMPROVE RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

Actions recommended by the groups to implement the above-mentioned collaborations fell into
the following categories: joint funding mechanisms, personnel exchange, student training,
ongoing US-China workshops, and industrial technology transfer. Recommendations for facilities
development and sharing are given in the next section.
Joint Funding Mechanisms

• A number of joint funding mechanisms exist but have not fully flourished. Awareness should
be increased, clear guidelines should be provided, and existing programs should be expanded
via ongoing bilateral jointly-sponsored workshops.
• More “timely” funding mechanisms are needed for US and China collaborations. Examples
include the EAGER funding mechanism; Joint “Career” proposals, particularly in energy
research areas; an NSF/NSFC study group proposal to address broad resource questions in
nanotechnology.
• Direct encouragement is needed for consortia that reach across international boundaries so
that centers actually have real international collaboration. This would permit particular topics
and expertise to be shared across boundaries.
• Specific funding should be set aside for US-China activities to ensure that collaborations are
launched. There is a strong precedent in E.U. funding for Organic Electronics – putting
“targeted” money on the table, which is obtained based on merit, ensures meaningful
collaborations will form.
• A dual focus is needed on top-down and bottom-up approaches (i.e., balance between
fundamental science and technology development).
• Travel funds are needed for US-China internships lasting 3-6 months, particularly for US
students and faculty to visit China. NSF has effectively used supplements to existing grants to
support international travel, etc. Further use of this mechanism, and use of a comparable
mechanism on the Chinese side, would be an excellent way to seed larger scale US-China
collaborations.
Personnel Exchange/Training
• The exchange of personnel from student through faculty should be an essential component of
proposals. Programs cited included the NSF GOALI, and the NSF IGERT.
• Visiting scholar/lecturer programs should be established and proposals should include a fund
for two-way internships lasting 3-6 months.
• More students should be trained with a global perspective; Chinese research experiences for
US students should be facilitated and encouraged.
• These steps will require that visa processing for visiting scientists, post-docs, and students be
simplified and expedited on both sides.
Additional recommendations are given in Deliverable 3: Education.
Industrial Collaboration / Technology Transfer

• Encourage industry-centered materials research
36
• Resolve and develop a framework for intellectual property management and licensing between
US and China.
• Technical challenges workshops in which industrial researchers/developers pose grand
challenges in specific technologies.
Joint Workshops:
The groups agreed that more US-China workshops should be organized to spin-off proposals for
joint funding activities.
• Suggestions to improve this workshop series:

o Annual workshops; have a third US-China workshop within one year.
o Longer workshop with more time for discussion, facility tours and informal
networking
o Narrower topics or the structure should allow for parallel sessions in addition to
plenary talks.
o More junior and mid-career involvement; include mini-courses and satellite
activities for students such as university tours, cultural excursions, and project
planning / proposal writing activities
o Develop and set scientific/engineering milestones for collaboration and assess
them on a regular basis. The next workshop should include a report on progress
of jointly funded projects, ideally sparked by prior interactions.
o Consider using the Gordon Conference and its Chinese equivalent Xiangshan
conference style.
• Launch a series of smaller, tailored workshops on hot topics, e.g. NATO workshop model
• It was suggested that NSF and NSFC launch a call for proposals for various workshop
themes.
Cyberinfrastructure
• Have investigators contribute to the MWN website so expertise can be shared.
• Establish materials database for shared compounds, etc.
Other
• Write a perspectives or review paper on alternate routes to important nanomaterials from a
global resource and impact viewpoint.
37
Deliverable 2: Research Facilities to be Shared or Jointly Developed by US and
China
The groups were asked: What existing facilities can be shared by US and Chinese collaborators
and what types of facilities should be jointly developed? Their responses are summarized
below.
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS

