Image of MXene by Ph.D. student Babak Anasori
New materials development is at the heart of breakthrough research in materials science and engineering and Drexel Materials is at the forefront of new materials research and applications.
The unique research work of several Drexel Materials faculty and students in the area of new materials development has been featured in EXEL 2014, the latest issue of the visually provocative Drexel University Research Magazine.
“MXene: A Star is Born” covers the discovery of MXenes, a new class of two-dimensional materials discovered by the research groups of Professors Michel Barsoum and Yury Gogosti. It discusses their unique characteristics and potential applications and mentions the work of recent Ph.D. graduate Michael Naguib.
Ph.D. candidate Kristy Jost of Gogotsi’s Nanomaterials Group and her work in fabric batteries and smart garments is discussed in “Hot Couture.” Kristy’s research focuses on the intersection of fashion and materials science and engineering in the form of fabric supercapacitors.
“Solar Energy Breakthrough” chronicles Professor Jonathan Spanier’s role in identifying a new material for solar cell construction that could make their manufacture less expensive and more efficient. His collaborators include faculty from the University of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the work of Drexel Materials M.S. alumnus Dr. Alex Moseson on helping Thai farmers with an improved planting tool is highlighted in “The Seed of an Idea.” Alex, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow who is currently assistant teaching professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, credits his Ph.D. advisor Barsoum with playing an integral role in guiding him on his career path. He is the recipient of one of eighty $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2013.
Prior issues of EXEL, which also feature the work of Drexel Materials researchers, can be found here.