A) Existing Facilities to be Shared
• Synchrotrons and neutron sources, and other advanced materials characterization facilities.
• Computational facilities.
• Polymer synthesis capabilities at all scales
• Combinatorial synthesis and analysis
• Electrostatic and melt polymer processing capabilities
• Solid-state NMR and ATR FTIR with variable angle-depth profiling
• Ceramic processing at all scales, including pilot plant scale; Nanopowders synthesis
capabilities at small and intermediate scales; High-temperature (up to 2200°C) materials
characterization capabilities: DSC/DTA, x-ray diffraction (1800°C)
• Dynamic light scattering for measurement of particle size from 0.8 nm up to 6.5 mm; Static
and time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy techniques including sum frequency generation
(SFG) planar array IR (PA-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopy; HP supercomputers for materials
modeling; Surface plasmon resonance and quartz crystal microbalance
• Software for nanoscale modeling
• AFM-based electrospinning.
B) Facilities to be Jointly Developed

Instruments to be placed at light sources or neutron facilities; Collaborative development of
unique instruments; Next generation light and neutron sources; Table-top instruments for
characterization
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND ENERGY

National lab and NSF funded centers in US; Resources to facilitate staff exchanges and
instrument support at the exchange locations; Specific analytical capabilities for hybrid
interfaces; Shared device development capabilities inorganic, organic, hybrid; Synthesis
resources for unique materials inorganic, organic and hybrid; Combinatorial – high-throughput
capabilities.
New facilities dedicated to solar energy conversion research. For example: a facility in China to
certify device efficiency similar to NREL; Develop low energy and high resolution electron
microscopy facilities.
Beam line dedicated to hybrid systems; Way to look at 3D structure of nano-composites;
Combinatorial – high-throughput user facility; Rapid access to solar/OLED; device
process/characterization capability – OLED test and fab capability in Korea; Develop a shared
computational modeling effort for predictive work on hybrid systems.
38
FACILITIES FOR ENVIRONMENT AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING
Share instrumentation for measurement and monitoring of nanomaterials in various
environmental compartments: Mechanisms for moving instruments back and forth;
Joint US/China Institute of Collaborative Research in Modeling for Nanotechnology – bring
people together for extended research collaborations. Rotation schedule between countries and
institutions.
FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

No existing facilities were identified that could or should be shared. Participants on both sides
have access to advanced microscopy capabilities, and national synchrotron and neutron sources
that are vital to research in this area. However, these facilities are operated at a national level
and a rationale for sharing is not apparent.
• Database efforts to gather information and other metrics useful for life cycle assessment; to
the extent that databases are public these should shared.
• Because China has such a large manufacturing base for nanomaterials, the country offers
excellent potential testbeds for exposure monitoring and other industrial hygiene practices as
they are applied to nanomaterials. This could be developed further and investigators from
around the world would find access to these workplace environments very important.
• A critical need for energy and environmental issues are testbeds for evaluating prototype
technologies. China offers a diverse array of environments and a burgeoning infrastructure
that is well suited for early stage technology evaluation.
• The US may offer models for cloud computing and other intensive computational resources
that may be of value to Chinese collaborators.
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS TO IMPROVE FACILITIES SHARING

New Mechanisms/Funding
• Fund scientists to use facilities in the other country (through grant supplements or separate
programs)
• Fund instrumentation partnerships
• Fund workshops on development of new techniques
• Develop a working team for analytical needs to help call out new capabilities needed and the
that exist that can be shared
• Fund a shared computation resource
• Look at developing opportunities for collaboration with industry on basic problems
• Fund a high throughput capability for hybrid materials
• Fund programs to train students at facilities abroad; Identify a way to have students travel to
labs with device capabilities to test new materials
39
Improving Access
• Difficulty in obtaining visas to enter the US and access to national laboratories is a barrier.
• Streamlined customs processing is needed for shipping/transporting samples
• Develop a way for US scientists have access to the Chinese beam lines and vice versa, for
fundamental work
• Provide access to high-end computation facilities if possible.
Use of Cyberinfrastructure
Develop a database for currently available facilities, including equipment and software.
Deliverable 3: Recommendations for Improving Education Programs and

Capabilities
The groups were asked: How can our education capabilities be improved at each level
(Graduate, Postgraduate and Public)? What types of joint programs would you recommend at
each level? Recommended steps for implementation? Their responses are summarized below.
IMPROVING EDUCATION CAPABILITIES
Graduate/Postgraduate Levels
• Give students a global perspective, i.e. exposure to other cultures, technical language and
approaches to R&D.
• More mathematical modeling courses for materials scientists
• Greater emphasis on interdisciplinary education; Rebalance humanities and science (e.g.
social, economic, political issues in nanotechnology, energy, and environment)
• Guidance for new researchers on the use of specific facilities, safe laboratory practices, etc.
Public Level
• Improve the public perception of science
• Encourage science and math careers
• Improve public awareness of global energy and environmental challenges and the role of
nanotechnology in solving them.
• Prepare students on both sides to communicate with the public and the press.
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION
Cooperation among US and Chinese Faculty

• Brief lecture visits for US and Chinese faculty (visitors give series of lectures in multiple
institutions over several weeks); intensive/short courses during summers or other times
• Longer visiting faculty program or faculty exchange
• Share educational content - translation of textbooks, translation of courses from one institution
to another, etc.
• Jointly develop educational content such as courses, mini-courses, textbooks, and multimedia
outreach materials for the public. Potential topics include solar energy conversion, energy
storage, nanotechnology safety, Introduction to energy and environment, Introduction to
technical language – Chinese and English for nanotechnology students, etc.
40
• Hold workshops on the use of shared facilities and safe laboratory practices, with guidance
from industrial and national lab practitioners
• Joint student supervision (among a network of US-China universities)
Student Exchanges and Networking

• Encourage small group travel and exchanges to build lasting relationships
• Summer schools and study institutes alternating between US and China on a variety of topics
for students and postdocs (NATO summer schools, Global School for Advanced Studies.)
• Research exchanges for students and post-docs, including training in safe lab practices and
the use of shared facilities. Some groups recommended 1-3 months, others recommended 6
months or more.
• Graduate students and postdocs from the US and China should have more opportunities to
interact with one another and build lasting relationships, and be prepared as leaders: e.g., “A
China-US graduate student summit for solutions to grand challenges for materials in energy
and the environment.”
• More student involvement at international workshops; when students attend workshops there
should be satellite activities such as visits to universities and institutes; organize short courses
at future workshops. Consider having a student organizing committee so that this population
has some input into the collaboration building process.
• Foster student networking e.g., create a mechanism to have students write mini-joint
proposals in order to return to future workshops; or some kind of competition that forces an
immediate way for the students to collaborate.
• At the postgraduate level, target young faculty sabbatical periods both for young Chinese and
US scientists; there is no easy mechanism for this to happen. The NSF could create a fellows
program of sort that would create a set of young scientists with direct experience in each
country. Post-doctoral programs are also needed. The focus of these programs should be on
creating meaningful periods of exchange (minimum six months) as well as ongoing
opportunities throughout the career to reengage and continue interaction.
Joint Funding/Policy Support

• Develop a pool of resources that can be applied for from both sides to fund internships and
exchanges.
• The NSF REU program was mentioned to support US undergraduates performing research in
China. Create and/or fund comparable programs for graduate students and postdocs and link
to similar programs exist in China.
• Engage Chinese Ministry of Education with Ministry of Science
• Establish incentives, such as Career awards for Chinese professors who work with REU
students and who do outreach activities
• Streamline the visa process
• Make Mandarin instruction more available in the US
US-China Institute
A US-China global institute (an idea suggested at last year’s conference) would be an excellent
infrastructure to house shared graduate students, faculty and shepherd other research initiatives.
41
Deliverable 4: A Series of Desirable Cyber-Infrastructure Capabilities to Support
Collaborative Research, Education, and Networking
The groups were asked: What capabilities do you suggest to support research collaborations,
education, and networking? What are the recommended steps for implementation? Responses
are summarized below.
a) Capabilities to Support Research and Networking

The following capabilities were recommended to help launch new international collaborations
and make existing collaborations work more efficiently
Basic Networking Capabilities

• Online sharing of research results (web-authored news items, shared documents, databases)
• Easy-to-use online forums, group workspaces, message boards; whiteboards for research
collaborations; enhance communications among groups and group members;
• Document sharing: post/download conference presentations and publications. Encourage
exchange of pre-prints among partners and groups.
• Basic data sharing via e-alerts (users can subscribe to websites) and RSS feeds (websites
can be linked so information from one website can be posted on another.)
• Profiles of Individual Researchers and Research groups
Conferencing Tools
• Develop basic and advanced web conferencing capabilities at US and Chinese institutions.
Examples include Webcasting (basic) and multisite web-conferencing with shared desktop (for
sharing powerpoints, blackboard, etc. (advanced)
• Help in setting up video conferencing and phone conferencing systems (The NSF NCN at
Purdue is an excellent resource)
Databases and Other Resources

• Database of facilities (including equipment and software) available at various laboratories and
working groups
• Database of Journals - expand access to existing journal databases
• Database of Publications: Establish a free database of publications supported by NSF and
NSFC, similar to the NIH database
• Database of materials and materials properties - Analytical results in real time.
• Database of research capabilities
• Database of research topics and funding opportunities
• Bibliographies of publications, generated by participants, with downloadable papers where
possible (available on MWN website)
• Joint authorship/publication review tools: Papers from participants, from bibliographies
generated by participants, Rate (and annotate) papers for different constituencies.
Remote Experiment Access / Instrumentation

•Remote experiment access (e.g. synchrotrons). (good example of impact in chip design –
MOSIS)
42
• Computational and modeling resources for molecular properties, structure and chemistry
• Access to quantitative tools (e.g. life-cycle assessment, material properties) that are simple to
use, with adequate information for use by a wider group of people.
• Share cyber instrumentation: Software repository
o Open source if possible
Gnu license
o Documentation
o Protocols for citation and acknowledgement of software from others used in
research
Other Data Sharing

• Websites that permit the exchange of large datafiles ( large data sets, as opposed to basic
document files)
• Fast data sharing via GRID technology
b) Capabilities to Support Education

Recommendations to improve education fell into several categories: sharing existing content,
developing new content and disseminating content.
Sharing/Developing Content
• Share coursework and other teaching materials (Video lectures, Slides, etc.)
• Encourage online courses that are valid in US and Chinese educational institutions.
• Post teaching resources online
• Online experimental monitoring and participation
• Models for the behavior of devices and materials
• Intern opportunity resource/Experiment opportunity page
• “Global course” concept: taught by people from around the world. The very act of setting up
such a course would foster collaboration and be well suited to the needs of interdisciplinary
research.
• Create shared databases that would be useful for researchers and educators alike. E.g.,
“Handbook of Nanomaterials” (example Viper virus database in biology), Database of
materials properties, etc.
• Topics mentioned: renewable energy, water around the world, ecomaterials, materials and the
energy/water interface, etc.
Disseminating Content
• Develop tools to share course lectures, podcasts and other graduate course information.
• Develop video/web conferencing capabilities at US and Chinese institutions to exchange
educational resources. Grow the number of smart classrooms at US and Chinese institutions.
• Improve distance learning / remote classroom capabilities (taking into account questions of
time difference, school year, curriculum, etc.)
• K-12: outreach (Materials World Network); nanomaterials.org?
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS TO IMPROVE CYBERINFRASTRUCURE

• Provide financial support to develop shared cyberinfrastructure; provide supplements to
research grants to grow cyberinfrastructure.
• Encourage researchers to input information into the Materials World Network website (profiles,
research findings/highlights, publications, conference presentations, bibliographies, etc.); This
site seems well suited for networking; people’s information is well displayed and it’s possible to
find people. The site might be expanded to include conferencing tools, online forums, group
43
workspaces, message boards; whiteboards for research collaborations. Integrate this network
with others that are developing or are developed to avoid duplication of effort.
• Integrate shared website with open source utilities such as Wikipedia, Facebook, Skype,
Google, and other virtual conferencing and communication.
• Use Wikipedia (or other suitable online tools) to develop joint textbooks and databases.
• Consider augmenting or replicating the NCN@Purdue hub system [NSF funded
cyberinfrastructure program] with a focus on cyberinfrastructure. Theirs is an excellent model
for delivering video conferencing and phone conferencing systems services – virtual ‘meeting
rooms’ that let potential investigators exchange information.
• Work with a group with experience – biology; Look at DOE lab user facilities as an example;
Create a dedicated web page for this set of interactions.
• Set up example data sharing agreements and policy statements; Standard protocols for
metadata and data formatting.
• At the next workshop, offer a short course, taught by an expert, on the implementation of on-
line conference and teaching development.
44

Second US-China Workshop On Nanostructured Materials For Global Energy and Environmental Challenges

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Second US-China Workshop On Nanostructured Materials For Global Energy and Environmental Challenges

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Second

Section 1: Executive Summary 2

Section 3: Program Highlights 4

Section 4: Summary of Group Discussions 12

Section 5: Report Conclusions 20

Appendix 1: Workshop Participants 23

Appendix 2: Workshop Program 27

Appendix 3: Student Thesis Abstracts 30

Appendix 4: Consolidated Group Reports 34

As co-organizers of the Workshop, we gratefully

We would also like to thank ….

…the members of both agencies who took the time to

…the organizing team at Tsinghua University and

We hope that this workshop series will continue to

Duan Weng R.P.H.Chang

A summary of these deliverables can be found in Sections 4 and 5 of this report.

Graduate Students: Student participation was encouraged.

It has been recommended that student participation be

Government Observers: Nine representatives from the

Cyberinfrastructure Support for Participants: Participants were encouraged to begin

The complete workshop program can be found in Appendix 2.

Division Director, Zakya Kafafi

Luis Echegoyen, Director, Division Junping Wang, Program Director,

Plenary talks were presented by:

Speaker Session 2: Nanomaterials and the Environment

Session Chair: Duan Weng, Tsinghua University

Plenary talks were presented by:

Speaker Session 3: Nanomaterials and Technology

Plenary talks were presented by:

Plenary talks are available online at http://materialsworldnetwork.org.

UCSB student Jason Lin (right), his

US graduate student Atiya Jordan Graduate student, Amanda Grantz

Meals and after-dinner parties provided opportunities for informal networking.

Murray Gibson of Argonne Olivia Graeve of Alfred University

Bruce Parkinson of the University David Ginley of the National

Richard Flagan of Caltech Neal Armstrong of the University of

The Co-organizers led a closing discussion to summarize

Workshop findings are summarized in Sections 4 and 5,

Priorities for implementation are summarized in Section

Workshop Co-organizer, R.P.H.

Deliverable 1: A Consolidated List of Thematic Areas for Collaborative Research

ENERGY MATERIALS, ENERGY GENERATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

• Establish visiting scholar/lecturer programs

Industrial Collaboration / Technology Transfer

Joint Funding Mechanisms

FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS

Facilities to be Jointly Developed

FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND ENERGY

Facilities to be Jointly Developed

FACILITIES FOR NANOMATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Facilities to be Jointly Developed

Recommendations to Improve Facilities Sharing

Improving Education Capabilities

Recommendations to Improve Education

Basic Networking Capabilities

Databases and Other Resources

Remote Experiment Access / Instrumentation/ Data Sharing

Cyberinfrastructure: Participants recommended the development/use of cyberinfrastructure

1. Continue US-China Workshop Series

4. Pursue the Development of a US-China E-Institute by 2011

No. First Name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area

No. First name Last Name Affiliation Role Topical Area